Wests Tigers footy boss Tim Sheens has emphatically refuted claims that embattled playmaker Luke Brooks has been left out of the club's plans for their Round 16 date across the ditch.
As first reported by Fox Sports earlier in the week, Brooks was said to have been dumped from interim coach Brett Kimmorley's side for their fixture against the Warriors, despite the fact that kick-off is still some 12 days away.
With Tigers and each of their NRL competitors set to put their feet up this weekend due to the representative round, the latest weekend of first-grade action is not scheduled to commence until Thursday the 31st, with the Tigers and Warriors doing battle on the Sunday.
Irrespective of the layoff, reports have surfaced that Brooks had been dropped to NSW Cup level for the only time across the course of his 10-season career.
However, Sheens went on to quash rumours on Wednesday, telling News Corp that nobody at Concord had even constructed a team sheet.
“He has definitely not been dropped,” Sheens stated.
“How can he be dropped when we haven’t picked a team?
“I’ve spoken to ‘Noddy’ (Kimmorley) and I’m telling you now, the kid hasn’t been dropped."
Though professing that Brooks had not yet been told he would be asked to run out for Western Suburbs in reserve-grade, the merged club's sole premiership coach was unable to rule out the possibility of these events unfolding.
“Discussions have been around quite a number of players who didn’t play well. Nothing will happen until selection next Tuesday, until after Luke gets through training this week and with what happens over the weekend (the representative round)," Sheens continued.
“It’s up to ‘Noddy’ to make the decisions on what the side looks like but all I’m saying at the moment is that Luke hasn’t been dropped. If he’s dropped, or not dropped, that Noddy’s call but no decision has been made on who is playing and who isn’t playing.”
Having turned in a sub-standard past fortnight on-field, Brooks has been facing plenty of heat from outside of Wests' four walls.
And with the club publically committing to a blueprint of development, former Kangaroo Brent Tate has stressed that both Brooks and the Tigers would be best served parting company at the cessation of this season.
RELATED: Former Roo urges Tigers to part company with Brooks
Still, Brooks and his management were reported to have made contact with Wests powerbrokers on two occasions during the most recent off-season regarding a release.
While Brooks remains contracted for the 2023 season, the Holy Cross and Leichhardt junior is set to chew up around 12 per cent of the Tigers' salary cap should further transfer requests be denied.
Should initial reports prove correct, Brooks will find himself representing the Magpies at Campbelltown Sports Stadium against the Knights at NSW Cup level on Saturday, July 2.
Should Sheens and Kimmorley prove keen to keep Brooks within their first-grade lineup, the 27-year-old will start his 186th NRL contest just under 24 hours later.
