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**Benji Marshall (L) and 18-year-old sensation Luke Brooks.**
TWO of rugby leagues greatest ever halfbacks have declared Mick Potter has to make the tough call on Tuesday and drop Benji Marshall.
In the wake of the Tigers' embarrassing 56-14 flogging by the Roosters on Monday night, Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling both admitted that if they were Mick Potter, Marshall would make way for young gun Luke Brooks for the clash against St George Illawarra at the SCG this Saturday.
"His heart is just not in it anymore," Johns told Triple M.
"Something has got to happen this week.
"I got here early tonight to watch Luke Brooks and he destroyed them in the under 20s.
"He’s too good for that competition.
"He is ready for first grade now.
"I’d be picking him. They have to pick him."
Asked if it was time for Potter to make the tough call and drop Marshall, Sterling added: "I didn’t think that but tonight has probably turned me to the fact that you can’t keep him there for sentiment now.
"Just on form you drop him.
"So whether he racks up a 199 games at the club or 200, that shouldn’t come into it now.
"It would have been nice to say that would be a lovely way to farewell and all those kind of things but in the end you have to put out 17 players every week who are going to give it their all and put their bodies on the line.
"I think there is probably another 17 in front of him at the moment who are prepared to do that."
Once the greatest running playmakers in the game, Marshall finished last night’s game with two runs for seven metres.
But Sterling said that was only part of the problem.
"We had a tweet when he threw a pass where Mitchell Pearce scored and it was because five others players weren’t running onto it or whatever.
"As I said at the time, when you pass the ball in this game you pass it to somebody in a better position to yourself.
"If there is nobody in a better position than yourself than you, stick it under your arm, you put your head down and you take on the defence.
"We didn’t see that too often tonight.
"It’s not all about the runs. Forget the runs.
"When you go to the line to pass, I’m saying that it is all about putting your body on the line.
"The reason that I think he is struggling out there to get the support of the players is because when he takes the ball forward he passes well short of the line and says, 'well, here, you do it'.
"Benji is a good guy and he has done some great things for our game.
"He has held a very high profile.
"It’s sad but it has been so badly mishandled, the exit … I just think he has got some really poor advice and he’s put himself in a position for criticism and all of the stuff he has done off the field, you can only do all of that if you back it up with what you show 80 minutes every week and he hasn’t done that."
**Benji Marshall (L) and 18-year-old sensation Luke Brooks.**
TWO of rugby leagues greatest ever halfbacks have declared Mick Potter has to make the tough call on Tuesday and drop Benji Marshall.
In the wake of the Tigers' embarrassing 56-14 flogging by the Roosters on Monday night, Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling both admitted that if they were Mick Potter, Marshall would make way for young gun Luke Brooks for the clash against St George Illawarra at the SCG this Saturday.
"His heart is just not in it anymore," Johns told Triple M.
"Something has got to happen this week.
"I got here early tonight to watch Luke Brooks and he destroyed them in the under 20s.
"He’s too good for that competition.
"He is ready for first grade now.
"I’d be picking him. They have to pick him."
Asked if it was time for Potter to make the tough call and drop Marshall, Sterling added: "I didn’t think that but tonight has probably turned me to the fact that you can’t keep him there for sentiment now.
"Just on form you drop him.
"So whether he racks up a 199 games at the club or 200, that shouldn’t come into it now.
"It would have been nice to say that would be a lovely way to farewell and all those kind of things but in the end you have to put out 17 players every week who are going to give it their all and put their bodies on the line.
"I think there is probably another 17 in front of him at the moment who are prepared to do that."
Once the greatest running playmakers in the game, Marshall finished last night’s game with two runs for seven metres.
But Sterling said that was only part of the problem.
"We had a tweet when he threw a pass where Mitchell Pearce scored and it was because five others players weren’t running onto it or whatever.
"As I said at the time, when you pass the ball in this game you pass it to somebody in a better position to yourself.
"If there is nobody in a better position than yourself than you, stick it under your arm, you put your head down and you take on the defence.
"We didn’t see that too often tonight.
"It’s not all about the runs. Forget the runs.
"When you go to the line to pass, I’m saying that it is all about putting your body on the line.
"The reason that I think he is struggling out there to get the support of the players is because when he takes the ball forward he passes well short of the line and says, 'well, here, you do it'.
"Benji is a good guy and he has done some great things for our game.
"He has held a very high profile.
"It’s sad but it has been so badly mishandled, the exit … I just think he has got some really poor advice and he’s put himself in a position for criticism and all of the stuff he has done off the field, you can only do all of that if you back it up with what you show 80 minutes every week and he hasn’t done that."
