Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks has tonight been awarded the Kelly-Barnes Award for the 2018 Wests Tigers NRL Player of the Year.
Brooks was presented with the prestigious honour at the club's annual Presentation Night this evening, which was held in front of more than 500 guests at Curzon Hall.
The 23-year-old was also voted by his teammates as the NRL Players' Player of the Year in what has been his finest season since winning the Dally M Rookie of the Year in 2014.
One of just two players to feature in every game for the club this year, Brooks was a standout in Ivan Cleary's side throughout 2018 — achieving career-high season totals in run metres, forced dropouts, offloads and more. He finished the year with five tries, 10 try assists and 15 linebreak assists to his name, as well as more than 5,000 kick metres.
Brooks took out the Player of the Year Award ahead of Chris Lawrence, Corey Thompson, David Nofoaluma and Michael Chee Kam while Thompson, Chee Kam, Lawrence and Ben Matulino also polled well in the NRL Players' Player Award, which was voted on by the players themselves.
Playing in his first full season of first-grade, rising star Esan Marsters was recognised with the NRL Best New Talent Award, capping off a superb season for the 22-year-old that saw him ink a contract extension with Wests Tigers before going on make his international debut for New Zealand during the year.
Luke Garner (Player of the Year) and Patrice Siolo (Players' Player) took out the honours for the club's Intrust Super Premiership side, Western Suburbs Magpies, while Alex Seyfarth (Player of the Year) and Ben Seufale (Players' Player) picked up the awards for the club's Jersey Flegg side.
Josh Aloiai took out the Community Achievement Work for his extensive efforts off the field in 2018, while Wests Tigers Consumer Business Manager Wade Healey was named the Club Person of the Year.
The contributions of ARL Commissioner Professor Megan Davis was also recognised by the club with the Wests Tigers Women of the Year Award.
In addition to the player awards, Wests Tigers also inducted two new Life Members of the club — 2005 Premiership Winner and local junior Bryce Gibbs recognised for his long-standing service to Wests Tigers from 2003 to 2011 along with Keith Galloway, who played 173 games for the club from 2006 to 2015.
Luke Brooks reflects on Kelly-Barnes Award
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe extended his congratulations to all the award winners, highlighting the contributions made by all on and off the field at Wests Tigers in 2018.
"On behalf of everyone at Wests Tigers, I'd like to congratulate all our award winners from tonight's Kelly-Barnes Award, with particular recognition for Luke," Pascoe said.
"Luke has developed in to one of the finest young players in the game and an extremely impressive young man, and we're delighted to recognise his achievements tonight.
"As a club, we're also really proud to welcome Bryce and Keith as Life Members and I'd like to thank them for their tremendous commitments to Wests Tigers over the years."
WESTS TIGERS 2018 SEASON AWARDS
NRL Player of the Year (Kelly-Barnes Award) — Luke Brooks
NRL Players' Player of the Year — Luke Brooks
NRL Best New Talent — Esan Marsters
ISP Player of the Year — Luke Garner
ISP Players' Player — Patrice Siolo
Jersey Flegg Player of the Year — Ben Seufale
Jersey Flegg Players' Player — Alex Seyfarth
Community Achievement Award — Josh Aloiai
Woman of the Year — Professor Megan Davis
Club Person of the Year — Wade Healey
Life Member Inductees — Bryce Gibbs and Keith Galloway
2018 MILESTONES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
First-Grade Debuts
Tyson Gamble — Round 15 vs. Canberra Raiders
Luke Garner — Round 18 vs. St. George-Illawarra Dragons
Club Debuts
Corey Thompson — Round 1 vs. Sydney Roosters
Russell Packer — Round 1 vs. Sydney Roosters
Pita Godinet — Round 1 vs. Sydney Roosters
Ben Matulino — Round 1 vs. Sydney Roosters
Robbie Rochow — Round 1 vs. Sydney Roosters
Josh Reynolds — Round 6 vs. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Mahe Fonua — Round 8 vs. Parramatta Eels
Chris McQueen — Round 11 vs. Penrith Panthers
Tyson Gamble — Round 15 vs. Canberra Raiders
Moses Mbye — Round 16 vs. Gold Coast Titans
Luke Garner — Round 18 vs. St. George-Illawarra Dragons
100 Wests Tigers Games
Luke Brooks — Round 18 vs. St. George-Illawarra Dragons
David Nofoaluma — Round 20 vs. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
100 NRL Games
Kevin Naiqama — Round 7 vs. Newcastle Knights
Moses Mbye — Round 22 vs. Canberra Raiders
150 NRL Games
Elijah Taylor — Round 13 vs. Sydney Roosters
250 Wests Tigers Games
Robbie Farah — Round 19 vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Representative Players
Esan Marsters (New Zealand)
Tuimoala Lolohea (Tonga)
Josh Aloiai (Samoa)
Michael Chee Kam (Samoa)
Pita Godinet (Samoa)
Kevin Naiqama (Fiji)
