There's something about playing against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs that seems to bring out the best in Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks.
The numbers tell the story.
In his 94 career matches, Brooks has faced up against the Bulldogs on seven occasions — winning three and losing four games, including a Golden Point heartbreak between the two sides back in 2015.
But it's Brooks' individual performances in those games that show just how much the former Dally M Rookie of the Year relishes coming up against the boys from Belmore.
In seven games against the Bulldogs, Brooks has already racked up five tries — more than he has scored against any other team in the competition, and more than almost every other player in those seven games.
Only the now rugby union international Curtis Rona (six tries) scored more than Brooks in those games.
By comparison, the halfback hasn't scored against either the Sydney Roosters (7 games) or the Cronulla Sharks (6 games) — the two sides Brooks and Wests Tigers face following this Sunday's game.
And while we're at it, it's also worth noting that Brooks' attacking contributions aren't just limited to his ability to score tries: the halfback had a hand in four tries in a single game against the Bulldogs earlier in his career, and created the match-winning try for Kevin Naiqama last time these two sides met.
Wests Tigers are going to need a better attacking performance on Sunday if they are to bounce back against the Bulldogs, and if the quirky stat above means anything, that might just come off the back of Brooks...
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