Benji "I've got to weigh up all my options"

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weststigers4life

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**Benji Marshall has been a fixture for Wests Tigers over the past decade, but his future with the joint venture side is in doubt, writes Glenn Jackson.**

Having been loyal to Wests Tigers throughout his career, Benji Marshall says he will decide on his future based on what is ''best for me and my family''.

While Marshall will not play against Wests Tigers, he says he is genuine about a switch to rugby union - while at the same time expressing his frustration that an agreement to extend his current deal, which ends in 2015, was taken off the table.

In a wide-ranging interview, Marshall detailed exactly why he was considering invoking a deal that he could leave the club if he did not agree to a renegotiation of his contract.

**The future**
In their negotiations with Marshall, Tigers officials know they need to balance their desire to keep the five-eighth at the club with the knowledge that promising halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses are developing underneath him. Marshall acknowledged the club's predicament, but said he has had to consider where his own loyalty was.

''Really, in professional sport, there's no loyalty any more, and you come to understand that. Players come and go, coaches come and go,'' Marshall said. ''Sport is success-driven. I know the Tigers have got a lot of up-and-coming young halves in Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses, and obviously 'Sirro' [Curtis Sironen] … if they want to invest in the future, that's their decision. If a deal can't be done, and they want to invest in the younger guys, that's fine to me. But I've got limited time left in the game, I've got a family.

''In the past, I've taken pay cuts for the club, I've taken less money than I probably could have got going elsewhere. That was down to loyalty and making decisions on what I thought I thought was the right thing to do.
''This time, I'm going to make a decision based on what I think is best for me and my family.''
The rugby option
Marshall has been the target of interest from Super Rugby franchise, Auckland Blues. He said he would be ''stupid not to'' consider that interest.
''I played New Zealand under-15s before I changed to rugby league,'' he said. ''I've got to weigh up all my options. If the club come back to me saying that want to invest in me for the next three to five years, so be it.
''But if they want to invest in the young guys, or just part ways, that'll be the end of it.''
The deal

Marshall was adamant a deal was on the table for the remainder of his current contract - as well as an extra two seasons. And that he had agreed to it.''It's frustrating, because I agreed to a contract a couple of months ago,'' he said. ''I was of the understanding that I'd agreed for five years, that I'd sign until 2017.
''That got flipped around and changed around.

''The frustrating part of that is there's been a lot of talk about me having to prove that I'm worth whatever, when I've given a lifetime of service to the club, and shown loyalty, and taken pay cuts, and been through it all with the club.
''Sometimes you'd just like a bit of that repaid in terms of honouring what you're offered.
''But I understand, it's a business, and they've got to do what they think's best for the success of the club. Back in the day, it used to be about keeping those one-club players around, like Mark O'Neill and John Skandalis. It's getting harder now.''

**The coach**
Marshall's relationship with coach Mick Potter has been under scrutiny since he was benched against South Sydney in round 10\. While he admitted he was not happy then, Marshall maintained he and Potter had a positive relationship.
''I chat to Mick every day,'' Marshall said. ''Obviously I wasn't happy about being benched … Back then, I wasn't happy, but who says I'm not happy now? ''I'm back playing the way I want to be playing, back in the right number. I sit down with Mick every day and go through game plans. I think it's ridiculous that all these stories get made up and brought up, and just put pressure on our team. We all know the truth in-house. It doesn't surprise me - this happens every year, these rumours.''

He also rejected the suggestion that he had been dumped by Potter for drinking while recovering from injury. ''That is not true because I wasn't in rehab and Mick explained his reasons, and not once did he bring up drinking as the reason behind it,'' Marshall said.

**The Tigers**
Marshall's decision is destined to come down to the Tigers and rugby union - he said he could never play against the joint-venture side, the club he debuted with a decade ago.
''I'll never forget where I came from, and that's why I won't play for another club,'' he said.
''It's black and white for me. I couldn't do it … a hundred per cent, I won't be playing against them. And that's a pretty big call.
''Obviously, with some of the interest that I have had from other clubs, there are opportunities to play at other clubs.
''But if it was only about the money, I would have left ages ago.''

**http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/ive-got-to-weigh-up-all-my-options-20130703-2pcg5.html**

Added formatting..117
 
Code switch on the cards, says Benji

Wests Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall has detailed why he is seriously considering a switch to rugby union, saying he believed he had agreed to an extension of his contract with his club, while bemoaning the lack of loyalty in professional sport.
Marshall, whose future with the Tigers has been clouded by interest from Super Rugby franchise Auckland Blues, said he would be ''stupid'' not to consider the interest from the rival code.
Marshall is off contract with the Tigers at the end of 2015, but the terms allowed for a renegotiation with any salary-cap increases following the new broadcast-rights deal.

