Benji Marshall will leave Dragons if another NRL club meets his asking price

[Basil_Tiger]

Benji was always unpredictable, I'll never forget that flick pass in the 2005 GF, that unpredictability is no longer required, even if he is still capable.

Yep,when the planets align he can be a match winner but rarely strings two good games together these days.I'm expecting a good game from him today thou.,he usually fires after a break.
I was one of his biggest fans but its hard to see where any Team can play him these days,if NZ RU couldn't place him he has no chance in the NRL.,too cumbersome for the halves,defence is not up to it as regards other slots.I hope his new manager can make him see reality.Shame.

 

[westTAHger]

Which Benji would we get, the one who's interested in playing footy or the one who goes thru the motions to collect his money.
Neither thanks.
Could it be, he is finding it hard to accept that he is not regarded as a game changing player anymore?

 

[Russell]

This is obviously a joke that we are interested.

Let us undo all the work of the past 2-3 years. He is after a deal for himself.
He is not going to be worrying about the team he is playing for. Didn't want to stay in the NRL when he went to Rah, Rah and wore their jumper when signed to us.

Wasn't worried about being fit when he played for us either. He is not a team player, he is a player that most do not know what he is going to do next and neither does he - unfortunately these days it is almost nothing.

He was a good player for us for a number of years - lets leave it that way.

Absolute NO from me.

 

[Tigermama]

It's probably the nostalgia talking, but i'd really like to see him come home to finish his career. Not to play in the halves though, he has nothing to offer there anymore. You need to think outside the box with him, he could offer something in the centres, or maybe even at lock. God knows he's big enough.

The club wouldn't be thinking like that though sadly.

GNR what are you thinking ? 😱pen_mouth:
Personally i would like to see Benji back at the WT on an ambassadorial role only.
He's still a very popular figure with the kids and the corporate sector and can only benefit our club.

 

[Tigermama]

Hooker.?..nah ..Benji is a past we well and truly need to move on from ….Pass.......into Row..Zz...

simple solution. Play him somewhere he doesn't need to be a ball distributor.

Why would you sign a half if you didn't trust him as a playmaker? He's either still up to the gig or he isn't.

Rankin ring a bell? The club is good at signing players and playing them out of position. Lol…

 

[Masterton]

I think he could be great as a ball-running 5/8 outside an organising half. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he hasn't been willing to run the ball for many, many years now. He has been saying that he knows he needs to, but he just won't do it.

The last time he ran the ball properly was when we picked him in the centres outside Brooks.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I think he could be great as a ball-running 5/8 outside an organising half. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he hasn't been willing to run the ball for many, many years now. He has been saying that he knows he needs to, but he just won't do it.

The last time he ran the ball properly was when we picked him in the centres outside Brooks.

And he was dangerous which is why i suggested it.

 

[shane2801]

WT would be stupid enough to re-sign this myth.

 

[bobo125]

in his last game in his Rugby union experiment - he ran sideways… like seriously...sideways all the way off the park.
he then Quit.

in his last game this year with Saints, he ran sideways.... the almost identical play.

to me, that said it all.
he was once great and brought a lot of joy to the team and club but those days were in the past.
now hes just trying to hold on .... ?
maybe for money ...who knows....

Hopefully the club is about moving forward.
if Brooks and moses leave, we need to get straight onto who will be the next long term halves and build them...not put a band aid solution on and "hope" he dosnt run sideways.....

 

[Guest]

This would only work if Marshall was able to effectively lead a team around the park and leave the playmaking to either Brooks/Moses (if one was to leave). He no longer has the pace to make the sideways running effective and the team needs an established half who can help getting the team moving forward and getting to their kick at the end of a set.

I don't think Marshall has that in him, but if Brooks or Moses were to leave, the club would probably have to entertain the idea. I don't think they view Drinkwater or Littlejohn as long term prospects.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

in his last game in his Rugby union experiment - he ran sideways… like seriously...sideways all the way off the park.
he then Quit.

in his last game this year with Saints, he ran sideways.... the almost identical play.

to me, that said it all.
he was once great and brought a lot of joy to the team and club but those days were in the past.
now hes just trying to hold on .... ?
maybe for money ...who knows....

