‘Deal breaker’: Contract deadline last straw for Luke Brooks, Tigers players back Benji to succeed

Wests Tigers players are adamant club legend Benji Marshall is ready to handle the head coach role next season after it was announced he would replace Tim Sheens a year earlier than planned.

The news comes just days before departing halfback Luke Brooks prepares for his final home game before joining the Sea Eagles, although he’s not planning on sitting on the scoreboard at CommBank Stadium for his farewell.

Brooks is off to Manly next season after a rollercoaster 11 seasons at the Tigers where he was touted as the game’s next big thing but never played finals footy as he saw countless halves partners come and go.

There was cautious optimism at the club that he would re-sign this year, but a contract deadline proved to be the final straw for Brooks who joined Manly instead.

“I think it was (a deal breaker). When they did that it made my mind up,” he said.

“That’s all done now and there’s nothing we can do. We’ve moved on and I’m just looking forward to finishing the year.”

Brooks will play his final game for the club against the Sea Eagles, and he can’t wait to link up with halfback Daly Cherry-Evans in 2024 after being weighed down by the pressure of wearing the No.7 on his back at a club that has been starved of success.

“That was one of the reasons I made my decision,” he said.

“I wanted to go over there and play the five-eighth role and play alongside someone like Daly Cherry-Evans because that will take a lot of the pressure off me.

“I’m looking forward to that because it’ll be something new for me.”

Brooks won’t get the chance to play under Marshall next year, with the pair going all the way back to 2013 when the New Zealand superstar shifted to the centres to make way for the exciting rookie.

There are doubts as to whether Marshall is ready for the top gig given he has no experience as a head coach in the lower grades, but Brooks is confident he can handle the intense scrutiny headed his way after a brief apprenticeship under Sheens who lasted just one season in his return with a club that’s set to finish last.

“For me as a half, he’s been really good at knowing the role as a halfback. He’s got a long future as a coach, and that’ll start next year,” the halfback said.

“I think (he’s ready).

“He’s pretty much done a lot of the coaching this year. His knowledge of the game (will help) because he’s got a great understanding of the game and the team that we have and the way that we want to play.

“I think he’ll do a great job.

“It’s not that I don’t care (about what happens in 2024) but I’m not going to be here, so it probably doesn’t affect me. That’s next year. We’ve still got three games to go and we want to finish the season on a high.”

Marshall was calling the shots at training on Thursday and was heavily involved in the Tigers’ attacking drills as he has been all year.

He’s been eased into some media commitments recently in Tamworth and New Zealand, and prop forward Stefano Utoikamanu is backing Marshall to succeed having seen him increase his coaching load throughout the year.

“Each week he’s been trying to get more hands on with the team and he’s talking a lot more,” he said.

“Right now he’s probably the main talker in the team, so he’s kind of a joint head coach with Sheensy, so next year is going to be better.

“I think he’s ready.”