Benji return

[spiderpig]

Mccarry wrote:
It wasn't Marshall's fault our pack sucked last year. It wasn't his fault we had no half back and he was forced to play out of position.

He will earn all year from his blues contract so he may accept something small.

Remember that everyone at the club speaks very highly of him. The guy was a deadset super star for years. He's not old, he was just bored. Anyone done the same job for 10

Maybe they say speak highly of him to the media

 

[innsaneink]

Quick question.

As Benji was granted a conditional release to join Rugby Union and this in all likelihood contains a do not compete clause what would the process be for him to get a contract and what financial compensation could Wests Tigers seek to allow that to happen?

The Tigers did not insist upon a do not compete.

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Wests Tigers are set to demand financial compensation to allow Benji Marshall to return to the NRL, with officials advising his manager they intended to enforce a clause in his release agreement prohibiting him from playing for a rival club before 2016.
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While Tigers chief executive Grant Mayer said the joint venture was not in a position to take Marshall back and chairman Mike Bailey welcomed the prospect of the star playmaker playing against them because of the interest it would generate, Fairfax Media was told the club would seek "Ben Barba-type" compensation before he could sign elsewhere.
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A number of NRL and Super League clubs are believed to have already expressed interest in Marshall after he and the Auckland Blues decided over Easter to call time on his short-lived rugby union career, and Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith suggested he would be a perfect fit for the Storm.
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However, the Tigers may be an obstacle to him returning to the NRL and Fairfax Media was told that they would expect any club that wanted to sign him to come to them for permission to do so.
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"We don't want to make it difficult for Benji but we took him at his word and obviously six months on things have changed," a Wests official said. "It is a Ben Barba-type situation."
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Brisbane paid Canterbury $300,000 to release Barba from his contract this season but it is unlikely the Tigers could expect that sort of money as Marshall had already left and they say they can not accommodate him if he wanted to join them.
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Marshall repeatedly said before his departure that he could not envisage playing against Wests Tigers, despite becoming disillusioned with the club over a contract dispute and seeking a release after 11 seasons as the face of the joint venture.
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However, Bailey welcomed him back to the NRL and predicted Marshall's first match against the Tigers would generate great fan and media interest.
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"We have no objections to where he turns up and I wish him well on a personal and professional level in terms of being involved in the game," Bailey said. "I don't think any of us on the board, or for that matter management or our supporters, would have too much opposition to Benji coming back to rugby league.
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"He's been a great player, he's given great service over the years. As we wished him well last year, we again wish him well in terms of the career decision he has at the moment.
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"He's been a great contributor and I feel disappointed he hasn't been able to match the level of competence he showed early in his career in the last season with us and what has happened overseas."
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The terms of Marshall's release from the New Zealand Rugby Union are believed to have been finalised and a formal announcement and press conference, with Marshall and Blues coach John Kirwan, is scheduled for Wednesday at Eden Park.
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The NRL is concioius of avoiding a repeat of the fiasco that caused Israel Folau to abandon a return to the game with Parramatta and sign with the Australian Rugby Union instead after securing a release from the AFL and GWS Giants in 2012 and have encouraged NRL clubs to come up with proposals to accommodate Marshall under the salary cap.
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“Benji is a wonderful player and it would be great to see him back playing in the NRL,” said NRL chief operating officer, Jim Doyle, who has a relationship with Marshall through his previous role as the chief executive of New Zealand Rugby League.
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“The integrity of the salary cap is important and that must be taken into consideration but we would certainly consider any proposal from a club for Benji to return.”
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Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said on Monday that the club would be interested in Marshall if they could find room for him under the cap, and Smith believes he would boost their attack.
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"He is a similar style player to what Gareth Widdop was to our club," Smith said. "Any club at the moment who was looking for a half would look at Benji.
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"I'd welcome the idea of Benji coming back as he is a wonderful footballer and a great asset to rugby league because a lot of young kids, boys and girls, mums and dads – they love Benji and turn up to matches to watch him play."

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/benji-marshall-nrl-return-wests-tigers-set-to-seek-ben-barbastyle-compensation-20140422-zqxv9.html

 

[LaT]

Thats weird because I saw a Mayer quote a few weeks or a month ago denying any such clause.

