Alexander backs Brooks to play five-eighth if Cleary joins Tigers

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THE Tigers can’t fit Nathan Cleary into their roster, without letting one of their current big money halves go.

That is the opinion of Fox League expert Greg Alexander, who doesn’t see the club fitting Nathan Cleary, Luke Brooks and Josh Reynolds into their salary cap.

The Tigers have been impressive in patches this season with Brooks at the helm, but Alexander concedes the money required to lure Cleary would cost someone their position in the squad.

”If Nathan Cleary goes to join his Dad then I would say Luke Brooks wouldn’t be at the Tigers,” Alexander said.

“They can’t fit them all in. They have Josh Reynolds who has a four year deal at the Tigers and hasn’t struck a blow this year because of injury and he’s on a massive deal.”

Reynolds has been ruled out for the season, after only playing a handful of games in his first season with the club.

Benji Marshall has turned back the clock with a stellar season to date, but at 33 he is not likely to be part of the club’s long term plans.

“You would think that by the end of next year Benji (Marshall) would have played his last footy, even though he is going great at the moment,” Alexander admitted.

“So I would think Luke Brooks would have to move on. If they were going to sign Nathan Cleary they can’t fit both of them in and still have Josh Reynolds there.

“Otherwise they make a decision and say, Josh Reynolds is superfluous and sell him off to some other club and keep Cleary and Brooks as the halves.”

If Reynolds was moved on by the club, the Tigers would face the prospect of playing two halfbacks in their halves in Brooks and Cleary once Marshall retires.

Both Brooks and Cleary have played almost exclusively halfback throughout their NRL careers, but Alexander backed Brooks to make the move to five-eighth to accommodate Cleary, if Reynolds was offloaded.

“I think Brooks could play No.6,” Alexander said.

“There is a lot of money tied up if you had Reynolds, Cleary and Brooks.

“But I think Luke Brooks could handle it because he has been a player that has taken some time to own the team.

“In his early days he was a player that didn’t mind standing back and looked like he was reluctant to own the team.

“He has had Mitchell Moses outside him, who was a more dominant player, but I think Brooks could play in the No.6 because he has the running game to play like a No.6 or a second fullback.

“Nathan is not that type of player, he is a halfback, but I think you could fit both in.”