Benji is the king!

I dont think Marshall is the right choice as Captain for a Club Team. While insperational at National Level, if New Zealand had more class across the park, he would be forced to play with a more structured game plan and his add-lib style of play doesnt suit. The Tigers are in the position of Premiership Contenders due to more structure and discipline across the park. This is a result of recruitment and development and the Tigers need a Captain who will do the discipline stuff/dirty work and lead by example.

Our best options would be Robbie or Ellis, with Benji being more suited to injecting himself at liesure…
 
@Tiger Watto said:
I dont think Marshall is the right choice as Captain for a Club Team. While insperational at National Level, if New Zealand had more class across the park, he would be forced to play with a more structured game plan and his add-lib style of play doesnt suit. The Tigers are in the position of Premiership Contenders due to more structure and discipline across the park. This is a result of recruitment and development and the Tigers need a Captain who will do the discipline stuff/dirty work and lead by example.

Our best options would be Robbie or Ellis, with Benji being more suited to injecting himself at liesure…

Ummm how far wrong can you be….IMO

Benji is no captain...and you are looking at the wrong 2 forwards....HEIGHINGTON (C) PAYTEB (VC)..

Benji is no king either ..ownes that hack...BUT last night he finally came of age as Benji Marshall -**_Rugby League Player._**..it has been a pleasure to watch the scariest thing is at Club level he will only get better..look out..

A lot of it can simply be put down to MATURITY...thankyou Lleyton.

Benji was always a Freak. A Wests Tigggeerrrsss ICON in the making ...looking fwd to the continuing journey... :sign:
 
@Ryan said:
@innsaneink said:
@benjibrotown said:
Sorry but if he golden boot doesn't that mean he is currently the best in the world?

Apparently
\
\
If he goldun boot does he defensivfe improof grammatically too?

Seriously? :unamused:

Sure they missed two words and a couple of comma's, but the spelling was fine. No need to be an arse.

Oh and his defence was awesome last night, didn't miss a tackle. He will be a deserved Golden Boot winner, even more so amongst the current nominations list.

So only last nights game counts towards the award???
I'd say it covers a season seeing its an annual thing….when you can describe his D for an entire season the way you did for one game, then yes I'll agree with you.
Youre another media muppet that swallow everything thrown your way but if a trophy papers over those flaws - well good for you
\

@geo said:
Ummm how far wrong can you be….

lol geo….how ironic...youve embarrased yourself once again
Watty mentions the current (C) as an option and you still call him wrong?
Theres only one wrong in your argument and it aint the toad, unfortunately
 
@innsaneink said:
So only last nights game counts towards the award???
I'd say it covers a season seeing its an annual thing….when you can describe his D for an entire season the way you did for one game, then yes I'll agree with you.
Youre another media muppet that swallow everything thrown your way but if a trophy papers over those flaws - well good for you

He missed 5 tackles in the whole tournament. Yep, 5, all in a tournament where he played against the toughest team in Inter. Rugby League twice. His defence has improved ten-fold this season and he has played every possible game this year! Seriously, you have NFI.

Previous winners include Lockyer (twice), Jones and Inglis. None of their defence is awesome and you are going to harp on about year round D…. Who is a better player right now than Benji Marshall?
 
Oh well at least youve gone from one game to four…including some pathetic Poms and New Guineans that couldnt hold a ball to force an opposition to make a tackle - well done.

As I mentioned before, its not so much about Marshall more the fact these awards are flawed.
 
I'd somewhat agree about the flawed system of voting. While possible not on the same page as Ink, I really believe the media play a MAJOR, MAJOR role in defining who is Rugby Leagues greatest player each year…

I'll use Thurston as an example: the guy can make 1-2 line breaks, 1 try assist and miss 2 tackles and because he pulls off the winning play, that was in awe of the followers, he must be the best player in the world?!

Judging all options available though, I'd say Benji has competed well at club level, within the Top 5 players, followed by his injection in the New Zealand jumper, he would be ahead of Carney (has played 1 rep game), Billy slater (played well for Qld, but has to accept responsibilty for the loss last night), Benji could be the most dangerous player in the world...

Let him be judge, as I feel he has earned it...
 
@innsaneink said:
lol geo….how ironic...youve embarrased yourself once again
Watty mentions the current (C) as an option and you still call him wrong?
Theres only one wrong in your argument and it aint the toad, unfortunately

Toad… thats just nasty Ink. I'm still a Tiger!!!
 
It's really hard to justify who is the best in the world. There are bests in their respective positions but seriously there will always be faults in whatever system you choose. I bet you there will be people who will find bazillion faults in the Dally M voting sysytem, RLIF voting sysytem and what not!

