@watersider said:
He is in poor form, I am not saying he is playing well. I have made that point a lot. So, I am not trying to defend his form or pretend as if he has been good for us this year because of marketing and financial reasons. I am talking about his overall career, and suggesting that he is in poor form at the moment, not intentionally trying to sabotage the club with a lack of effort.
I have anecdotal evidence only to prove he has been good for the club financially: ask kids who they know from the tigers, look at whose number appears on the back of people's jerseys, consider why media outlets pay Marshall to write and appear on their channels…all these things suggest marketing appeal, and this would doubtlessly be positive for the club he plays for...but, feel free to disagree on that point.
My argument is that Benji has been good for the club because he was a great player and was good for the club financially. I think those things are just beyond doubt, but I'm not defending him by saying, 'forget his form, he brings the club money'. I'm saying, lay off him because, despite his poor form over the last two years, he has been a very good player and one that has given a lot to the club (financially and media recognition wise). The second point was secondary to the argument, not the reason why I think we are being overly critical of him.
i guess you can see the evidence in the tigers jerseys with 6 on the back, etc. and so i cant sit here and say otherwise.
i am sure marshall has done a lot for the club off field, and i am certainly not criticising him as a person as i have no right to whatsoever.
quite honestly you would know more about his off field value to the club and so i will knock over my king…
what i do say about marshall is
a) over the years his exciting play has in large been an unpredictable, error riddled style that in the long run cost the tigers a lot of in game momentum, and ergo games. he was so infatuated with the no look pass, the chip kick no one knew would come, the hot potato pass so he didnt get tackled, the quick penalty tap for himself to try yet again a play that worked once...ever!
in 2010 and 2011 he changed all this and i really liked the way he played. i thought he had turned the corner and was happy to say so. the proof was in how the tigers went those years.
on saturday (in the centres of all places?!) he was very unselfish and didnt try all his little tricks and it showed by both him and the team benefitting. i just wish he could have played like that all the time.
b) he has been rubbish the last 2 years, particularly this season, because he has become once again too self centred in his playing style and again the mistakes are omnipresent. granted, the last 2 seasons the club has had a terrible run with injury.
this season has been the first i have really disliked his attitude towards the club. he has been arrogant, disrespectful and nearing belligerent at times. he really needs someone to help him pull his head in and teach him the virtues of humility. again, the proof of this can be seen in places like here.
its a shame, but he has pretty much undone all the good work he did.
how the tide of opinion has turned this last year; that doesnt happen with loyal fans like those on this forum without good reason.
this whole benji saga has sadly ended like a good relationship gone sour. it reminds me of an ex i had who after we broke up still had to live with me for a short time and turned into a super b1tch during it!!
just like her then, i am looking forward to just being shot of marshall.