Manly coach Anthony Seibold has revealed how he plans to get star recruit Luke Brooks back to the form that saw him win Dally M Halfback of the Year in 2018.
After 45 tries in 205 games for the Tigers over 11 seasons, Brooks was often made the scapegoat for the club’s finals drought, which stretches back to 2011.
However, the 28-year-old will get the chance to prove his critics wrong when he lines up at five-eighth for the Sea Eagles alongside halfback and skipper Daly Cherry-Evans in 2024, to begin his four-year deal.
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Speaking on SEN radio Seibold explained how Manly have been trying to build back up Brooks’ confidence after the much maligned star was unfairly hammered with criticism in his final few years at the Tigers.
“The first thing that we’ve tried to do is welcome Brooksey with open arms and show him a little bit of love,” Seibold told SEN 1170 Sportsday.
“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.
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“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 (Trbojevic) and (Daly Cherry-Evans) 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).”
Brooks has always had the potential after winning the Dally M and RLPA rookie of the year gongs in 2014, before his Dally M halfback award five years ago.
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However, the Tigers have been a shambles of a club, with few players including Brooks being allowed to play at their best over the last decade at Concord.
Seibold is convinced being around quality players at Manly can bring out the best in Brooks’ performances more often and ease the pressure on him both internally and externally.
“We feel as though we can get the best out of him,” Seibold said.
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“We just want him to come and enjoy his footy again, it’s been a tough slog for Brooksey for a little period of time, you saw some of his performances this year before he hurt his hamstring.
“The two that stood out for me was 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.”