BY CURTIS WOODWARD
If the Robbie Farah saga tells us anything, it is Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor isn’t scared to put his cojones on the line. It was him or Farah and the coach won the day.
Despite all the off-field drama, Wests Tigers almost made the playoffs. If they hadn’t run into the red-hot Canberra Raiders in round 26 and had the services of one James Tedesco, they may have pulled off a miracle.
The majority of players liked Farah but Taylor was finally given the power that those that came before him did not.
Taylor took back control of the team and then he put into the young hands of Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses and Tedesco.
Imagine climbing Everest, getting to the bottom and being told to climb it again. That’s the job ahead of Taylor. He has a new mission impossible ahead of him.
For you see only five players are contracted to the club for season 2018. They are Elijah Taylor, Chris Lawrence, Sauaso Sue, Jacob Liddle and JJ Felise.
That’s a lot of cattle on the open market.
Brooks, Moses, Tedesco and skipper Aaron Woods are the big four. They’re all off contract at the end of 2017. That’s the club’s future in seven syllables. Brooks, Moses, Tedesco, Woods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eu3skKgDkU
“I know Tedesco, Moses, Brooks and Woods are all very close. One will go with the other,” Balmain favourite Ben Elias recently told The Daily Telegraph.
“All four want to stay, absolutely. This will be about enjoying their football for the next six years.
“And they will enjoy a lot more by staying together than splitting.”
Enter the dreaded NRL Reaper.
The Reaper doesn’t care if mates want to play footy together.
This is 2016 and business trumps all.
With so many other players off contract, you have to wonder if the team needs all four. They need three. But do they need all four?
Tedesco and Woods must be re-signed at all costs.
Woods is the leader and arguably the premier prop in the game. His teammates want to play for him.
Tedesco made his State of Origin debut this year and has that intangible x-factor that scares the hell out of opposition coaches.
That leaves Moses and Brooks.
While Moses flourished at the backend of the season, Brooks was forced to watch from the sidelines as his halves partner started backing up all that potential.
Brooks is the odd man out.
The diminutive playmaker is the fourth wheel in a three man race. Brooks won a man of the match in his debut against St George Illawarra at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Experts immediately and unfairly dubbed him the next Andrew Johns. But that was in 2013. What have we seen since?
Moses also proved in Brooks’ absence that he can run the show. Immortal Johns and Peter Sterling have both publically gone on record saying he’s a natural halfback – not a five-eigth.
2017 is do-or-die for Brooks if he wants to stay at Wests Tigers.
Other suitors will come knocking but it’s up to Brooks to prove he’s worth keeping and it’s up to Brooks to repay the faith shown in him by the club.
Former coach Michael Potter and now Taylor have demonstrated tremendous patience with Brooks and Moses. While Moses has improved out of sight, Brooks needs to do the same. He must prove that Wests Tigers as a team are better off with him and Moses in charge.
While some will argue that officials have stuffed up deluxe for allowing so many players to come off contract at the same time, it may be a blessing in disguise.
Nothing motivates a professional athlete like money and nothing makes them want to impress more than competition for spots.
Who says Wests Tigers need to keep all four?
Are they better off with three?
That’s up to Luke Brooks.
@woodward_curtis
Brooks has had ample time to prove he has what it takes to b a success in the NRL.He has been an abject failure.He can’t pass, kick or tackle.This kid was very fortunate that he was signed on massive overs based on potential.Id b prioritising with the long term signature of moses & teddy coz this club can finally b a genuine contender in a few yrs time building a team around these 2.