As the vilified half prepared to leave the Tigers and a rival NRL club floated.

Tigers halfback Luke Brooks has reportedly made the bombshell decision to depart the Leichhardt club at the season’s end with a rival NRL club rumoured to be his next destination.

The 28-year-old is without a contract for 2024 and will now hit the open market according to The Daily Telegraph.

Tigers powerbrokers had reportedly tabled a two-year extension worth north of $1 million to retain the halfback, but he informed assistant Benji Marshall on his decision on Sunday.

Brooks made his debut as an 18-year-old at the Tigers and has gone on to play more than 200 games for the merger club.

Head coach Tim Sheens made no secret of his desires to retain Brooks amid reports linking him to a move to the Super League.

Leeds Rhinos were reportedly weighing up a bid for his services, while rival NRL clubs will now be sharpening their pencils.

James Graham said on Triple M that Brooks could have seen the writing on the wall.

“Perhaps he has just gone, you know what I need a change and not be the local boy with all the hope put on him,” Graham said on Triple M.

“I think this is potentially a win-win for everybody at the Tigers. I think Brooks has had to put himself first here and say, look as much as I’d love to stay and be part of this regeneration it is probably time for me to move on and get a fresh set of ideas and a fresh set of walls and a fresh dressing room.”

“I think knowing who his management group is he is off-contract at the end of this season anyway, so he has been free to negotiate with rival clubs from last November.” Hooper said.

“There will be something else at play here. There will be something else already on the board here and it might not have been played out in public just yet, but there will certainly be something else at play.”

“Do you think Canberra?” Graham asked.

The Raiders have plenty of room in their salary cap with Jack Wighton moving to the Rabbitohs in 2024.