Defence has become Luke Brooks' buzzword in 2015 as the Wests Tigers playmaker seeks to shrug off the unwanted tag of the NRL's worst defender.
Brooks missed a whopping 105 tackles in 21 games last year at an average of five per game, to record the worst individual defensive effort of any player in the competition.
The No.7 finished ahead of Parramatta playmaker Chris Sandow (89 missed tackles), Newcastle halfback Tyrone Roberts (86) and Sydney Roosters five-eighth James Maloney (84).
As a result, Brooks was a target for opposition teams in the Tigers' front line last season, with the club only conceding less tries than Canberra.
Correcting that has been the focus of Brooks' pre-season under new Tigers coach Jason Taylor, a former lightweight first grade halfback who punched well above his weight, and it was there to see in the round one defeat of Gold Coast on Saturday, with Brooks slipping off just two tackles.
"Something JT has worked on big with me is defence, I have been working on a lot of defence at training over the summer," Brooks told AAP.
"I am a lot more comfortable this year after all the defence work I have done in the pre-season, it has been a real focus.
"But I have to keep working on that, I really have to cut down on my missed tackles."
Attack should come more easily for Brooks, now he has the chance to reunite with his junior representative teammates at the Tigers in Mitchell Moses and James Tedesco, if, of course, the trio can stay fit.
"Its good to have Teddy back from injury when he is fit and firing he brings a lot to the team and makes us a better team," Brooks said
"Mitchell is there as well and it is good having someone beside me with whom I have played so much football and someone who knows how I play. It is going good so far and it will get better.
"It (that combination) is something we have to work on, Robbie (Farah) is looking after the forwards and we come off the back of that, and work things from there."
