Former Balmain Tigers, New South Wales Blues and Australian Kangaroos prop Steve Roach has stated Brooks was right to jump ship from the Tigers at the end of 2023.
Brooks dropped the bombshell over the weekend that his 11-year stint at the Tigers wouldn't be continuing into the 2024 season.
The NRL's most capped player without a finals appearance, Brooks has struggled to reach his potential during his time at the joint-venture, and has often been used as the point of blame for the Tigers' troubles by both fans and the media.
A recent turnaround in form and the backing of coach Tim Sheens saw the club ultimately offer him a deal which was reported to be worth half the value of his current one over a period of either two or three seasons, however, Brooks knocked them back.
It came after the Tigers had already chased multiple players over the first half of the season, including Cameron Munster and Mitchell Moses, while assistant coach Benji Marshall also reached out to Mitchell Pearce, who has been in recent days linked with a return to the Sydney Roosters following the conclusion of his English Super League stint with the Caltans Dragons.
Roach told Fox Sports the club looking in different directions and halving his value left Brooks with no choice but to move on.
“Good on Luke Brooks for rejecting the Tigers offer. He's played 200 games for the club, a local junior yet they still go out and try and sign 16 other halfbacks over the top of him,” Roach told the publication.
“What did they expect? They've offered him half the money.
“The other thing. Do the Tigers realise good halves are like hen's teeth at the moment? They're bloody hard to find.
“Who are they going to get to replace him?
“They've missed Munster, Moses, Pearce and Johnson. Who else is out there?
“I want the Tigers to do well, I really do. I'm just not sure what's left in terms of quality playmakers.”
Brooks' call has left a number of NRL clubs in the possible chase for him, while the English Super League will also become an option.
It has been rumpoured in recent days that the North Queensland Cowboys could be an option for Brooks in an apparent player swap with Chad Townsend, who has struggled to find the form he showed last year in guiding the Townsville-based club to a preliminary final.
The Tigers will need to make a move and make it quickly though. At this stage, Brandon Wakeham is the only NRL-experienced half on their roster who will be fit at the start of 2024 (although even he isn't yet contracted), with Adam Doueihi to miss the first half of the season as he recovers from yet another devastating ACL injury.
» Full list of off-contract players at end of 2023
The off-contract list appears to be mostly slim pickings heading into 2024, with the likes of Jack Cogger, Matt Frawley, Josh Reynolds, Jaeman Salmon, Adam Clune, Kyle Flanagan, Drew Hutchison, Cooper Johns, Shaun Johnson (who the Tigers have already made a play for), Brad Schneider and Blake Taaffe alongside Wakeham the only NRL-experienced halves without a deal for next season.
“The NRL’s most capped player without a finals appearance” I’ve heard it endlessly. No wonder he’s leaving. Does he have to take the blame for the Tigers non final appearances in the last 10+ years. There’s lots of club executive officials, recruiters, player retainers etc etc who might like to take a fair chunk of the blame but I bet they’re not voluntarily walking the plank or taking a 50% pay cut. Brooks was never going to get another million dollar payday because his contract was heavily back ended. His defense has always been great and his attack has always been good. Most recently both have been excellent. He’s probably lined up a better deal already and is waiting for the Tigers to realise there’s not much outstanding talent out there in the way of half backs who haven’t already rejected their offers. The Tigers may have to swallow their pride and up the offer as they should.