I can't be bothered searching while on my phone but does anyone else remember seeing it?

 

[wtfl1981]

Problems lie into his previous hand shake agreement with Humphries..

He was legally signed with WT until end of 2015.

Like previous scenarios, there would be a clause to prevent that player going to another team before end of 2015\. Union and ESL excluded.

WT may wave that clause and ask for some $$ from club who takes him or take him back (at a pay cut) and start him in nsw cup.

If he admits his mistake (leaving) and claims he can still show league fans he has got it, then he may have some degree of cred.

He also has that 'promise'.. Not sure how much that sticks or will affect his return.

As long as his return is not tied up with legal issues or he knocks some current WT first grade regular out then maybe a return could be good for him and WT.

The Kidwell connection is having an influence in bringing him back to the fold.

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[Anthism]

Benji or Anasta?
If he's on match payments I wouldn't care. If no other club grabs him then he gets an opportunity to impress for next season. If he sucks, he gets eternity in NSW Cup (they need a half anyway) or retires which is win win for us.
Otherwise, no.
You would think the Blues fiasco is a good learning experience for him to appreciate us if he comes back though.

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[NZTiger]

Like a lot of us, I was a massive Benji fan and in my eyes he's still a Tigers legend that helped deliver our first ever premiership.

I find it a very sad state of affairs that has been the Benji decline in recent years.

In 2009-2010 he was on top of his game again. Tigers came very close to knocking off the eventual premiers Dragons, falling by a point. He and Lui found a very good combo.

I think 2011 was the start of Benji's downfall. That incident at McDonalds where Benji was charged with assault and the Face of the Game curse struck. I think here Benji was starting to get sick of the Sydney fishbowl and probably felt betrayed in how the incident was handled by his club and the NRL.
During that season he did help the Tigers get to a respectable 4th finish after a poor start, only to be upset by the Warriors (who were smashed the week before) at the SFS.

Then in 2012, something major happened. I don't know what. Benji lost interest, that Marshall spark and was playing far below his standards. There was the constant "riff between players" media backlash and I just think Benji got absolutely over it and lost his passion for the Tigers jersey. Sheens (Benji's adopted RL Father, pretty much) then got the sack and Benji was then having to cope with a change in coach under a new system that was still operating under the Sheen's regime.

In 2013 he lost the kiwi captaincy, and luckily got injured before the test. I honestly think he saved himself the embarrassment of not being selected fullstop for the side anyway.

When he and his manager started to get pissy about an old hand shake deal with Humphries that wasn't honored, I started to lose some respect for Benji. He was not showing the kind of form we knew he was capable of to warrant what he was asking for….so he quit.
In a typical "I'll speak before I really think this through" type of fashion to the media, he said he'd never play for another NRL club. I saw this his way of saying "I'll be gone a long time in a successful stint at Union so I won't be needing to come back" and "Tigers fans don't get pissy at me, I still love the club but it's their loss".

I'm not shocked to see him wanting to come back to the NRL at all. The Blues were mad to take on a player who is playing well under his potential. Sure, he looked like he had worked hard in the off season, lost weight etc but this was something Benji hadn't really thought could pan out the way it did.

I'll be surprised if any NRL would want him back. His match fitness would be suspect, his confidence low, he's still trying to find his mojo AND he's unpredictable (which used to be great when playing with confidence and a spring in his step).

Seeing as he's getting a lot of media attention about a comeback (good & bad), a desperate NRL club (with money to burn) will probably take the risk. I reckon Benji should just bite the bullet, go live in the UK for a couple of years, make some massive coin and perhaps find his mojo in a league where he could easily regain his confidence.

If he does manage to come back to the NRL successfully again, I'll be the first to congratulate him but I'm extremely skeptical about that happening at this point.

Benji, I love you as I do all my Tigers legends, but do yourself a big favor and find your spark in Super League mate...and enjoy it!

 

[Eddie]

Nice post NZ Tiger. He lost his hunger. He took things for granted.He should be well and truly humbled by the latest episodes. He could do well at a club with a great set up.

