Benji 2025 and Beyond

[Needaname]

He's also not having as down a year as people are suggesting.

Yes I agree as well. It’s quite funny actually how critical people are getting. What I will say is. He is what 21? Kikau spent the first 3 1/2 years of his career not holding down an 80min starting backrower spot.

 

[Halbrowne61]

So assuming the rumoured contract values that are floated around are correct and both of them are paid 400k per season, what players for that same value or less would you be bringing in to replace them and do a better job ?
Keep in mind mind they are both work rate based players that are not in the team to make a big impact, they are in the team to do plenty of tackling and hold their own while our big money players are the ones who are supposed to be coming up with big plays that can help influence or win us games.
I say this as I don’t believe they are the problem, they generally do their job, nothing more, nothing less and they are paid accordingly.
It would be nice if we could have 17 superstar players, come to think of it I would be happy if we could have just one superstar on our roster, but the point is the Salary Cap is supposed to stop any NRL team from having 17 star players.
As an example if we bought Josh King or Corey Jensen, even Max King or Lindsay Smith into our team instead of Twal or Seyfarth, they would likely cost us a little bit more for starters, but are those players going to take us from the position we are currently in, to the top 8 on their own ?
These type of hardworking, no frills, run of the mill type of players are required at every club to give their team balance and allow them to effectively manage their salary cap.

It’s not second year syndrome. He had a break out year with Manly and followed that up last year. This is definitely down to the changes in the spine and how best to use him. Luai used to have Kikau outside him; is Sam similar but younger I actually think he is. he isn’t your Olakakoatu tackle breaker, he is a worker and a hard runner with aggression and a bit of skill on top of that. In time you’ll see.

Ok, it’s third year syndrome but I’ll look forward to him fully developing over time N.

 

[Siberian Kitten]

Yes…. And?

I got zero respect for Galvin… but an old stager like Richo should have been better prepared

Perhaps in hindsight they should have had Plan B and C ready for this contingency considering the club has been here and done that before with Moses and he hates Benji’s guts…

Galvin told them repeatedly last year he wanted out of the club … why didn’t Richardson & Marshall believe him ?

True, but they thought they'd at least get a year out of Galvin. That screwed so much of their pre-season work - and it shows.

WT did not expect Isaac Moses to pull the same stunt as he did with Mitch Moses - the good ole fake bullying/stress claim.

I'd favour a lifetime ban on any player who files a blatantly phoney OH&S claim to get out of a contract. If their agent is involved, then they should be banned for life too. It's a stain on the game.

 

[Tom Shines]

True, but they thought they'd at least get a year out of Galvin. That screwed so much of their pre-season work - and it shows.

WT did not expect Isaac Moses to pull the same stunt as he did with Mitch Moses - the good ole fake bullying/stress claim.

I'd favour a lifetime ban on any player who files a blatantly phoney OH&S claim to get out of a contract. If their agent is involved, then they should be banned for life too. It's a stain on the game.

Galvin could have done his ACL in Week 1 too,,, you can’t be that reliant on a 19 yr old where your whole season rests with him ..

Admittedly Luai might be a different story

 

[craigtob]

I think Benji Marshall will be luck to see out the remaining year, as he has lost his way i understand not everything has been his fault but he is the coach and he should be bringing the playing group together but instead it's falling apart.
In hindsight,should have not been made the 1st grade coach until we were heading upwards.
Great player, But not a 1 Grade coach.

 

[Tucker]

I think that Richo and Benji are trying to reset the joint and if you aren't in it for club you are out the door and they will find someone who is. It is a hard line stance by the looks of it and it is coming at a cost. We all want shorter term success - but the approach has been repeated several times this season so it isn't about one offs or an unhappy player here and there.

I was astounded we let TDS go mid season, he has plenty to offer (not that you would have know Friday) and we could have made him play out his contract. But if you have made it known that you aren't team first then I guess you will be shown the door.

It is a huge change but if the club is serious about being top 4 in the future they need to start acting like a top 4 club and make the ruthless decisions needed to get there. The moves definitely haven't been popular and Benji must be feeling the pressure - but if he is making the hard calls with the backing of Richo in support of "the plan" then he is proably safe and it is the roster that needs to be worried about job security. In it for the long haul or out the door.

