True Blue Jamie Soward wants to see the Wests Tigers promote Knock-On Effect halfback Jock Madden to the NRL side so Luke Brooks can take some time off to freshen up.
Soward told NSWRL.com.au he watched the heavy 40-6 loss the Wests Tigers suffered at the hands of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Bankwest Stadium and thinks Brooks could do with a break.
The tactic is not unusual for clubs with Canberra Raiders electing to rest prop Josh Papalii this week for their match against South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“I think it’s actually time the Wests Tigers make a change with Jock Madden going into halfback,” Soward told The Short Side for nswrl.com.au.
“It will do a couple of things – it will freshen Luke up. I wouldn’t even play him.
“The Raiders with Josh Papalii have showed that you can just have a rest. Then potentially, if Jock goes well, work your way back into the team.
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“It will also give a different voice in controlling the team, because at the moment the Wests Tigers are struggling for points and intensity.
“Their reserve grade is going really well and you probably need to reward some of those guys.”
The Magpies are in second place on The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup with the best attack in the competition, scoring an average 34 points per game.
They started the year with two losses to the Raiders and Bears but haven’t looked back since scoring 39 tries in just five games. Madden has scored five of those as well as 24 goals.
The 21-year-old halfback also has four try assists and four line-break assists. Madden kicks an average of 255 metres a game and has forced four drop outs.
“What Jock will bring is a steady kicking game and also a direction,” Soward said.
“He can actually play second fiddle to (five-eighth) Adam Doueihi, who for me needs to play on the ball a lot more as he doesn’t see enough of the ball.”