A 3 year contract at the Sharks to me looks like a recipe for disaster in the long run. They are a desperate club and it appears a desperate move. His match fitness and confidence would be very suspect.

 

[innsaneink]

Problems lie into his previous hand shake agreement with Humphreys..

He was legally signed with WT until end of 2015.

Like previous scenarios, there would be a clause to prevent that player going to another team before end of 2015\. Union and ESL excluded.

**WT may wave that clause and ask for some $$ from club who takes him or take him back (at a pay cut) and start him in nsw cup.**
If he admits his mistake (leaving) and claims he can still show league fans he has got it, then he may have some degree of cred.

He also has that 'promise'.. Not sure how much that sticks or will affect his return.

**As long as his return is not tied up with legal issues or he knocks some current WT first grade regular out then maybe a return could be good for him and WT.\
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The Kidwell connection is having an influence in bringing him back to the fold.**

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Let your fantasy go, youre just looking silly now

 

[Basil_Tiger]

Latest i have heard is that WT could only offer him match payments for rest of 2014\. He wants to go back to WT and wanted what he had in place last year (original contract). Mayer's statement was to deflect the attention from WT and focus on their on field success.

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Yeah,i'm well out of the loop but have Friends in Sydney that have stated he wants to come back to the Tiges. and they were approached last Week,don't know if it was thru Robbie,via Tauber or Benji himself but i'm also told Potter doesn't want to do anything that may unbalance the Team so i can't see it happening at this stage at least.
Very sad saga,he has only just purchased a House in Auckland and knowing Benji he wasn't going to give up on his Union career without a fight so reports that the Blues told him he wasn't wanted are probaly true. 😢 😢

 

[wtfl1981]

Problems lie into his previous hand shake agreement with Humphreys..

He was legally signed with WT until end of 2015.

Like previous scenarios, there would be a clause to prevent that player going to another team before end of 2015\. Union and ESL excluded.

**WT may wave that clause and ask for some $$ from club who takes him or take him back (at a pay cut) and start him in nsw cup.**
If he admits his mistake (leaving) and claims he can still show league fans he has got it, then he may have some degree of cred.

He also has that 'promise'.. Not sure how much that sticks or will affect his return.

**As long as his return is not tied up with legal issues or he knocks some current WT first grade regular out then maybe a return could be good for him and WT.\
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The Kidwell connection is having an influence in bringing him back to the fold.**

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Let your fantasy go, youre just looking silly now

Not making stuff up. Have been provided some information and sharing my thoughts of it. I am not personally batting for benji to come back.

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[supercoach]

1….Potter is not going to drop Anasta and it is evident from what I have seen this year he can never play backrow again

2---we have Austin who can slot into the no7 or 6 role with ease

3---we have a standout goal kicker

4---we have a quality no1

5---we have some real team spirit going

6---and we have a player like moses waiting in the wings for his big chance.

So really I just dont see the point in upsetting the apple cart, okay at pinch he maybe able to play centre, but do you really want to replace Simona or Lawrence????

I just hope they re direct their dollars towards locking up some of the quality kids we have on our books rather than trying to reinvent Benji

 

[2041]

He wants to go back to WT and wanted what he had in place last year (original contract).
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Stop - you're killing me. No, seriously, I've stopped laughing now. But I couldn't breathe there for a second. Ahem, ok, here's the measured response: "No sh1t he wants what he was offered last year".

 

[innsaneink]

Wests Tigers CEO Grant Mayer has today reconfirmed with the NRL that the Club strongly supports Benji Marshall’s return to the competition.

“Benji is a Club stalwart who will always be part of our history,” Mayer said. **“Unfortunately we are not in a position to offer him anything at the Wests Tigers,** :righton: as he made a decision last year and we have had to move forward.

“We believe that the NRL is stronger with Benji Marshall and we will not stand in his way from returning to the competition.

“Benji will always hold a special place in out heart and we believe he would be a great addition to any Club in the future,” he said.

**On finalising a playing agreement with a new team, Wests Tigers will have a separate discussion with that Club on a set of terms that will be commercial in confidence.**

Marshall played 201 games for the Wests Tigers before joining Super Rugby team Auckland Blues at the completion of the 2013 season.