I’ll give you the tip….
No one on our payroll is “team first”.
It’s easy for the bloke on $1.2M to say it, but he’s full of shit.

 

[Flippedy]

A lot of people wanted Flanno & I could imagine the hysteria on here having to watch Kyle Flanagan run out in the halves every week haha

Haha yeah that’s Saints problem now, the Temu version of the Clearys!

 

[BAGNF05]

I’ll give you the tip….
No one on our payroll is “team first”.
It’s easy for the bloke on $1.2M to say it, but he’s full of shit.

I think the way Luai plays gives you a fair indication that he’s not taking the piss. Same with Api. The challenge is keeping them from getting discouraged when those around them aren’t making the same sacrifices.

 

[Jolls]

I’ll give you the tip….
No one on our payroll is “team first”.
It’s easy for the bloke on $1.2M to say it, but he’s full of shit.

I guess we will know come 1 November if the $1.2M man is true to his word on not. I know its a business and players come and go but there has to be something behind the nonsense we are seeing at the moment. The only thing that resonates, club first wise, is that Benji and Richo are consolidating a core to build from.

If I look at it from the other side of the coin it could be Richo giving Benji all the rope he needs to hang himself and for Richo to be teflon coated when it falls apart.

The way it is portayed in the media, and a lot of what is portrayed here, is at the extremes. There is no workplace in the world where people are as toxic as it is made out. The truth is somewhere in between what is written, at both ends of the spectrum. Players, less Moses, just don't tank and the narrative that Benji has no idea is also out there.

The team dynamic has changed, it is the middle of a long season and the team hasn't won most of the close games. Less the Boncos, Storm and Manly I think most games could have had a different result with the bounce of the ball.

With no change in the coaching or the playing roster two of the close games converted to wins would have us level pegging with the teams 8-12. If that was the case the conversation would be completely different.

I'll hold my judgement until we see what pans out, who isn't kept and who drops out of the trees for 26. Maybe Benji and Richo have identified the core we need - maybe they just don't know shit. Depends on how you look at it I guess.

 

[weststigers]

Willie Peters wont accept being an assistant..he has proven himself in ESL...done THE apprenticeship
that Benji never attempted
As well.Benji is not a big enough person to accept contrary views to his own from an assistant coach..which is why he is surrounded by buddies on the coaching staff
Understand yet another coach isnt great,but a successon of poor coaches leads to poor results and becomes a never ending cycle
Need to sever the umbilical with Benji..Sheens last legacy..only question is when not if,and we manage how core senior players to support this change

Sever the umbilical cord...we say this every time with 2 years left until another coach gets half way through their plan and sack him again under the same pretense.

Win or lose, just let it play out to the end. The guy has half a squad for gods sake.

 

[Bigtom]

I guess we will know come 1 November if the $1.2M man is true to his word on not. I know its a business and players come and go but there has to be something behind the nonsense we are seeing at the moment. The only thing that resonates, club first wise, is that Benji and Richo are consolidating a core to build from.

If I look at it from the other side of the coin it could be Richo giving Benji all the rope he needs to hang himself and for Richo to be teflon coated when it falls apart.

The way it is portayed in the media, and a lot of what is portrayed here, is at the extremes. There is no workplace in the world where people are as toxic as it is made out. The truth is somewhere in between what is written, at both ends of the spectrum. Players, less Moses, just don't tank and the narrative that Benji has no idea is also out there.

The team dynamic has changed, it is the middle of a long season and the team hasn't won most of the close games. Less the Boncos, Storm and Manly I think most games could have had a different result with the bounce of the ball.

With no change in the coaching or the playing roster two of the close games converted to wins would have us level pegging with the teams 8-12. If that was the case the conversation would be completely different.

I'll hold my judgement until we see what pans out, who isn't kept and who drops out of the trees for 26. Maybe Benji and Richo have identified the core we need - maybe they just don't know shit. Depends on how you look at it I guess.

And if my grandma had wheels…

 

[Jolls]

And if my grandma had wheels…

What are you getting at?

 

[Bigtom]

What are you getting at?

We can all speculate what if we won that close game or the other of course we’d be in the 8 .Reality is we’ve had 3 spoons and heading for a fourth . It’s a results driven game and Benji has failed spectacularly.

