Sea Eagles swoop to signal Brooks on four-year NRL deal

Luke Brooks is ready to change into Manly’s five-eighth from 2024 after signing a four-year contract that indicators an finish to a tumultuous 11 seasons at Wests Tigers.

The deal comes amid a spending spree that has lured exterior backs Jaxson Paulo and Tommy Talau from rival golf equipment whereas additionally securing Tolu Koula’s future at Manly regardless of hypothesis of a change to rugby union.

Off-contract on the finish of 2023, the 28-year-old Brooks rejected the Tigers’ supply of a brand new deal earlier this month after years of hypothesis {that a} contemporary begin may benefit the much-maligned playmaker.

Regardless of hyperlinks to Newcastle, Canterbury and North Queensland, Manly confirmed Brooks’ signing on Monday afternoon.

Brooks, sidelined with a hamstring harm, is incomes greater than $1 million this season on a back-ended Tigers contract.

He’ll associate Queensland State of Origin consultant Daly Cherry-Evans within the halves, liberating the recruit as much as play the form of eyes-up, operating soccer that fits him, and which has incessantly been misplaced in his function because the Tigers’ game-manager.

“Luke is a high quality halfback,” Manly coach Anthony Seibold stated.

“He has bought a implausible left-foot kicking sport and is a very good runner of the soccer.

“We really feel as if he’ll add to the backbone gamers we already have at our membership.”

The transfer appears prone to spell the top of Josh Schuster’s time as Manly’s five-eighth.

Off-contract on the finish of subsequent 12 months, the extremely rated back-rower missed final 12 months’s World Cup to trim down and be taught the methods of the five-eighth.

However he has struggled for type in his new place, not least as a result of a run of accidents.

Brooks made his NRL debut as a 19-year-old, incomes comparisons to Newcastle nice Andrew Johns earlier than he had performed a first-grade match.

However he has been unable to encourage the Tigers to the finals in his 202-game stint on the membership, leaving him on the receiving finish of repeated and infrequently intense public and media criticism.

He’s the most-capped lively participant to by no means have made a finals look, although has proven glimpses of brilliance since debuting in 2013.

Brooks was named the 2018 Dally M Halfback of the 12 months and loved an upswing in type previous to his hamstring harm this season, notably guiding Wests to a 66-18 thrashing of North Queensland in his 2 hundredth sport.

Manly have additionally re-signed centre Koula till the top of 2027, reiterating his standing as a participant of the long run and retaining him out of the clutches of rugby union.

After Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii signed a wealthy deal to hitch Rugby Australia earlier this 12 months, hypothesis emerged as to which different former schoolboy stars may comply with him.

Koula had been thought of a candidate, however any such change is now effectively and actually within the distant future.

“With Tolu now signed on for an additional couple of years, we’re actually wanting ahead to seeing him play his greatest soccer,” Seibold stated.

Becoming a member of Koula within the exterior backs subsequent 12 months shall be Tigers centre Talau and Paulo of the Sydney Roosters, who’ve signed two and three-year offers respectively.

Affirmation of Brooks’ exit means the Tigers should shift their consideration urgently to their halves scenario for 2024.

First-choice five-eighth Adam Doueihi shall be sidelined effectively into subsequent season with an anterior cruciate ligament harm he suffered in April, whereas back-up playmaker Brandon Wakeham is off-contract on the finish of this season.