Luke Brooks has been heavily linked with a move away from the Wests Tigers to join the Newcastle Knights.
It has been reported for months that Brooks wants to move away from the Tigers, with reports just weeks ago suggesting Brooks doesn't want to be coached by Michael Maguire anymore.
It comes following the Tigers finishing in 13th place at the end of the 2021 NRL season, marking ten years since the club last made the finals.
Brooks is the most-capped NRL player without a single finals appearance, and the club have brought Tyrone Peachey, Jackson Hastings and Oliver Gildart into their playing squad for 2022 in an attempt to arrest the horrid record.
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Despite that, the Tigers have previously slammed reports Brooks would leave, with new director of football Tim Sheens saying he had the club's full support and would remain a Tiger until the end of his current deal in 2023.
That hasn't stopped the reports Brooks will end up at the Knights though following Mitchell Pearce's request for a release.
Pearce wants to take up a deal in France with the Catalan Dragons, but the Knights are understood to be not willing to release him until a suitable replacement is found, despite also having Phoenix Crossland, Simi Sasagi and new recruit Adam Clune at the club, as well as the potential for Kalyn Ponga to shift into the halves.
Still, Brooks may satisfy that request and allow Pearce to leave, and Channel 7s Michelle Bishop told SEN Radio that there is "definitely movement" ahead at the Tigers despite the statement released by Sheens.
“There’s definitely movement at the Tigers, the statement the Tigers released a week or so ago about Luke Brooks staying put,” Bishop said on SEN’s Breakfast with Vossy.
“We may need to get the white-out out because my sources are telling me he could be making that trek up along the M1 to Newcastle sooner than we think to play with the Knights and replace Mitchell Pearce.
“Jackson Hastings has arrived, he’s the man the Tigers see as the man of the moment. Oliver Gildart arrived in Australia overnight, the classy centre."
Bishop went on to say both sides want the move, allowing pre-seasons to start and the Tigers to use the spare salary cap to sign one of two linked dummy halves in Apisai Koroisau or Josh Hodgson.
“They sort of want this (Brooks move) to happen on both sides so they can start preseason training without any hiccups," Bishop said.
“And once that happens, the rest will fall into place and it will Api or Josh Hodgson signing on at Concord.”
