North Queensland are reportedly keeping tabs on Tigers half Luke Brooks as they prepare to farewell star playmaker Jake Clifford.

Clifford is set to join Newcastle at the end of the season after signing with the Knights last November, leaving Todd Payten with a sizeable void in his half stocks.

According toย The Sydney Morning Herald,ย the Cowboys have their sights on Brooks as a potential signing despite the 26-year-old being contracted until the end of the 2023 season.

LUKE BROOKS
Halfback
Wests Tigers
ROUND 3 STATS
1
Try Assists
319
Kick Metres
1
LB Assists

Payten holds a close link to Brooks, having coached the New South Welshman at the Tigers as a junior.

Reports last week suggested the Tigers were keen on acquiring former Roosters and Sea Eagles playmaker Jackson Hastings from the Super League, with the Wigan star since shooting down the rumours.

Hastings' reported link to Concord did turn some attention to Brooks, with the Cowboys keeping a close eye on the relationship between the Tigers and their star halfback.

Brooks has managed a sub-par season in 2021 so far and is currently signed to Wests on a $900,000-per-season deal over the next 24 months.

2 COMMENTS

  1. It all seems a bit premature doesn’t it? The season is only 3 rounds old and already the media are saying the Cowboys are preparing to farewell star playmaker Jake Clifford. Why? Is he leaving before the end of the season? I don’t think Luke Brooks is the answer either. He has never performed to the level of a player on $900k per season and would be a waste of money imo.

  2. The money being paid to these players in insane! How can a local junior even be on that sort of cash without major rep honours? It’s not like they paid overs to get him to the club. Just because you have a salary cap worth “X’ doesn’t mean you have to divvy it all up to get a squad. Seriously you have “sometime” good players on 800K+ per season and get very little in return on a week in week out basis. Draw a line in the sand and promote players on a lot less and offer bonuses for performance. Crazy stuff!

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