Luke Brooks

Luke Brooks (born 21 December 1994) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback for the Wests Tigers in the NRL.

Luke Brooks
Personal information
Born (1994-12-21) 21 December 1994
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight88 kg (13 st 12 lb)
Playing information
PositionHalfback, Five-eighth
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2013– Wests Tigers 148 39 0 5 161
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2015 NRL All Stars 1 0 0 0 0
As of 10 July 2020
Source: [1]

He made an appearance for the NRL All Stars in 2015.

Background

Brooks was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

He played his junior football for the Holy Cross Rhinos and Leichhardt Wanderers before being signed by the Wests Tigers. In 2012 he played for the Australian Schoolboys and also played in the Balmain Tigers' S. G. Ball Cup Grand Final win over the Canberra Raiders.

Playing career

2013

Having spent the pre-season training with the first-grade team, Brooks was receiving attention in the press, with Andrew Johns saying he was one of the best young talents he had seen in some time.[2] Playing for the Tigers' NYC team, in April, he played for the New South Wales U20s State of Origin team.[3] On 29 July, he re-signed with Wests Tigers on a 4-year contract.[4]

Brooks with the NSW Under-20s

In Round 24 of the 2013, Brooks made his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers against the St. George Illawarra Dragons.[5] Although the Wests Tigers had exceeded their second tier salary cap, Brooks was given a special dispensation to play as neither team could make the semi-finals.[6] Brooks scored a try and was awarded Man of the Match in the Tigers 34-18 victory, in what was described as, "a stunning NRL debut."[6] The salary cap prevented Brooks from playing in any further games that year. At the end of the year, Brooks was named at halfback in the 2013 NYC Team of the Year.[7]

Brooks playing for the Tigers

2014

Brooks became the Wests Tigers regular halfback for the 2014 season. He played in 21 matches, scoring 6 tries and kicking 1 field goal. He was named 2014 Dally M Rookie of the Year.[8][9]

2015

In 2015, Brooks was selected on the interchange bench for the NRL All Stars in the 2015 All Stars match, the youngest player to ever take part in the game.[10] In the first half, he came on and played right centre. In the second half, he played five-eighth when Kieran Foran left the field injured. The Indigenous All Stars won 20-6.[11]

Brooks finished the year with a personal best 10 tries from 23 appearances, the 5th highest amongst NRL halves.[12] His 16 try assists were also the 5th most in the entire NRL for the year.[13]

2016

At the start of the season, Brooks had an option on his contract for 2017. Despite some offers from rival clubs and an attempt from the Wests Tigers to extend his contract, Brooks took up the option mid-season.[14] He said, "My manager was in talks with a few clubs but it didn't come to anything and I was just happy to take an extension."[15]

With Wests Tigers struggling for wins mid-season, Brooks received some criticism from commentators such as Peter Sterling for his lack of involvement in games. Andrew Johns said, "He has to give his team more. He has got a lot of raps. There is talk he isn’t behind forwards going forward but he has to get his hands on the ball more … I don’t get it."[16] Brooks' season was the hampered by a knee injury towards the end of the season, but the team recovered to be one win away from a semi-final berth. He later admitted, "I wasn’t playing my best footy."[17] Brooks scored 5 tries from his 21 games for the year.

2017

In March and April, Brooks, alongside Tigers captain Aaron Woods, halves partner Mitchell Moses and superstar fullback James Tedesco, attracted media speculation about where the players, dubbed the "Big Four" would play after all of their contracts with the Tigers were set to expire at season's end.[18][19] On 18 April, Brooks extended his stay at the club to the end of the 2019 season, the only player of the group to re-sign.[20] At the time, Brooks was sidelined from the game for 4 weeks due a hamstring injury. He made his return in Round 8, having a great match, leading the team and setting up the winning try for Kevin Naiqama in the Tigers 18-12 thrilling win.[21]

2018

With Wests Tigers winning 5 of their first 6 games, Brooks was described as the most improved player at the club. "The 23-year-old looks a completely different player this year – stronger, faster and fitter, exploding with confidence, running the ball more than ever before. His average run metres have shot from 75 to 106 so far and his eight drop outs forced in six games has already equalled his entire 2017 tally of eight in 17 games. His 20 tackle busts is just two short of his 22 busts in 2017 as well."[22] Elsewhere it was said he, "looks more confident and assured, is defending better, making better decisions and running the ball more."[23]

Brooks was one of two players who appeared in all 24 games for the Tigers, scoring 5 tries an kicking 2 field goals. At the Dally M Awards, Brooks placed third overall, and was named the competition's Halfback of the Year.[24] On December 3, Brooks re-signed with the Wests Tigers for 5 years. Keeping him at the club till the end of the 2023 season.

