The Mole: Manly 'master stroke' laid bare as Luke Brooks set to end crazy finals hoodoo

About 12 months ago, plenty of pundits reckoned the Sea Eagles had rocks in their heads signing Tigers veteran Luke Brooks.

Brooks was a player who had lost his way in Tiger-town and his NRL career looked over.

But Manly's move has proved a master stroke - just look at how Brooks performed in Sunday's big win over the Titans at Brookvale.

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Brooks scored a try, had a try assist, a line break, two line-break assists and four tackle breaks as he toyed with the Titans defence.

The classy pivot has been one of the signings of the year and best of all for Manly, he has taken the pressure off fellow veteran Daly Cherry-Evans in the playmaking stakes.

If Manly make the finals - and they are playing like they will - Brooks will be a danger man with his talent and experience.

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In 15 games last season at the Tigers, Shaun Blore had a win rate of a mere seven per cent.

After his 15th game for the Storm, Blore's win rate had jumped to a stunning 80 per cent.

While a lot of that can be put down to the rise in class of the players around him, it also shows that the under-rated back-rower is one of the most improved players of 2024.

Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now. 

Strong and willing, the 23-year-old has proved a great signing for the Storm and will be a key man in the team's finals challenge.

He was outstanding in the upset win over the Roosters on Saturday night, running for 174 metres and making 29 tackles.

One the Tigers will definitely regret letting go.

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Nathan Cleary took just 82 minutes to turn the premiership race on its head.

The game's best player - in his first match since round 10 - could have taken it easy after his long layoff with a hamstring injury.

But he knew his team - missing Origin stars Liam Martin, Jarome Luai, Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards - needed him and he rose to the occasion against an in-form Dolphins team.

Just as he did in last year's grand final, Cleary produced a late rescue mission as the Panthers appeared down and out.

He marshalled his troops, created tries, kicked pressure goals from the sideline and then a marvellous field goal to win it in golden point.

With Cleary on deck, the Panthers are never beaten - and his dominant performance first game back showed the rest of the league that a four-peat is well and truly on track.

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The Origin period was a nightmare for the Broncos with six straight losses, and no one felt it more than superstar fullback Reece Walsh.

Walsh was bashed out of Origin I and then over-shadowed by Blues opposite Dylan Edwards in the next two games.

But with Origin now done and dusted, Walsh returned to his brilliant best against the Knights in Newcastle on Saturday night.

Walsh carved up the Knights defence with two try assists, four line break assists and nearly 200 run metres.

The Broncos still have plenty of work to do to make the finals, but with star halfback Adam Reynolds back on deck after a long injury and Walsh regaining his confidence, they have the fire power to do plenty of damage.

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There was entertainment aplenty as the Rabbitohs and Tigers had a try shootout in gale-force conditions in Gosford on Saturday afternoon.

The teams scored 12 tries between them despite the massive wind as the Rabbitohs kept their finals hopes alive with a 42-28 win.

But neither coach would have left the Central Coast happy with their teams' efforts.

The two sides missed a total of 77 tackles between them - and that is why both are likely to be on holidays when the big games are played come September.

Making finals footy is all about defence under pressure - and it's an area both teams were found sadly lacking in.

Of the 12 tries, probably around eight were just soft through feeble defensive lines.

It's been the same story for the Tigers all year, while Souths know they need to improve their 'D' to have any hope of sneaking into the finals.

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Joseph Tapine's return to form has kept the Raiders in the finals race.

In a see-sawing game in which the Warriors actually scored four tries to Canberra's three on Friday night, Tapine's hard running proved decisive.

The lanky forward broke the 200 metre running mark for only the third time this season and made more metres than any other Raider.

He kept his team on the front foot against the strong Warriors pack and along with two-try hero Hudson Young, his contribution was invaluable.

The win keeps the Raiders in the battle for eighth spot, while the Warriors look to have done their dash after Chanel Harris-Tavita's shocking last gasp conversion miss.