Leeds Rhinos linked with NRL half-back

A media report in Australia suggests Rhinos could make a move for Luke Brooks when his contract at Wests Tigers expires at the end of this season.

Rhinos’ senior half-backs, Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer, are both in the final year of their Leeds deal.

Wide World of Sports’ ‘The Mole’ claims there is “strong mail coming out of the UK that Leeds may have a look at Brooks for next season”.

Wests are bottom of the NRL table and have lost all three games so far, with Brooks taking much of the blame from fans and in the media.

The report will raise questions as to whether Rhinos could afford Brooks, who - according to The Mole - is earning 1.1 million Australian dollars this year, which is almost £600,000.

Brooks, 28, has been with Wests Tigers since making his NRL debut 10 years ago. Born in Sydney, he was the NRL’s Dally M rookie of the year the following season, when he became Wests’ first-choice half-back.

He was selected for the 2015 NRL All Stars game - his only representative call-up - and named Dally M half-back of the year three seasons later.

His 192 appearances and 43 tries are both a club record for his position, but he is under increasing pressure following Tigers’ poor start to the current campaign.

Rhinos’ squad includes a highly-rated young half-back in Jack Sinfield, but the 18-year-old is still at the rookie stage of his career, with only five first team appearances to his name and Leeds are likely to target experienced replacements if either or both of Austin and Sezer move on this autumn.