Benji Marshall - Official..

I see Marshall starting on the bench then coming on at 5 eight and Reynolds moving to hooker during the game.

Hopefully Brooks improves in 2018 otherwise Marshall or Gamble could replace him.

Great to have options in 2018
 
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I'd have a hard time justifying Brooks over Marshall at the moment.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Why is Benji not in the Broncos starting 13
 
Well 17 pages in and I'm happy he's here. He acted prettty poorly (my first choice or words may have been censored). He will add a lot to us on and off the field
 
Just saw the end of the game . Was Benji playing centre?
He got his body in front of a charging Gavin Copper on the burst, about 15 metres out from the try line and saved a try.
The Cows have some very big players on the edges. Benji did well , from the little I saw.
 
He had an alright game. Threw a neat little no look inside pass that put Nikorima through. Between Reynolds and Brooks hammy's, he'll see a lot of game time. So wear a helmet if you are sitting in the first few rows.
 
Look Benji will be good for the WT in 2018, but seriously he will do more off the field than on it for us…Those who are expecting Benji to be our game breaker or go to man are living in hope more than reality
 
Benji in 2017 has been really impressive - he has played 10 games but effectively 5 in total as he has ave 40 mins in his 10\. so in 5 games he has had 7 try assists, 12 line break assists, 19 tackle busts - Those per game minute averages are putting him well above even his best years in 05,11 and 12 for all of those stats. His effective tackle % is the best it has ever been and his error rate is the best its been since 2005 and he hasn't run the ball as often since 2007\. I know it helps that he is coming off the bench for a team that is winning often but still those numbers are impressive
 
Give him the #6 Jumper in 2018 to allow the kids to cheer once again!

[still start him from the bench and use grub to give Liddle a rest when he comes on]
 
I was against Marshall returning but after watching a few of his games for the Broncos he will be a welcome addition especially given Brooks and Reynolds have hamstring issues.

His defence and kicking game last night was impressive.

He has a lot to prove to the WT in 2018 which will be a good thing. Maybe he can play some games with his little bro
 
Benji's Bronco odyssey brings rich rewards

http://www.nrl.com/benjis-bronco-odyssey-brings-rich-rewards/tabid/10874/newsid/111892/default.aspx

Benji Marshall insists that the game that made him famous was never a burden, he just lost sight of exactly how much it means to so many people.

This time last year, as he appeared in his regular spot on NRL 360, the modern father of the flick pass cut a forlorn figure. A former icon who had knocked back an offer to stay at St George Illawarra and who had been blamed for much of their failings all of a sudden had no one to play with.

As he and prospective clubs struggled to agree to his market value, in reaching out to Wayne Bennett to seek guidance, Marshall turned a phone call into a career lifeline and enjoyed what he describes as the greatest period of growth in his 32 years on this earth.

When he runs out at halfback for the Broncos against the Roosters in Friday night's Qualifying Final he won't be the Benji Marshall of old but he will possess the same giddy passion that made his arrival into the NRL such compelling theatre.

We fell in love with his free-spirited style, and by stepping away from his own enveloping aura in Sydney and lining up alongside part-timers and hopefuls in Queensland's Intrust Super Cup this season, Marshall rediscovered just what it meant to call himself a first-grader.

"I think I may have taken it a little bit for granted at some stages," Marshall said ahead of just his second NRL finals match since 2011.

"Just being young and not understanding how important it was to a lot of people and finding the motivation.

"I was probably a little bit guilty of going through the motions a lot of the time. And that's what I mean about learning a lot of lessons about myself and coming here.

"The last 12 months I've probably grown the most as a person and understanding myself the most as a person. When you can do that it helps you to be better on the field as well.

"It's been a positive year for me. People might think it's up and down but coming up to Brisbane is the best thing to happen to me in my career.

"Playing with this bunch of players has been a privilege for me and I think I've learnt a lot about myself this year, probably more than I have in the last 12."

One of the game's most influential figures of the past two decades, Marshall has taken the field for Redcliffe on three occasions this year alongside team-mates who spend their days working as labourers, electricians, groundsmen and one who installs windows and doors.

If you'd forgotten why you started playing in the first place, guys who work five days a week, train three nights a week and play on Sunday will give you a timely reminder.

"I really enjoyed my time at Redcliffe. It was probably the most fun I've had playing footy in a long time and it probably helped me find my feet back in first grade again," said Marshall, who plays his 11th game for the Broncos this week and the 266th NRL game of his career.

"The biggest thing is that when something is taken away from you it makes you hungrier to have it back again and that's obviously playing first grade.