 

[Telltails]

Benji hasn't failed alone and making an individual a fall guy for collaborative failure gets you jack shit in change.
History will show - the coach will get the sack and the results remain the same. - the good leave and we pick at the scraps

 

[Tom Shines]

Benji hasn't failed alone and making an individual a fall guy for collaborative failure gets you jack shit in change.
History will show - the coach will get the sack and the results remain the same. - the good leave and we pick at the scraps

Benji is likely to stay … but what happens if we are still in the bottom 4 next year ?

Spurs just got rid of Ange Postocoglou after 2 years and their first trophy in decades because they finished at the bottom of the table …. Sporting teams get rid of unsuccessful coaches ..

 

[Bigtom]

What are you getting at?

We can all speculate what if we won that close game or the other of course we’d be in the 8 .Reality is we’ve had 3 spoons and heading for a fourth . It’s a results driven game and Benji has failed spectacularly.A

Benji hasn't failed alone and making an individual a fall guy for collaborative failure gets you jack shit in change.
History will show - the coach will get the sack and the results remain the same. - the good leave and we pick at the scraps

From all reports it’s all Benji. He vetoed McGregor and previously Holbrook, we got rid of TDS because Benji wanted Api ,they’re cliques forming at the club and more . No guarantees someone else we’ll do better but at how many spoons do we bite the bullet . By the way fast approaching the record 6 consecutive spoons of Parra

 

[Tucker]

I think the way Luai plays gives you a fair indication that he’s not taking the piss. Same with Api. The challenge is keeping them from getting discouraged when those around them aren’t making the same sacrifices.

Luai has been poor almost all season.
Api has had a go…he was poor almost all last season.

 

[Telltails]

Benji is likely to stay … but what happens if we are still in the bottom 4 next year ?

Spurs just got rid of Ange Postocoglou after 2 years and their first trophy in decades because they finished at the bottom of the table …. Sporting teams get rid of unsuccessful coaches ..

They do but the coach is not the only problem this club has. Failure at board level, a history of failure to compete for players in the player market, and failure to retain "our best juniors" financially not in the race compared to our opposing clubs, failure to secure a suitable home ground, and a last place destination club in managers books.
Successful at sacking coaches and replacing them for the same fate.

 

[Jolls]

We can all speculate what if we won that close game or the other of course we’d be in the 8 .Reality is we’ve had 3 spoons and heading for a fourth . It’s a results driven game and Benji has failed spectacularly.

No speculation my friend. It may well have come across better if I had left that particular example out.

The context was that we aren't as good as some make out, but it also isn't the end of the world as we know it as others have stated. The same can be said about losing TDS and Galvin - on one end of the scale we can't keep our juniors on the other end we are holding a core to win now and build on later. Same with Benji - he has the full support of Richo or Richo is giving him enough rope so that he is teflon.

The "won a couple of close games" was me trying to show that with no change in coaching or roster, there would be two ends of the coaching spectrum; ie he can or can't coach.

If you have noted any of my previosu posts, I try to base my postion on facts rather than emotion. My position, and what I was trying to get across, is that none of the opposing positions are true - we are somewhere in the middle and I will make my judgement at the end of the season when we can look at facts instead of making wild arse assumptions based on "feelings".

 

[Halbrowne61]

They do but the coach is not the only problem this club has. Failure at board level, a history of failure to compete for players in the player market, and failure to retain "our best juniors" financially not in the race compared to our opposing clubs, failure to secure a suitable home ground, and a last place destination club in managers books.
Successful at sacking coaches and replacing them for the same fate.

I agree the whole joint is a dogs breakfast but the coaching team is most visible and the Head Coach is employed to get results, it’s that simple. That’s why they attract most attention.
To throw an unknown quantity into the role was always fraught with danger but despite some improvements, we still fall down on the basics, the major one is knowing how to score when we are in the opposition red zone.
The problem in getting rid of Benji and the Old Boys ( sounds like a rock band)’Is who takes their place. Like I said elsewhere recently, we need some results so first things first, he gets another short term target figure for the balance of the year eg 50% of games, or all home games, or something he can focus on.
Then a year end review, and if he/coaching group hadn’t met the targets then we pick the best available candidate ( preferably outside the Tigers, unless it was Payten).