Luke Brooks only met Lachlan Galvin properly for the first time last Wednesday, but he can’t wait to play alongside the gifted Wests Tigers rookie for the Prime Minister’s XIII against Papua New Guinea this weekend.
The clash on Sunday in Port Moresby will be Brooks’ first representative match since he played for the NRL All Stars nine years ago, while it’s the latest step forward for Galvin, who would have been the Dally M Rookie of the Year had he not copped a two-game ban earlier this season.
There wasn’t much to cheer about for Tigers fans this year, but Galvin’s rapid rise has given them a glimmer of hope going forward, with the 19-year-old setting up 17 tries in his 21 appearances and taking control of the team’s attack.
He’s now set to show off his skills against PNG a year after he captained the Australian Schoolboys side and scored a try in the narrow win over the Junior Kumuls.
It’s somewhat fitting that he and Brooks will play together in the halves given the veteran spent 11 years at the Tigers where he was overly hyped after just one game and then burdened by the pressure of trying to end their finals drought.
“Playing alongside Lachie, I actually don’t know him too well. I didn’t meet him when I was at the Tigers, but I did meet him (last Wednesday),” Brooks said.
“I don’t think he played 20s so we didn’t have anything to do with each other.
“It’s tough to be in your rookie year in that sort of situation, but he really stood out in that side and I thought he was great. He’s an attacking weapon.
“The one thing I noticed when we played against him was just how busy he was. He was moving around the whole field and getting his hands on the ball.
“He’s always looking to create something, so for him to be able to do that at such a young age is pretty special.”
For Brooks, being selected for the PM’s XIII caps a dream year in which he made his finals debut after a huge decision to leave the Tigers for Manly.
The veteran playmaker was allowed to take a back seat to Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic, and he thrived without so much pressure on his shoulders, with Brooks visibly relieved following the week one finals win over Canterbury.
He’ll now get to don the green and gold jersey nine years after he came off the bench for the All Stars.
“It means a lot,” he said.
“When you get the opportunity to put that jersey on, you take it with both hands. It’s something I didn’t think would happen but it’s here now so I’m happy to do it.
“It’s exciting. I haven’t been over there (PNG) but I’ve heard it’s a crazy experience so I’m looking forward to that.”
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