Benji Marshall #70

Kaito said:
Faaaa Benj got me pumped. The coach is doing
everything to get us in the right mind-frame.
a lot of take-aways from that. He said enough,
but not a lot either in the same token. Good shit
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I fell like he was embracing his phenotypical self in the interview.
 
innsaneink said:
Pretty stock standard pre season fare if you ask me

These interviews would be very difficult for a coach or player, nothings really happened yet....its just more noise

His point on Galvin possibly starting round 1. Tell the punters what they wanna hear
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agreed. I liked what he said about Luai and the fact that he’s not here for another 12 months, but the rest was typical airy fairy preseason chat.
 
jmello said:
(Part 1)

NRL 2024: Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall breaks silence on Nofoaluma exit​

​

It’s been an eventful first pre-season for Wests Tigers rookie coach Benji Marshall. The club legend sits down with Brent Read to talk all things Jarome Luai, David Nofoaluma and his halves.​

The Wests Tigers have undergone an off-season of significant change, from the removal of the board to the signing of Penrith superstar Jarome Luai for 2025. At the helm has been first-year head coach Benji Marshall, a Tigers superstar who has been charged with bringing success to a club that has gone more than a decade without finals football. Marshall has spoken to BRENT READ about the signing of Luai, his plans to change the club's DNA and the challenge that lies ahead.

Brent Read: Hey Benji, good to chat, how has the pre-season been?

Benji Marshall: It has been really enjoyable as a first time head coach. The thing I like the most about it is the buy in of the players. Your can do whatever you like but if the players don’t buy into it, it’s pretty hard to have good momentum. With back-to-back wooden spoons, I have to get them to look forward now and not look back. Obviously learn from our mistakes but buy into what we are doing to make change.

BR: How do you get blokes to forget about what has happened over the past decade?

BM: For me, it is not about forgetting. You have to learn what went wrong, and then work out how you change things and look toward, and be positive about it. If you get stuck thinking about (the past), you will stay there. Yeah, changes needed to be made and we’re doing our best to make them. We’re trying to change the DNA of the club and we have some great leaders in our club who are driving that.

BR: You mention change Benji, there has been some pretty significant ones over the off-season. Plenty of new faces as well. Can you give us an insight into how Jayden Sullivan and the Fainu boys – Latu and Samuela – have settled in?

BM: Those three guys in particular have added a real youth and fresh attitude to our team. They are all winners and the way they train has been outstanding. For me, the biggest thing I like about all of them is they are confident young blokes who have a go. If I am being completely honest, the whole squad has been outstanding this pre-season. Not just those guys, but when you bring in fresh blood it injects a bit of fresh energy into the squad and that is what those guys have brought.

BR: I spoke to you before Christmas about the halves situation. You mentioned then that it was wide open and pre-season would be a deadset contest to determine who started round one in the halves. Is that the way you are still thinking heading into trials?

BM: It is whoever earns it. There is no guarantees probably bar Api at nine. There are no guarantees at being selected. You have to go out and earn it in the pre-season. When you have competition for spots and guys are trying to earn it, you get a different training attitude. To their credit, they are all putting in and trying to earn it. We also have Aidan Sezer – an experienced guy who is training outstanding as well and we have these young kids pushing from below who all want to start come round one. Pre-season has been great but we will see what happens in the trials before we put anything in concrete.

BR: Obviously the most significant news of the pre-season was the signing of three-time
premiership winner Jarome Luai. Did you have to speak to those guys about Jarome signing and if so, how did you handle that situation?

BM: Upfront and honest, really. I find I say it how it is and tell the truth. Jarome is going to be a massive part of what we do in the future but he is not here now. Control what you can control now because a year is a long time in footy. From my experience, especially last year as an assistant coach, we didn’t have depth in the halves and it hurt us though the season. So to have depth in the halves is a good thing and competition for spots is a good thing. So you have to go out and earn that.

BR: Jarome was a personal mission for you Benji. You led the way in chasing his signature. Can you give us a sense of what it meant to you to go and get him and for the club. Signings players like that can be cathartic for a football club?