Negotiations have been ongoing between Tigers officials and Marshall's manager Martin Tauber since early this year. So advanced were those discussions that the Kiwi international was of the opinion he had agreed to terms.
In a wide-ranging interview with Fairfax Media, he said he felt he had agreed to play with the club until 2017, and rejected any suggestions the link with rugby union was designed to push up his asking price. He said the interest from rugby came only after talk emerged that he was unhappy following his benching in round 10.
''I'm confused with it all myself,'' Marshall said. ''To my knowledge, I'd done a deal to stay at the Tigers until 2017, but with the changes to the CEO and the club, they've informed me that won't be the deal any more. I've got a lot of things to weigh up.''
But Marshall said his relationship with coach Mick Potter was good, while reiterating that he would never play against the Tigers. He also said he would not be distracted by the uncertainty over his future.
''I don't want to be pressured into rushing anything,'' he said. ''For the last three weeks, my focus has been just on trying to play well. If you're playing well, all the negative stuff goes away. That's my priority, to try and get our team in the semis … and we're still a realistic chance.''
Tauber has held talks with Blues coach John Kirwan over a possible switch to rugby union.
With Tauber having held more discussions with Tigers chief operating officer Grant Mayer last week, Marshall hoped to make a decision in the next few weeks, but was adamant he was seriously considering a change of codes.
''Growing up, it was a dream of mine to play for the All Blacks,'' he said. ''That changed and I started playing rugby league. But I'll consider rugby, absolutely.''
Tauber also revealed Marshall was prepared to take a pay cut to play rugby union. ''He has always played the game and had an interest and maybe it's time for a change, time for a new challenge, time for something exciting and different,'' he said.
Mayer, though, said Marshall was not simply a ''free agent'' at the end of this season, and would be required to request a release before he could cut ties with the club. ''He has two years to run on his contract and we're extremely hopeful that Benji Marshall will agree to his upgrade,'' Mayer said.
Twitter @Glenn__Jackson

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/code-switch-on-the-cards-says-benji-20130703-2pc9i.html
 
The bloke doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut does he?

Every time he speaks he does more damage. If you cross check the statements he makes in the article with what Mayer says and basic logic he's telling porkies.

Marshall says "in the past I've taken pay cuts for the club". Absolute BS! His salary has increased at every contract negotiation he has ever had including the current one. A pay cut is when your salary reduces. It's not when you think you could have got more based on your own inflated sense of self worth.

So was he benched for drinking while injured as we've heard or not? If so, on what basis can he be pissed at the coach for that decision?

And don get me started on loyalty. The club plucked him from obscurity, he's constantly been one of the highest paid players in the game and the club stood by him after numerous near career ending injuries.

As for rugby, you have to be kidding me. Rugby requires a first class kickin game and being able to play in traffic with the defense in your face all the time. Blah blah blah
 
Benji says that he needs to look after his family and Tauber says Benji will take a pay cut to play union. Which one is it? They should probably get their stories straight before talking to the media!
 
Quite contradictory when Benji and Tauber start talking about money…one wants a payrise and the othet is talking about a paycut...the left hand isn't speaking to the right hand once again.
 
I'm over all this media playing with Benji..`the WT should not be pushed to extend his contract to 2017….if he wants a release end of this year give it to him...without the WT subsidizing his 2014 and 2015 contract
 
It's so obvious that they are using Union as a negotiation ploy.No other team in the NRL want to pay him what his on with us and talk about loyalty who stuck with you when you were busted all those years. Realistically he has had 2/3 good years out of 10.They are hoping NRL will step in not to loose one of the faces of the game.I don't think that's going to happen
 
Whilst he should never have been offered an extension with more than two years still to run on his contract, he is well within his rights to be unhappy when it was basically agreed and ready to be prepared and signed.
 
''I was of the understanding that I'd agreed for five years, that I'd sign until 2017."' I was of the understanding that it was the managers job to explain the conditions of the contract. :unamused:
 
@hybrid_tiger said:
Thanks for the memories, Benji, but bye bye. Time to move on.
Click to expand...

You get the feeling that's where this will end

The dragged out contract negotiations . Probably find the club has made it's final offer and Benji is just playing games with himself and the fans

He will fail at union and the only reason people will chase him is for financial reasons , not football reasons

the writing is on the wall Benji , improve dramatically or see you later
 
Taking a paycut to go to Rugby, is probably better long term. He'll get 10 years out of Rugby on current form. He'll be very very very lucky to get half that in League. So paycut yes, but long term career and long term income. Rugby seems like the wisest choice. Theirs even talk of numbers around $1M in Japanese rugby. Not a bad earner, and who could blame him if he get that for the next 5-10 years. He'll never see that in league.

Just wish he'd stop the press conferences and newspaper articles and make his decision. If you're going to leave, leave with a good name and not dragging the club through the papers.
 
I don't know much about rugby, other than it's mostly a pile of men, but from what I've seen they do seem to kick for touch an awful lot. In fact the ability to kick the ball out down the other end once you finally get it out from under the pile seem to be the most important skill. Would Benji be expected to kick if he made the switch to Rugby?
 
He's allowed to comment on his own future. He's a big name player. All the other big players do it as well. There's an old expression.

“Quando dio, ole castigarci ci manda, quello che desideriamo".
Which means…

**When the Gods wish to punish us. They answer our Prayers.**

He's a once in a lifetime player. A club legend just as much as anyone else. I want him to stay. If he goes we will regret it.
 
Pull your head in Benji you don't have to weigh up anything.
You've got a contract for the next 2 years and you'll be earning a lot of money in that time.
How about picking up negotiations again in 2 years time, the sensible approach….
 
@TIGERS said:
He's a once in a lifetime player. A club legend just as much as anyone else. I want him to stay. If he goes we will regret it.
Click to expand...

Would you pay him the 800K a season Tauber is reportedly demanding?
 
If the club did verbally agree to extend until 2017, then Benji has every right to be angry.

While personally I agree with the club not wanting to extend the contract at this point in time, it shows a lack of respect to a club stalwart to verbally agree on an extension and then backflip on the whole arrangement.

Imagine the egg on our faces if Benji leaves, and then either Brooks/Moses aren't up to first grade (or sign with another club). Neither scenario would surprise me.
 
Seriously couldn't care less if i tried anymore. All i cared about was our Captain re-signing and once he did thats where it ended for me. He can take all the time he wants keeping everyone on the edge of their seats while he weighs up his options but i'll be sitting quite comfortably.
 
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