2019

By round 24, Brooks held the statistic of the current player with the most NRL caps to not have played finals football,[25] a record that would continue with Wests Tigers finishing ninth. Brooks finished the season making 24 appearances and scored 4 tries.[26][27]

2020

In round 14 against Canterbury-Bankstown, Brooks kicked a field goal with two minutes remaining on to win the game for Wests 29-28 at Western Sydney Stadium.[28]

In round 18, Brooks was sent to the sin bin for punching Souths player Dane Gagai. He later returned to the field and scored a try in Wests 26-24 loss at Bankwest Stadium.[29]

Brooks played 17 games for the Wests Tigers in the 2020 NRL season as the club finished 11th and missed the finals.[30]

References
  1. "Luke Brooks - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. Paul Crawley (24 August 2013). "Never judge a Brooks by its cover". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  3. "Under 20's Origin squads named". NRL.com. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  4. "Major player news for Wests Tigers". Weststigers.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  5. "NRL Late Changes v Dragons". Weststigers.com.au. 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  6. Adrian Proszenko (27 August 2013). "Brooks knows hard work has only just begun after dazzling on debut". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  7. "Holden Cup Under-20s team of the year named". News.com.au. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. Michael Carayannis. "Dally M 2014: Johnathan Thurston, Jarryd Hayne named first joint winners". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  9. "Thurston, Hayne share Dally M Medal". NRL.com. 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  10. Talintyre, Dan (20 February 2015). "Spine for Success finally on show". weststigers.com.au. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  11. "Indigenous All Stars leave it late". NRL.com. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  12. Brock Corfe. "2015 Season Review: Luke Brooks". weststigers.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  13. "Try Assists". nrl.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  14. Adam Pengilly. "James Tedesco keen to form long-term Wests Tigers big three with Mitchell Moses, Luke Brooks". North West Star.
  15. Chris Barrett. "Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks goes back to basics to deliver on NRL promise". Sydney Morning Herald.
  16. Steve Zemek. "Luke Brooks' future questioned by league legends". The Roar.
  17. Nick Walshaw. "Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks vows to overhaul playing style". Daily Telegraph.
  18. "Wests Tigers contracts: James Tedesco Roosters, Aaron Woods Bulldogs, Mitchell Moses Eels". Fox Sports. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  19. "Tigers can keep the Big Four: Cleary - NRL". Wwos.nine.com.au. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  20. "Luke Brooks signs two-year contract extension at Wests Tigers, keeping him at club until 2019 season". Fox Sports. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  21. Bailey, Scott (23 April 2017). "Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks leads 'Big Four' charge to victory over Bulldogs - NRL". Wwos.nine.com.au. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  22. Chris Kennedy. "Cleary orchestrates storming comeback victory over Parramatta". nrl.com.
  23. Chris Kennedy. "Stat Attack: The 17 most-improved players of 2018". nrl.com.
  24. "Luke Brooks named in Dally M team of the year". Camden Advertiser.
  25. "Tigers are hell bent on ending the longest finals drought". Daily Telegraph.
  26. "Ruled out, Farah gets last-minute call-up after warm-up injury". NRL.
  27. "Robbie Farah's cryptic chat with Paul Gallen ahead of Leichhardt Oval showdown". WWOS.
  28. "Wests Tigers edge Canterbury 29-28, Manly's NRL finals hopes take a hit with loss to Newcastle". www.abc.net.au.
  29. "Luke Brooks sent to bin for 'ridiculous' right hook at Dane Gagai". www.news.com.au.
  30. "Wests Tigers doomed to another finals miss in 2021, Peter Sterling predicts". wwos.nine.com.au.
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