Wests Tigers produced a stunning opening 20 minutes to destory Penrith Panthers and set them up for a 30-4 victory.
The Panthers were ripped to pieces in the opening quarter with five tries scored by the Tigers.
Brooks broke them open first resulting in Ryan Matterson sending Moses Mbye over. Then on the next set, Brooks got himself a try off the back of Robbie Farah’s good work.
The Panthers still hadn’t touched the ball since the opening try and were behind the posts again when Chris McQueen broke through and fed Esan Marsters. Then a 40/20 from Benji Marshall set up the position for Corey Thompson to cross on the right.
Penrith finally got hold of the ball but that only prolonged the wait for the fifth try. Brooks was the arichtect as Robert Jennings went over against his old club.
Down 26-0, the Panthers finally got on the board after good work from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak sent Dean Whare in at the corner.
The game was much scrappier in the second half as the rain began at Suncorp but that didn’t help Penrith come back into the game. Josh Mansour was denied well by Mbye before Brooks laid on another try for Marsters.
Tigers: Mbye, Fonua, Jennings, Marsters, Thompson, Marshall, Brooks, Matulino, Farah, Twal, Matterson, McQueen, Eisenhuth; Interchanges: Liddle, Mikaele, Clark, Chee-Kam
Tries: Mbye, Brooks, Marsters 2, Thompson, Jennings; Goals: Marsters 3
Panthers: Aekins, Mansour, Whare, Fuimaono, Watene-Zelezniak, Maloney, Cleary, Tamou, Egan, Campbell-Gillard, Kikau, Fisher-Harris, Ellis; Interchanges: Katoa, Leota, Grant, Luai
Try: Whare; Goal: Cleary
Full match reports of all this weekend’s NRL Magic Round games will feature in Monday’s League Express.