"That's the pinnacle of playing rugby league and the good thing about going back and playing at Redcliffe is that you get to see a bunch of guys that turn up there every week happy to just be there, enjoying their footy and really putting in. They work most of the week and you see how much perspective that sort of puts on it.

"What I got from the guys at Redcliffe was just how passionate they were about playing and it made me really appreciate it a bit more how much I wanted to be playing first grade."

The cut-price insurance policy bought by Broncos coach Wayne Bennett last November has proven to be an astute investment in a season in which Ben Hunt, Anthony Milford, Andrew McCullough and Darius Boyd have all been missing at various stages.

"The key to it all has been Benji," Bennett says.

"He's been able to fill in for us on a number of occasions and he's a quality player. That's helped us enormously.

"The fun's back in Benji's life and he's enjoying things. I worked with him in the All Stars and at times I thought he was under a bit of pressure and wasn't as enjoyable as it should have been, but he's come here and been allowed to just be a player here.

"No one asked him to do any more in this club. Just be the best you can and that's what he's done. I'm really pleased with the way he's responded to that."

Admitting he will return to the Wests Tigers next year a changed man, Marshall will also be an expectant father with he and wife Zoe announcing only in the past week that they are due to have their first child next February.

It's put another coil in that spring-loaded step of his and made his short tenure in Brisbane even more memorable.

Whether they choose to name their child after a Brisbane suburb – Carina? Jindalee? Moorooka? – remains to be seen but Broncos teammate Adam Blair has no doubt that escaping the Sydney fishbowl has brought out the Benji of old.

"You notice a change when you've played with him before and you've been where he's been," said Blair, who moved to the Tigers in 2012 in order to play alongside Marshall.

"It's been a bit of a blessing in disguise to come up here and be away from his family and friends, to be able to sit back a bit and enjoy his football and enjoy himself off the field with his partner.

"He turns up here with a lot of energy and excitement and he's good for the young kids here, good for the group.

"It's great to see someone of his stature that's been around for a long time and still enjoying his football because he seems to have got a new lease of life."
 
He sounds so grounded now and just maybe he will have more of an impact on the field than even Ivan Cleary expects. Tonight's game will tell the full story of how far he has come and what he has left on the field.

I hate both teams but will be barracking for Benji and the Broncos.
 
""You notice a change when you've played with him before and you've been where he's been," said Blair, who moved to the Tigers in 2012 in order to play alongside Marshall.

"It's been a bit of a blessing in disguise to come up here and be away from his family and friends, to be able to sit back a bit and enjoy his football and enjoy himself off the field with his partner. "

Ok lets not ruin it for him. He is probably having a great time with Bennett (hats off to Bennett for bringing the life out of him). I heard a few players say that Bennett allows for more fun on the field, players to relax and enjoy their footy more. Hope Marshall can perform and get us across the line but also enjoy his footy.

People will hate what I say, but I don't want our club to be a headcase pressure house. Yes more pressure then we have now but we need to keep that peak performance and still let the guys have fun. I don't want to support the next Melbourne Storm or Dragons in the 50's, I want a competitive team. But I want our Tigers to remain.

Ivan in hiring Marshall and Hodgson has made a very good club decision. We need pride in our Jersey, not a storm copycat.
 
@ said:
""You notice a change when you've played with him before and you've been where he's been," said Blair, who moved to the Tigers in 2012 in order to play alongside Marshall.

"It's been a bit of a blessing in disguise to come up here and be away from his family and friends, to be able to sit back a bit and enjoy his football and enjoy himself off the field with his partner. "

Ok lets not ruin it for him. He is probably having a great time with Bennett (hats off to Bennett for bringing the life out of him). I heard a few players say that Bennett allows for more fun on the field, players to relax and enjoy their footy more. Hope Marshall can perform and get us across the line but also enjoy his footy.

People will hate what I say, but I don't want our club to be a headcase pressure house. Yes more pressure then we have now but we need to keep that peak performance and still let the guys have fun. I don't want to support the next Melbourne Storm or Dragons in the 50's, I want a competitive team. But I want our Tigers to remain.

Ivan in hiring Marshall and Hodgson has made a very good club decision. We need pride in our Jersey, not a storm copycat.

I don't think you need worry about our club being a pressure house. Players play well when they are happy and enjoying their footy. Cleary has been around long enough to know that, and he seems a pretty laid back sort of a guy as well. Marshall will come here with little expectation from anyone - so watch him enjoy it and no doubt spread a bit of joy to the other players as well.
A really good pick up in my opinion. Well done, Cleary.
 
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