Hopefully the club is about moving forward.
if Brooks and moses leave, we need to get straight onto who will be the next long term halves and build them...not put a band aid solution on and "hope" he dosnt run sideways.....

If Brooks and Moses both left (highly unlikely) we need at least one of the new halves to be a veteran with a lot of games under his belt. Can't go down the road of having two rookies again.

 

[Masterton]

For all of the talk ruing the loss of Martin, I agree it would be terrible to take a step back in our halves experience. We need someone who can do the job now. I wonder if Rankin would be considered?

We could stand the loss of either of the halves, but both would be terrible. Unfortunately, I suspect we will be in exactly the same situation in a year, with both trying to increase their price again.

 

[teddy23]

I love Benji he made my childhood watching footy as good as it can be possibly be, I'm a very passionate fan and I'm not gonna lie I shed a tear when he left, and for the people bad mouthing him take a look for what he did for this club don't bring money into this situation as Benji took pay cuts for this club along with Farah and due to bad management he left.

Now I don't want him back at this club as a player that ship has sailed but as a club we owe him the respect to offer him roles inside the club!

We should be focusing on keeping Brooks and Moses!

 

[Coast_Tiger]

If we lose Brooks or Moses we need an experienced half to partner whoever is left. Benji at $350k would also free up $250k in next years salary cap (Brooks/Moses reported to have $600k options for next year). I don't see many other experienced options that would realistically join us at the same value as Benji also.

If Brooks and/or Moses leave at the end of the year I would sign him for 2 years. I've no doubt he would want to end his career at the Tigers on a better note than he left previously.

 

[Black_n_White]

If we lose Brooks or Moses we need an experienced half to partner whoever is left. Benji at $350k would also free up $250k in next years salary cap (Brooks/Moses reported to have $600k options for next year). I don't see many other experienced options that would realistically join us at the same value as Benji also.

If Brooks and/or Moses leave at the end of the year I would sign him for 2 years. I've no doubt he would want to end his career at the Tigers on a better note than he left previously.

they took up their option the other week…

 

[Coast_Tiger]

If we lose Brooks or Moses we need an experienced half to partner whoever is left. Benji at $350k would also free up $250k in next years salary cap (Brooks/Moses reported to have $600k options for next year). I don't see many other experienced options that would realistically join us at the same value as Benji also.

If Brooks and/or Moses leave at the end of the year I would sign him for 2 years. I've no doubt he would want to end his career at the Tigers on a better note than he left previously.

they took up their option the other week…

Great news if true!

No room for Benji then.

 

[marzie]

If we lose Brooks or Moses we need an experienced half to partner whoever is left. Benji at $350k would also free up $250k in next years salary cap (Brooks/Moses reported to have $600k options for next year). I don't see many other experienced options that would realistically join us at the same value as Benji also.

If Brooks and/or Moses leave at the end of the year I would sign him for 2 years. I've no doubt he would want to end his career at the Tigers on a better note than he left previously.

they took up their option the other week…

How do you know?

 

[Spartan117]

Just finished watching Benji nullify all the dragons attack. He isn't worth $50 on that dismal performance.

Poor dragons.

 

[ricksen]

It's probably the nostalgia talking, but i'd really like to see him come home to finish his career. Not to play in the halves though, he has nothing to offer there anymore. You need to think outside the box with him, he could offer something in the centres, or maybe even at lock. God knows he's big enough.

The club wouldn't be thinking like that though sadly.

Why not sign an actual lock or centre, rather than sign an old and average half to play out of position?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

It's probably the nostalgia talking, but i'd really like to see him come home to finish his career. Not to play in the halves though, he has nothing to offer there anymore. You need to think outside the box with him, he could offer something in the centres, or maybe even at lock. God knows he's big enough.

The club wouldn't be thinking like that though sadly.

Why not sign an actual lock or centre, rather than sign an old and average half to play out of position?

Are there any on the market?