Tigers halfback Luke Brooks’ two options have been debated as he faces a crucial call surrounding his future with his current contract expiring.
The 28-year-old is without a contract for the 2024 season and Tim Sheens has made it clear the merger club want to retain his services.
Brooks has reportedly been offered a cut-price two-year deal with half his current $1 million-per-season salary to remain at the Leichhardt club.
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Legendary halfback Cooper Cronk believes Brooks has two options, with Leeds Rhinos reportedly keen on securing his services.
However, the man with 372 NRL appearances, urged him to remain loyal and re-pay the Tigers’ faith since his debut in 2013.
“If it is on his mind, it’s working because I’d love to see Luke Brooks do whatever Luke Brooks wants… from my perspective there’s two options for Luke,” Cronk said on Thursday night.
“The Tigers have stuck by him for a period of time where his form has been up and down, and it’s just starting to bear some fruits in the combination with Benji Marshall there.
“If it is a cut price deal, I’d love to see him say to the Tigers, ‘I’m staying, you’ve stuck by me and I’m staying’.
“If Luke Brooks stays in the NRL I’d love to see him stay at the Tigers, but outside of that if he wants to go and play some freewheeling football away from the spotlight, the Super League is probably the place.
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“There’s been a lot of players who have been handcuffed here in the NRL who have gone over there and find their mojo and work their way back.”
League legend Greg Alexander labelled Brooks the most “maligned” player over the last 10 NRL seasons, such was the criticism he received.
He even revealed he “felt sorry for him” but explained a return to form could see the former Dally M Halfback of the Year remain in the NRL.
Brooks has been one of the Tigers’ best players since their Round 9 upset over the Panthers, steering Sheens’ side to two more victories.
“I don’t think there’s been a player as much maligned as Luke Brooks over the last ten years… he came into the game in 2013 with very high expectations and almost delivered,” Alexander said.
“He put a lot of pressure on himself and it didn’t happen and there was years where it didn’t happen.
“He’s had to answer that many questions about himself, so the question does he stay or does he go? Six weeks ago I would have said get out of there, do something fresh.
“Because I felt sorry for him, but we’ve seen again the glimpses of form that he can show when he won the Dally M Halfback of the Year.
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“Over the last six weeks he has looked like we know Luke Brooks can.”
Sharks backrower Wade Graham echoed Alexander’s opinion, while Cooper Cronk explained Benji Marshall is the “key cog” in Brooks’ decision.
Marshall will take over as the club’s head coach in 2025 and if Brooks signs a two-year extension, he will be the club’s chief playmaker during his tenure.
“It’s been a tough slog for him there, for a long time, he hasn’t had much success out of that team,” Graham said.
“I would take the money out of it almost and say ‘okay, what do I want to achieve at the back end of my career?’.
“Do I want to finish in the NRL? If he stays in the NRL, certainly stays at the Tigers and with the coaching situation there, they’ve got some good recruits.
“They are looking good, they are trending up but it’s not going to go from here to 100 straight away.
“So if he wants to go over to the Super League and finish his career and not have the week in and week out pressure the NRL brings, that’s an option.”
“The key person in this whole decision is Benji Marshall,” Cronk added.
“What is Luke Brooks’ relationship with him? That’s the key cog in this decision for me.”
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