BM: It is hard to explain. I don’t look at it like that because I want to win now. He is not going to help us win now. It is not a five year plan where I am worried about what happens in five years. In my career when I played I wanted to win every year. Whether you are favourites or wooden spoon favourites, who cares. That means nothing. I want a team that competes on every play and wants to win every game. That is the type of team we want to be. As much as Jarome is a greatly signing for the future of our club, we won’t talk about him this year at all. I think it is disrespectful to the players we have now to worry about that and it is also disrespectful to Penrith to bring him into it.

BR: What about the signing of Justin Olam. What was the thinking there?

BM: When I looked at our roster, there was probably a gaping hole in our outside backs – a real strike centre who can add spark to our team. But also experience, talk – I have played against Justin and for a centre, he is probably the loudest centre I played against. Not only that, when I met with Justin, I met a guy who was really hungry, who had a point to prove, who not that long ago was Dally M centre of the year. He didn’t have a year last year that was up to his standards and I met a guy who really wanted to buy into what we were doing. It came at the expense of Shawn Blore but long term, Shawn had already committed to Melbourne for ‘25. As much as that hurt to lose him – he is a great player – we have also gained experience and filled a hole in our roster that we needed to fill. Justin will be great for us.
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Quick one to thank @jmello for posting from the DT website.

Appreciated
 
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innsaneink said:
Pretty stock standard pre season fare if you ask me

These interviews would be very difficult for a coach or player, nothings really happened yet....its just more noise

His point on Galvin possibly starting round 1. Tell the punters what they wanna hear
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“In the mix to play in the halves “ … hmm… So he might be above Sullivan and/or Fainu already ? …. Hope that says more about Galvin than the other two if that’s the reality
 
Tom Shines said:
“In the mix to play in the halves “ … hmm… So he might be above Sullivan and/or Fainu already ? …. Hope that says more about Galvin than the other two if that’s the reality
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It’s been reported that way for months now due the Galvin’s great performances and attitude towards training.
 
innsaneink said:
Pretty stock standard pre season fare if you ask me

These interviews would be very difficult for a coach or player, nothings really happened yet....its just more noise

His point on Galvin possibly starting round 1. Tell the punters what they wanna hear
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I’ll be happy that whoever plays in the first game, has earned it through hard work and good mental vibes, not reputation.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
No way Galvin could play round 1. He’s a wet noodle.
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Already up around 90kgs and extremely fit, hardly a small man.
He probably won’t be in our NRL squad as of round 2, but players such as him who demonstrate the fitness and desire to be a regular standout at training, that combined with his undoubted footy IQ and natural ability, mean it’s a fair chance he will get there sooner than later.
Personally I generally line to see players excel in reserves (NSW Cup) before earning the right to play NRL, obviously there are rare exceptions who bypass that level.
 
426Tlgerland said:
Maybe a run in the trials then a look at him after 6 rounds , I think Benji will go with Sezer and Sullivan with Fenui maybe a bench spot
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That is highly likely.
Only way that could change is if Sullivan and Fainu are both big stand outs on the trials, if that happens they could partner up in the halves Round 2.
 
king_sirro said:
"No way" is a strong stance after Benji's quotes. For Benji to actively mention him as a chance to start our first game, I reckon he is a genuine chance.
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We’ll see. But it’s coaching 101 to not promote who’s going to be in the 17 when it’s still only January. He didn’t even lock Bula in.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
We’ll see. But it’s coaching 101 to not promote who’s going to be in the side when it’s still only January. He didn’t even lock Bula in.
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Yea but you can't really say "we'll see", because if he doesn't start that doesn't make your "no chance" statement correct. As of today he is geniune chance. IMO Fainu is a better player and is more physically ready, but who knows.
 
Everyone takes something different from interviews...

"This is not a 5 year plan"....was that a dig??

I actually believe Benji is telling the truth regarding selections- to a degree. There are guys that are going to be selected UNLESS someone comes up & TAKES the spot from them.

Guys like Galvin, Feledy, Sam Fainu, all the halves, Fa'agutu & Lualili'i, Naden...there are spots that with a REALLY good pre-season, could open up competition.

But..Api, Klemmer, Stef, Papali'i, Bateman, Bula...probably Olam to a degree...these guys need to be beaten out or they are starting.
 
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