I dont like these systems either but the thing is you gotta accept it coz there are those smart footy admin. brains who have sat there for hours trying to work out a proper system and they HAVE TO find a way to develop that system coz I bet you they get paid a large sum.

All in all, if Benji does win the Golden Boot, I will celebrate but as Ink mentioned, he has his own share of blemishes as does every other player but IMO on current form (not just the last few weeks but the whole season), there has been no one who has done what Benji has done. As Guss says: "he has matured as a player" and TBH it's time for the Rugby League fraternity to acknowledgement that maturity that he has undergone and give him the damn BOOT!!
 
BTW I was reading this article and it's off topic but can someone tell me if the Melbourne Storm got stripped of this title as well:

Past World Club Challenge Results:
1976 - Eastern Suburbs 25 defeated St Helens 2
1987 - Wigan 8 defeated Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 2
1989 - Widnes 30 defeated Canberra Raiders 18
1991 - Wigan 21 defeated Penrith Panthers 14
1992 - Brisbane Broncos 22 - 8 Wigan 8
1994 - Wigan 20 defeated Brisbane Broncos 14
2000 - Melbourne Storm 44 defeated St Helens 6
2001 - St Helens 20 defeated Brisbane Broncos 18
2002 - Bradford 41 defeated Newcastle Knights 26a
2003 - Sydney Roosters 38 defeated St Helens 0
2004 - Bradford 22 defeated Penrith Panthers 4
2005 - Leeds 39 defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 32
2006 - Bradford 30 defeated Wests Tigers 10
2007 - St Helens 18 defeated Brisbane Broncos 14
2008 - Leeds 11 defeat Melbourne Storm 4
2009 - Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 28 defeated Leeds 20
**2010 - Melbourne Storm 18 defeated Leeds 10**

Thank you and sorry to go off topic
 
From the Tele - Its an invite to chat online

**Benji is the world's best**

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/benji-is-the-worlds-best/story-e6frexnr-1225953540678" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By Dean Ritchie From: The Daily Telegraph November 15, 2010 12:00AM

I reckon Benji Marshall is the best player in the world following his masterful performance in the Four Nations final.
 
http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/nrlexperts/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/benji_is_the_worlds_best/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In progress
 
Best player is not something any player can truly lay claim to if you take into account all the facets of the individual that need to be objectively assessed to make such a call!

Dally M - RLIF Awards etc are actually a most consistent quality performer award!! Not actually a best player award as such!

The Golden Boot is actually an award to the most INFLUENTIAL player in that year! The sort of players who win games for their teams i.e Inglis last year - Slater before him - going back to Ellery in 1988! None of these players were necessarily the best all-round player in that year - but they were deemed to be the most influential in the success of their club and rep teams!

Marshall fits that bill perfectly in 2010 - noone could deny he was the critical instrtumental element in the success of the Tigers and Kiwis - and that without his influence - results would have undoubtedly been very different! Slater isn't even close in this respect in 2010 - nor Gallen or Graham whose teams struggled!
 
@Tiger Watto said:
@innsaneink said:
lol geo….how ironic...youve embarrased yourself once again
Watty mentions the current (C) as an option and you still call him wrong?
Theres only one wrong in your argument and it aint the toad, unfortunately

Toad… thats just nasty Ink. I'm still a Tiger!!!

Sorry bro- we're all tiges here, one big crazy dysfunctional tiger family…youre OK

Gotta admit, Im as Aussie as anyone and Im a blue & a Roo till I die, but the image in the paper of marshall in his NZ black & white strip, holding up the 4N trophy wtih his WTs Premiers 2005 tatt visible was a great image

![](http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2010/11/14/1225953/484000-kangaroos.jpg)
 
BENJI MARSHALL'S 'GREATEST EVER NIGHT'
By Wayne Cousins
14/11/2010 1:52:04 AM

Respected rugby league identity Phil Gould declared it “Benji Marshall’s greatest ever night”.

And who could argue on what Marshall , the Kiwis captain and Wests Tigers superstar five-eighth, delivered to lead New Zealand to a miracle 16-12 victory over Australia at Suncorp Stadium to win the Four Nations Final on Saturday, November 13.

Marshall was superb, just as he was last weekend in the dead rubber loss to the Kangaroos in Auckland. However this time, with the trophy on the line, Marshall showed why Channel Nine commentator Ray Warren declared him to “be the game’s best player in his book”. And this comment came before Marshall produced his magic late in the game to get the Kiwis home.

Trailing 12-6 at the 60th minute mark after the scores were locked 6-6 at half-time, Marshall’s kicking game and broken play running terrorised the Kangaroos.

