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Anthony Seibold has revealed the game that convinced him to sign Luke Brooks and why he believes Manly and the maligned former Tigers half can compliment each other perfectly.
Paul Kent asked Seibold on NRL 360’s Las Vegas edition why he decided to pull the trigger on signing Brooks after a tumultuous career at the Tigers.
“What did you see in him that made you want to get him because he has been a whipping boy for a long time,” Kent said on NRL 360.
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“Sorry to keep reviving that but he has and he has had a tough time of it unfairly a lot of the time. What drew you to him as a player?”
Seibold believes Brooks offered traits that would compliment the other players in Manly’s spine and that will enable him to get the best out of himself.
“I think when Brooks has been at his best his running game has been outstanding,” Seibold said.
“He has got a great left foot kicking game and I just thought that’s what we needed.
“Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic do all the organisation for us and I just thought if we could free him up from the organisation role and just play a running game and use his left foot kick.
“And he is a brave guy as well. He gets his body in front of the big edge back-rowers, so we just thought it would be a good fit for us and a good fit for him.
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“Probably the clincher was I watched a game against the Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval and the Tigers had a fantastic win that night.
“I think it was Brooks’ 200th game and he was outstanding and I just thought he would be great for us as a club and we would be good for him as well.”
After 205 games for the Tigers, Brooks is looking forward to a new chapter with Manly, which kicks off against the Rabbitohs on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.
“It’s been really good, I am really enjoying my time at Manly,” Brooks said.
“It is a nice part of the world and the boys have been really good.
“I am just looking forward to getting out there and playing my first game for the club and what better place to do it?”
Kent believes the influence of Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic has Brooks primed for his best season yet in the NRL.
“A lot of my friends are Tigers fans and they ask me can you give us something positive and I say, Luke Brooks Dally M player of the year,” Kent said.
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“But I really think you are in for a big year. I just think it is going to suit your game playing outside Daly Cherry-Evans and you have got Tom Trbojevic on the other side.
“I am really excited about the year you are going to have.”
Brooks agreed having champions around him will free him up to play to his strengths and focus on his own role.
“I am excited to play alongside some great quality players,” Brooks said.
“I think for me it is just going into the game worrying about my game and having those players alongside me will allow me to do that.
“I can’t wait to get out there and play with those guys.”
After copping a torrent of criticism for never playing finals footy in his nine years at the Tigers, Brooks conceded he needed the change of clubs and knew almost immediately he has made the right call.
“I definitely felt like I needed a fresh start,” Brooks said.
“The first couple of weeks at Manly made me know that I made the right decision. It has been a good fresh start for me so I am just looking forward to playing.”
Braith Anasta noted Cherry-Evans’ summation that the pressure is off Brooks at Manly, which will allow him to break off the shackles and thrive.
“Cherry-Evans said the other day there is actually less pressure on you this year because you have just got to do your role,” Anasta said.
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“You have got the players around you and you just focus on your own individual goal and that’s what they ask of you. I think you are in for a big year.”
“Yeah and that’s what it feels like so far in the pre-season,” Brooks said.
“I’m just going out there and doing what I do best and playing alongside some good players.”
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