Career
He usually plays as a tighthead prop, but can also cover as a loosehead property He made almost 40 senior appearances for Newcastle but only started 1 game in the 2009–2010 season. He moved to Leicester Tigers for the 2011-2012 season.
Having returned to the Newcastle Falcons on loan from Leicester Tigers in March 2013, he signed a two-year contract to stay with the Falcons in April 2013.
On the 13th of January 2015, it was announced that Brookes would be joining Northampton Saints at the end of the 2014-2015 season. Although born in England, he played at many underage levels for Ireland, including U-18, U-19 and U-20.
He has committed himself to the England rugby team, playing for England in an uncapped match against the Barbarians and for the England Saxons in their successful Churchill Cup campaign in the summer of 2011. In May 2014 he was called up to England"s training squad for the tour of New Zealand.