It led to the first of many words of praise by Gould on Marshall.

“Everytime he injects himself, you see the red lights go on” Gould said after Marshall split the defence.

With 10 minutes remaining and the Kiwis down by six, Gould said it was time for Marshall to produce something special. He didn’t disappoint.

"All the pressure is on one man. Because you are great, you live with that expectation and that’s what Benji Marshall has to live with. All of New Zealand is looking to their number 6.,'' Gould stated.

A superb grubber kick a few minutes later by Marshall saw winger Jason Nightingale dive on the ball to score in-goal after Marshall’s kick turned around his Wests Tigers team-mate in Kangaroos winger Lote Tuqiri.

“Oh, he is a genius. A genius," Gould declared of Marshall.

“That is brilliant. I was just talking about living with expectation. Benji Marshall would know that unless it comes from him, it is not going to happen. The rest of his team-mates know. Unless it comes from him, it won’t happen.”

Just when it appeared Marshall would level the score at 12-12, his conversion attempt hit the inside of the right upright at the top of the posts with the ball bouncing away to leave the Kangaroos with a two point margin after 72 minutes.

In chipped league legend in Andrew Johns who described Marshall’s grubber kick as “freakish” in the way the ball turned and rolled in-goal.

Two minutes later, a high bomb by Marshall on the last tackle resulted in Kangaroos full-back Billy Slater spilling the ball in front of his posts to give the Kiwis the scrum feed. Everyone’s eyes were on Marshall.

Minutes later and on the last play, Marshall ran the ball on tackle five, faked a kick before delivering a bullet like pass to send centre Sean Kenny Dowell into space. He then offloaded to Nightingale who beat the diving tackle of Tuqiri before throwing an inside pass that saw the ball touched in the air by Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer.

The ball bounces into the arms of Marshall who looked set to score before being grabbed by Australian half-back Cooper Cronk but not before his pass out the back finds Kiwis half-back Nathan Fien to score a miracle try to snatch victory at the death.

Gould fired up again.
“Can you believe this. Benji Marshall has instigated this. He was there at the start and he is there at the finish of it,’’ says Gould.

Marshall converts the try to give the Kiwis a 16-12 lead and the utlimate victory.

“This week they will be voting for the Golden Boot Player of the Year,’’ Gould continues.

“Marshall has just stamped his name on that trophy.

“It’s Benji Marshall’s greatest ever night. In all honesty, they were down and out. Australia had them where they wanted them. We talked about the expectation and the expectation of a country on one man’s shoulders.

“Benji Marshall has come up with two or three big time plays. Big moment plays in the last 10 minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

“Benji Marshall, I love watching him play every week.

“To do it on this level, on this stage, under that pressure, I will never, ever, ever forget this night and what Benji Marshall has done in the last 11 minutes of this game.”

What Marshall did will stay in the memory banks of league people for a very long time. One for the ages.

The victory follows New Zealand’s win in the Tri-Nations Final of 2005 and the World Cup victory over Australia in 2008.

For Marshall, it caps off his finest ever season in which he played 34 matches with no major injuries. Marshall has now captained his country on 11 occasions.

It was also the first time Marshall had defeated his club coach in Kangaroos Test coach Tim Sheens at a Test level and was Sheens’ first ever loss as the Australian coach.

The Four Nations Final brought an end to the strongest ever representation for Wests Tigers at a Test level.

Assistant Wests Tigers Coach Peter Gentle was the Kangaroos’ Assistant Coach while Tuqiri, centre Chris Lawrence and hooker Robbie Farah represented Australia while the world’s best second-rower in Wests Tigers' Gareth Ellis again gave his all for England.

In the end, the Four Nations of 2010 will be remembered for the Kiwis’ great escape and the heroics of one absolute champion player – Wests
Tigers’ VERY OWN Benji Marshall
 
At the beginning of the 2010 NRL season, I predicted that this would be Benji's year. However I do feel ( and others have stated as well) that Benji seems to pull out all the stops when he's playing for NZ. But I think he has a new found confidence now, so 2011 will be a great year for WT, with Benji leading the way :sign:
 
To have watched benji come into grade at 17 and watch him to develope into the player he is now…I couldnt be prouder to be a wests tigers and benji marshall fan. I have had many arguments over the years, with fellow tiger supporters, that they didnt rate him at all...one of them even told me he did nothing for us in the 2005 season!!! When Scott Prince left i was upset, but I said back then and i do now that id prefer benji over prince. I hope to continue to watch this freak create havoc in the coming years and see him see out a great football career! Go BENJI!
 
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