Captain Ibis
Squad Member
The Wests Tigers have been urged to move on from halfback Luke Brooks and it appears that could happen in the form of a stunning player swap with a rival team.
That is according to The Daily Telegraph’sPaul Kent, who has reported that the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are interested in the 27-year-old’s services.
In return, the Tigers would receive halfback Kyle Flanagan, who is currently playing in reserve grade with no clear NRL comeback in sight at Belmore.
Kent wrote that the Bulldogs’ interest in Brooks is “part of a bigger conspiracy”.
Kent adds that there is a “right bower” to this deal — that Kyle’s father Shane would also arrive at the Tigers to replace Michael Maguire as coach.
Flanagan is currently a consultant at the Dragons.
“It has gained some fresh heat,” Kent wrote.
“Some insist the deal is done and all that is left for Flanagan to take over as head coach is to wait for Maguire to be sacked.”
While the Tigers could not be criticised for their efforts on Thursday night in a loss to the Titans, it did little to soften the noise surrounding both Maguire and Brooks’ future.
“He’s running out of things to say,” The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster said on SEN Radio on Friday, where Kent’s report on Brooks’ future was a topic of discussion.
“He said last night after the match, ‘we keep doing that things will turn’, I reckon he’s been saying that things will turn for two seasons. My question Matty is that’s seven in a row that they’ve lost the Sharks, Eels, Rabbits, Dragons and then Manly.
“It’s conceivable that they won’t win any of those, at what point does Tim Sheens … … pull the trigger.”
Former Broncos player Denan Kemp then questioned whether Brooks had the backing of teammates to complete his integral job in the halves.
“They’ve got Luke Brooks there, he’s the man but there’s no real backing behind him.” Kemp said.
“Do they get behind him as a team? Do they not get behind him as a team? Is he confident?
“They say he was looking to go to Newcastle at the end of the year.”
Maguire was asked about both his own future and that of Brooks in a sit-down interview with Fox League earlier this week.
“His focus is on playing,” Maguire said of Brooks.
“I always say to a player, you do the talking on the field. Your career and those sorts of things always sort themselves out.
“He has just got to keep committed to his training and keep playing the way he is. And look for areas of his game that he can improve every day, which I know he does every single day he trains.
“If he keeps doing that he will get to where he wants to get to.”
As for his own future, Maguire said he would never quit the Tigers, although debate continues to rage on both his and Brooks’ fates.
That is according to The Daily Telegraph’sPaul Kent, who has reported that the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are interested in the 27-year-old’s services.
In return, the Tigers would receive halfback Kyle Flanagan, who is currently playing in reserve grade with no clear NRL comeback in sight at Belmore.
Kent wrote that the Bulldogs’ interest in Brooks is “part of a bigger conspiracy”.
Kent adds that there is a “right bower” to this deal — that Kyle’s father Shane would also arrive at the Tigers to replace Michael Maguire as coach.
Flanagan is currently a consultant at the Dragons.
“It has gained some fresh heat,” Kent wrote.
“Some insist the deal is done and all that is left for Flanagan to take over as head coach is to wait for Maguire to be sacked.”
While the Tigers could not be criticised for their efforts on Thursday night in a loss to the Titans, it did little to soften the noise surrounding both Maguire and Brooks’ future.
“He’s running out of things to say,” The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster said on SEN Radio on Friday, where Kent’s report on Brooks’ future was a topic of discussion.
“He said last night after the match, ‘we keep doing that things will turn’, I reckon he’s been saying that things will turn for two seasons. My question Matty is that’s seven in a row that they’ve lost the Sharks, Eels, Rabbits, Dragons and then Manly.
“It’s conceivable that they won’t win any of those, at what point does Tim Sheens … … pull the trigger.”
Former Broncos player Denan Kemp then questioned whether Brooks had the backing of teammates to complete his integral job in the halves.
“They’ve got Luke Brooks there, he’s the man but there’s no real backing behind him.” Kemp said.
“Do they get behind him as a team? Do they not get behind him as a team? Is he confident?
“They say he was looking to go to Newcastle at the end of the year.”
Maguire was asked about both his own future and that of Brooks in a sit-down interview with Fox League earlier this week.
“His focus is on playing,” Maguire said of Brooks.
“I always say to a player, you do the talking on the field. Your career and those sorts of things always sort themselves out.
“He has just got to keep committed to his training and keep playing the way he is. And look for areas of his game that he can improve every day, which I know he does every single day he trains.
“If he keeps doing that he will get to where he wants to get to.”
As for his own future, Maguire said he would never quit the Tigers, although debate continues to rage on both his and Brooks’ fates.
