‘We can get the best out of him’: Sea Eagles confident Luke Brooks will go to another level

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold is confident his side can “get the best” out of Luke Brooks after the playmaker made the big call to head north after 11 seasons without finals football at the Wests Tigers.

The 28-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Sea Eagles after he was given a deadline by his former club that he says played a key role in his decision to leave after 205 matches for the Tigers.

It was a rollercoaster career with the club that started with one game in 2013 after which he was dubbed the next Andrew Johns, but a revolving door of coaches and halves partners made it difficult for Brooks to ever settle in.

There have been patches of brilliance, with Brooks named Dally M halfback of the year in 2018, while his 200th NRL game – a 66-18 drubbing of the Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval – is a night he’ll never forget.

“We feel as though we can get the best out of him,” Seibold told SEN.

“We just want him to come and enjoy his footy again. It’s been a tough slog for Brooksy for a little period of time and you saw some of his performances this year before he hurt his hamstring.

“The two that stood out for me were the Tigers’ wins against the Panthers and the Cowboys. He’s a talented player, we’re just hoping that he enjoys his footy and not put too much pressure on him.”

It’s been a lean couple of years for Brooks and the Tigers who claimed back-to-back wooden spoons, with the halfback setting up just eight tries – his third-lowest return in a season.

But the move to Manly will take him out of the spotlight, with Daly Cherry-Evans the main man in attack, while fullback Tom Trbojevic will be out to replicate his 2021 Dally M Medal-winning form.

“The first thing that we’ve tried to do is welcome Brooksy with open arms and show him a little bit of love,” Seibold said.

“He’s a super talented player. Think back to 2018 and he was the Dally M halfback of the year. He’s been heavily critiqued over his career and in some ways the forefront of a lot of criticism of the Wests Tigers not making the finals.

“We know he’s a hell of a player … we want him to feel like he’s a Manly player. He just needs to come to our club, work hard, have a smile on his face and enjoy his footy again.

“I think Tom and Daly will help take his game to the next level we feel. We’ve got a great coaching staff as well, particularly Michael Ennis who is working with (him).”