Daly Cherry-Evans believes Luke Brooks will flourish playing Manly’s expansive brand of football, and the much-maligned half will forge a lethal left-edge combination with $800,000 enigma Josh Schuster.
Brooks is headed for the northern beaches next season after failing to play finals football in 11 long years with Wests Tigers. The divisive Brooks was not helped by playing with 16 different halves partners during his roller-coaster stint at Leichhardt.
Cherry-Evans, who played with five-eighths Schuster, Cooper Johns, Kaeo Weekes and Jake Arthur this season, is keen for some stability himself.
“Brooksy has always been a cool player to watch, and his best footy is exciting footy,” Cherry-Evans said. “He’s a left-footed kicker, he loves running the ball and he’s a brave defender – he doesn’t get enough of a rap for being as tough as he is in defence. Being tough in defence doesn’t mean you make all your tackles, but if you’re tough, you get the respect from your teammates.
“He’s been good in a side that has done it tough during his career. But I think he will flourish in the Manly environment.
Daly Cherry-Evans is confident Luke Brooks will flourish at Manly.Credit: Getty
“You have Jake [Trbojevic], Tom [Trbojevic], Schuster, people who can create space for other people. And the way we play our footy, that expansive footy, he will really enjoy that.
“I get the luxury of going into Origin camp and into Aussie camp, and you learn and hear different ideas; it keeps me thinking.
“With Brooksy having a change of coach, and being around different players, that will also really help him.”
The Sea Eagles have plenty of five-eighth options with Brooks, Arthur and Schuster, who finished the year in reserve grade.
Fans are still trying to work out if Schuster is best on an edge or in the halves, and while Cherry-Evans was noncommittal, he said he simply wanted him to knuckle down and become a regular first-grader.
Luke Brooks sinks South Sydney with a field goal in 2022, but the halfback rarely lived up to the hype and has been a punching bag for Tigers fans.Credit: NRL Photos
“He faced some adversity this year, and he had to get his body right,” Cherry-Evans said. “He put himself into a position where he didn’t finish the season in first grade and now he needs to get that mindset where he has to win his jersey back at all costs. I know he can do it.
“I know how skillful he is, and how much ability he’s got. He needs to keep that consistency, not just with his footy, but his mindset – he needs to stay hungry all the time, and if he does that, I know how good a footy player he will be.
“He can be a very good five-eighth or a very good back-rower. That can only be a good thing for Manly.
“Good sides have that luxury of moving players when things go wrong in games.
“It could end up being an awesome combo with him and Brooksy.”
The first outing for Cherry-Evans and Brooks will be in Las Vegas. The evergreen Cherry-Evans has only been to the desert party town once and knows he will need to stay a little fresher this time around.
In the meantime, Cherry-Evans, who was picked in the Prime Minister’s XIII during the week, remains hopeful of playing some Test football next month.
“I said earlier this year I would hold off booking holidays, and I still haven’t,” he said.
“I’m ready to go. Last year I didn’t finish the way I wanted. ‘Nath’ [Cleary] got the starting Kangaroos gig and I couldn’t get a spot on the bench. I won’t be surprised if Mal [Meninga] goes with a similar team, but I’ll keep my hand up until I get a game.”
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