 

[tig_prmz]

we will not stand in his way from returning to the competition.
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**On finalising a playing agreement with a new team, Wests Tigers will have a separate discussion with that Club on a set of terms that will be commercial in confidence.**

am i the only one who thinks these two sentences contradict each other?

 

[wtfl1981]

Another Tiger Shark?


 

[dazza65]

we will not stand in his way from returning to the competition.
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**On finalising a playing agreement with a new team, Wests Tigers will have a separate discussion with that Club on a set of terms that will be commercial in confidence.**

am i the only one who thinks these two sentences contradict each other?

No, not in the slightest. This is a business decision, like many that I and others in business make every day.
A big difference between "…we will not left Benji back into the NRL until his original contract has expired at the end of 2015" and what Mayer is saying which is " we will not stop Benji from coming back to the NRL in 2014/2015, however, we had an agreement or clause in the release which means that we will seek some form of compensation if he wants to return"

Perfectly acceptable and business like. I am glad that we are finally looking like we will be compensated rather than subsidising other players at other clubs.

 

[alex]

This must be where Cronulla's recruitment manager hangs out.


 

[Guest]

Marshall denies being Cronulla-bound

Date
April 23, 2014 - 5:02PM
Ian McCullough and Alastair Bull
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A 'washed up' Benji Marshall has denied he's set to join Cronulla but admits his promise to not play for another NRL team than the Wests Tigers was premature.

Marshall was officially granted a release from his Super Rugby contract with the Blues on Wednesday after just two months of playing the 15-man game but said he'd not spoken to any other parties about his future employment.

"It's pretty funny how I could join the Sharks without talking to them," Marshall said in Auckland.

"I said to my manager I don't want to talk to anyone and I don't want to know anything until this (the contract release) is out of the way, out of respect for the Blues and New Zealand Rugby.

"I've got nowhere to go at the moment."

The Sharks have several ex-Tigers players on their books including Marshall's close friend Beau Ryan in addition to Bryce Gibbs, Blake Ayshford, Andrew Fifita, John Morris and Chris Heighington.

This has sparked speculation he will become a Cronulla player, but Marshall denied any deal has been struck.

"I don't even know what the future holds," he said.

"To be honest I don't really have that long left, and I want to make sure it's a place where I'm going to be happy, where it's a good culture and where I think I could play my best football."

"I'd prefer it to be in Sydney, but until I speak to clubs and know who's interested in a 29-year-old washed-up rugby player - or league player now - we'll see."

Marshall is arguably the Tigers' greatest-ever player and inspired the joint-venture to their only premiership in 2005.

His request for an early release to play rugby last July was greeted with huge shock and dismay by fans and led to him vowing to never don another club's colours.

Earlier this week, Wests Tigers chief executive Grant Mayer closed the door on a possible return for Marshall, but in a statement on Wednesday said he wouldn't prevent him joining another club.

Part of Marshall's release agreement stated he couldn't sign for any of the Tigers' NRL rivals until 2016 and Mayer said they would seek some financial recompense when he does return.

"We believe that the NRL is stronger with Benji Marshall and we will not stand in his way from returning to the competition," Mayer said.

"Benji will always hold a special place in our heart and we believe he would be a great addition to any club in the future.

"On finalising a playing agreement with a new team, Wests Tigers will have a separate discussion with that club on a set of terms that will be commercial in confidence."

Marshall admitted his stance about never facing the Tigers was premature, but understood the club's decision to not offer him the chance of a return.

"When I made those comments I was obviously emotional," he said.

"I hadn't played for any other club before.

"I've still got a massive soft spot for the Tigers, but it would be rude of me to think I could go back in there with how good they're going and the young guys they've produced.

"I've got to move on from that stage. They've moved on, and so will I."

 

[innsaneink]

So he quits rugby without teeing up another option eh?????

Yeah right :unamused:

 

[happy_tiger]

Must admit the Tigers have been pretty classy about this

Well done Mr Mayer

Now hurry up and sign Tedesco

Get that done and even the haters might even appreciate your work