With the rugby league world nonetheless in shock over Tim Sheens’ sudden Wests Tigers exit, departing halfback Luke Brooks made a telling admission that highlights the issues gripping the membership.
Departing halfback Luke Brooks had a parting dig for membership bosses, making the gorgeous revelation that he doesn’t know who is looking the pictures on the Wests Tigers.
Within the wake of Tim Sheens’ shock departure at season’s end, with rookie head coach Benji Marshall to take over, Brooks took goal on the membership’s administration for the fixed off-field turmoil at Harmony.
When requested if there had been folks in cost that haven’t acted within the membership’s finest curiosity, Brooks replied: “To be sincere, I don’t actually know who makes the choices right here, so it’s exhausting to say.”
The Tigers are dealing with 12-straight seasons and not using a finals look, and consecutive picket spoons, after one other disappointing yr.
Brooks stated membership powerbrokers wanted to get on the ‘identical web page’ if the membership needed to show issues round.
“Simply everybody being on the identical web page and making the suitable choices for the membership to go ahead, and having the membership‘s finest curiosity in these choices,” Brooks stated.
Membership bosses had put a contract deadline on Brooks to decide about his future, which finally sealed his transfer to Manly in 2024.
“I believe it was (a deal breaker). Once they did that it made my thoughts up,” Brooks stated.
“That’s all carried out now and there’s nothing we will do. We’ve moved on and I’m simply wanting ahead to ending the yr.”
Brooks’ parting shot is a end result of countless turmoil at Harmony over the past 18 months, beginning with the axing of coach Michael Maguire.
Extra not too long ago, tensions between Marshall and new recruitment boss Scott Fulton have dominated the headlines.
On Thursday, it was additionally revealed assistant coaches Robbie Farah and David Furner had been concerned in a “sturdy dialogue” after final weekend’s loss to the Warriors.
Brooks and his Wests Tigers teammates, who take one the Dolphins on Saturday, arrived at coaching on Wednesday morning to the information that Sheens could be standing down.
Brooks has performed beneath 5 completely different head coaches throughout his 11-year tenure on the Tigers.
For Manly-bound Brooks Sheens’ departure didn’t come as a shock.
“There’s all the time one thing occurring. I assume (after) 10 years right here, I’m form of used to it,” Brooks stated.
Sheens was put in as head coach till the tip of 2024, after Maguire was axed in June final yr, with the view Marshall would take the reins in 2025.
However with the three way partnership heading for consecutive picket spoons, Sheens opted to walk away from the role at the end of the season.
Sheens was scheduled to entrance journalists for Friday’s captain’s run however it’s anticipated Marshall will now take over these media duties till the tip of the season.
Certainly one of Marshall’s most troublesome jobs when he formally takes over might be to reinstall a successful tradition, which has deserted the membership over latest years.
“I assume we haven’t received too many video games in the previous couple of years,” Brooks stated.
“You form of get used to shedding if you’re on this place.
“Generally we’re in video games the place we’re in entrance however as a result of we haven’t received (rather a lot), you neglect the best way to win so it does turn into a behavior.
If they’ll change that and begin successful extra video games, that may repair that.”
Each Brooks and ahead Stefano Utoikamanu backed Marshall to reach taking on what has been described as ‘essentially the most troublesome job in rugby league’.
However Utoikamanu warned the blowtorch could be on the first-time head coach.
“There’s going to be a lot stress as a result of it’s the Tigers,” Utoikamanu stated.
We haven’t been too properly within the final couple of years. I believe anybody that’s going to return into the top coach position goes to have loads of stress on him.
“However he has the help of all of the gamers.”
Initially printed as NRL 2023: Departing Wests Tigers star Luke Brooks’ revealing statement in wake of Sheens exit
