Maguire pleased with pressure-free Brooks

George Clarke | April 18, 2022

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire says he made the decision to shift Luke Brooks to five-eighth to protect the maligned NRL playmaker from more criticism.

Brooks looked shorn of confidence after the Tigers started the year with five-straight losses and was moved from halfback to five-eighth to accommodate the return of Jackson Hastings from suspension.

The pair had a hand in all of the Tigers’ tries, with Hastings kicking the game-winning field goal in their 21-20 victory over Parramatta at Commbank Stadium.

Brooks had only played four games as an No. 6 before Easter Monday.

But Maguire said Brooks, who finished the game with two try assists, was better suited to picking his moments and being allowed to play without expectation.

“Brooksy, for however long, has been bashed,” he said.

“Everyone puts a lot of focus around the No. 7.

“I felt it was the right time for Brooksy to have some of that chatter taken away because we all know what he’s capable of.”

Brooks even got through a stint at dummy-half when Jake Simpkin went off with injury.

Maguire had put his future on the line when he took the brave call to drop Tyrone Peachey, Jacob Liddle, Oliver Gildart and Ken Maumalo from the Tigers’ 17 when the team list was released on Tuesday. 

But come Monday afternoon Maumalo had worked his way back into the team with Maguire keen to send a message that places weren’t given out for free.

“It was just a bit of a reminder,” he said.

“I’ve known Ken for a long time, and I know what he’s capable of.

“I guess, when you’re going from week to week, you need a little bit of a reminder.

“And I thought he did a good job for us there in today’s game. Sometimes every player needs a little bit of a push every now and then.”

Maumalo, who scored a try, went off with a knee injury but Maguire expected the Kiwi international to be fit for Saturday’s game against South Sydney.