Brooks repeats Tigers commitment as Sheens finally arrives

Luke Brooks reiterated to senior Wests Tigers officials only last week he was still committed to the club as Tim Sheens ended months of frustration by finally touching down in Sydney in a bid to rejuvenate the joint venture.

In the clearest sign yet about what jumper Brooks will be wearing in round one next year, the Herald has been told by sources familiar with the situation the No.7 met Tigers powerbrokers just days ago, where he again provided no indication he wanted out of the club.

It comes as speculation over the future of the club’s reigning player of the year intensifies, with incoming Knights consultant Andrew Johns rolling out the welcome mat for Brooks as Mitchell Pearce’s replacement.

But the Tigers are poised to dig their heels in over the 26-year-old, who still has two years left to run on his current deal.

Brooks’ situation will be one of the first points of business for head of football Sheens, who jetted into Australia on Sunday night and will report for duty at Concord on Monday.

His arrival has been delayed for months due to COVID permutations, prompting the Wests Tigers’ only premiership-winning coach to work overtime from the United Kingdom on the club’s roster and pathways system.

Luke Brooks’ future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks.Credit:Getty Images

While the Knights won’t cut ties with Pearce, who has formally requested a release to join French side Catalans, until they’ve found a suitable replacement, the Tigers have no compulsion to buckle to any pressure from Brooks’ management, who also look after Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien.

Making the Tigers’ position on Brooks even firmer is the fact their best player, Adam Doueihi, is not expected back from an ACL injury until the second half of the 2022 season.

Coach Michael Maguire is expected to pair recruit Jackson Hastings and Brooks in the halves for their opening game next season with Doueihi told to take all the time he needs with his recovery. It’s the second time he has undergone a reconstruction on his left knee.

Gold Coast recruit Tyrone Peachey’s position is likely to be in the middle of the park as a mobile No.13, meaning Brooks is considered crucial to Maguire’s plans as he tries to lift the club into the finals for the first time in a decade.

Brooks is due to return to pre-season training on November 18 with other senior members of the Tigers squad, and an urging from Immortal Johns in the Herald for a change of scenery created a stir across the weekend.

“It’s a challenge I like,” Johns said. “He looks like he needs a change, and getting out of Sydney would be good for him.

“I think he can really add a lot to the club. He can play great. He needs to find that consistency. I could help him with when to pass, when to run, when to kick but, also, I think the players around him need to understand his strengths and how to get the best out of him. I think it would be exciting to work with Luke.”

Sheens took the extraordinary step last month of issuing a statement claiming Brooks would be going nowhere, claiming it was “unfair” on the former Dally M halfback of the year for continued “false conjecture on his future” to be raised in the media.

He said he had also spoken to Brooks, who told him he was determined to deliver success for the club.

And it’s a position he again repeated to the club only last week.

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