http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/benji-marshall-ignored-weeks-of-nrl-calls/story-fndv39ms-1226680396160
BENJI Marshall ignored weeks of phone calls and messages from top NRL staff, who feared he could be lost to rugby union if they didn't intervene, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
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It was another day of drama in rugby league, with Marshall's pending code switch and the departure of Parramatta CEO Ken Edwards from the troubled Eels taking the spotlight off Wednesday night's State of Origin decider.
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NRL chief operating officer Jim Doyle made several attempts to contact Marshall while the star playmaker considered his future.
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The ex-NZRL boss and Marshall share a relationship from the Kiwi side, but Doyle didn't get to have a detailed discussion until Tuesday.
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While Marshall is expected to switch codes after requesting a release from the Tigers on Monday night, Doyle is still trying to change his mind.
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"I'll continue to talk to him every day to try and convince him to stay in rugby league," Doyle said.
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**"The last thing we want is to lose a player like Benji, after what he's done for the game. That's a big part of the reason why I was trying to talk to him for the last couple of weeks."**
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NRL boss Dave Smith also spoke with Marshall Tuesday, but League Central's hopes of keeping the 28-year-old in the code depend on whether the Tigers permit him to play for a rival club.
Benji
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Benji Marshall trains with the Wests Tigers at Concord Oval on Tuesday after it was announced that he has asked to be released from his contract with the club. Picture: Mark Evans
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"Sadly it seems he is pretty clear about his intentions," Smith said. "It would be great to see him stay in the game and we are happy to talk with him at any time."
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The Tigers briefed the NRL during negotiations, which began in April when former club CEO Stephen Humphreys allegedly promised Marshall a two-year extension.
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But Humphreys' departure sparked a change of heart, with interim Tigers boss Grant Mayer and board members insistent that the club was not contractually obligated to extend Marshall's deal.
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**"There's a very clear letter written into the contract by (Humphreys) to sit down with Benji Marshall when the new TV deal is done. That was about a regrade, not an extension," Mayer said.**
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The terms of Marshall's release request were thrashed out during a meeting of the Tigers' retention committee Tuesday night.
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The NSW Waratahs and Auckland Blues are favoured to sign Marshall.
Sorry for yet another thread on a well covered subject, but this shows some pretty damning things. I know its a DT story, but direct quotes from the NRL COO and our own acting CEO show clear falsehoods perpetrated by Camp Marshall during this period.
BENJI Marshall ignored weeks of phone calls and messages from top NRL staff, who feared he could be lost to rugby union if they didn't intervene, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
>
It was another day of drama in rugby league, with Marshall's pending code switch and the departure of Parramatta CEO Ken Edwards from the troubled Eels taking the spotlight off Wednesday night's State of Origin decider.
>
NRL chief operating officer Jim Doyle made several attempts to contact Marshall while the star playmaker considered his future.
>
The ex-NZRL boss and Marshall share a relationship from the Kiwi side, but Doyle didn't get to have a detailed discussion until Tuesday.
>
While Marshall is expected to switch codes after requesting a release from the Tigers on Monday night, Doyle is still trying to change his mind.
>
"I'll continue to talk to him every day to try and convince him to stay in rugby league," Doyle said.
>
**"The last thing we want is to lose a player like Benji, after what he's done for the game. That's a big part of the reason why I was trying to talk to him for the last couple of weeks."**
>
NRL boss Dave Smith also spoke with Marshall Tuesday, but League Central's hopes of keeping the 28-year-old in the code depend on whether the Tigers permit him to play for a rival club.
Benji
>
Benji Marshall trains with the Wests Tigers at Concord Oval on Tuesday after it was announced that he has asked to be released from his contract with the club. Picture: Mark Evans
>
"Sadly it seems he is pretty clear about his intentions," Smith said. "It would be great to see him stay in the game and we are happy to talk with him at any time."
>
The Tigers briefed the NRL during negotiations, which began in April when former club CEO Stephen Humphreys allegedly promised Marshall a two-year extension.
>
But Humphreys' departure sparked a change of heart, with interim Tigers boss Grant Mayer and board members insistent that the club was not contractually obligated to extend Marshall's deal.
>
**"There's a very clear letter written into the contract by (Humphreys) to sit down with Benji Marshall when the new TV deal is done. That was about a regrade, not an extension," Mayer said.**
>
The terms of Marshall's release request were thrashed out during a meeting of the Tigers' retention committee Tuesday night.
>
The NSW Waratahs and Auckland Blues are favoured to sign Marshall.
Sorry for yet another thread on a well covered subject, but this shows some pretty damning things. I know its a DT story, but direct quotes from the NRL COO and our own acting CEO show clear falsehoods perpetrated by Camp Marshall during this period.
