Was this a letter taken from the papers and sent bya fan or is it an editoria?
I have to say, that the destruction of this man who loves this club is astounding.
He isnt playing well…no problem with that.
He has been one of our worst contributors...no problem with that.
He made a poor decision to appear in a rival jersey...no problem with that.
He is being attacked on a personal level...big problem with that.
In the last month he has been accused of being greedy, a sook, a dog, a thief, a tyrant, a bully, a petulant child, an egomaniac, a defector, having no respect for the game...or the club...or the fans...or his team mates...or his country and heritage. He has been labelled a germ, a cancer, a grub, a pathetic footballer, an even more pathetic man, gutless, heartless, a coward, just about every four letter curse word you can think of. There are also claims of tanking games, match fixing and of never being a first grade footballer in the first place. People have said he ran this club to the detriment of other players careers...destroying many and establishing a boys club that helped bring down CEO's and coaches and has left a legacy of pitiful performances, embarrassing losses and shame. Legendary halves are lining up to spit on him including Sterling and Johns who were never ever fans of his in the first place and they are doing it through every medium possible. Now people are saying he should be prevented from entering the 200 club and if he does than they will boo his arse off the field for the rest of the year...this is on top of the various petitions that people are starting up and sending to Tigers HQ.
I find it astonishing to witness such venom thrown at a bloke who has done little more wrong than try to secure his future and experiencing a severe drop off in form on the field. Where was this level of hatred when Mundine labelled RL as being a racist organisation? When Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers defected to union and then shat on RL in the press? When SBW snuck out of his contract, his club, the game and even the country at midnight? When Jamie Lyon said he was retiring and walked away from Parramatta only to sign lucrative deals almost immediately overseas? When Hunt and Falou walked away from the game and became poster boys for our biggest threat?
Benji is not playing well...his time is up. That is plain to see. There are excuses such as injuries, poor coaching and having no halfback and they are legitamate. He has also lost his passion and hunger it would seem....hardly capital offences but if you read what is being said you would think he is a part of the crew who beat women or cause havoc on the grog like Bird, Ingliss, Watmough, Lui, Carney, Friend, Dougan and Fergusson. He hasnt belted people in nightclubs, stuck his fingers up players backsides, tried to bite opposing players ears off....he is just playing poorly and had a contractural dispute with his employer. Yet he has been lynched from every quarter.
I wish Benji the best for his future, I hope he continues to play football and rekindles that spark. I hope he can get over the last 2 months of his RL career and doesnt entertain thoughts of self harm. He has experienced a massive overreaction and his fall from grace has been extraordinary. For mine he does not deserve this backlash.
I am not a soft bloke but his treatment really gets me down. It is sad in many ways. It has always been my contention that Marshal not only invigorated this club, but was one of the few who saved it from self destruction and erradication. It was a jumbled mess when he hit the scene and through his performances, the club became a media darling, an exciting proposition for fans from rival clubs and a sponsor attracting juggernaut. He has been the face of the Tigers for 10 years and through his deeds on the field, in the media and off the field in his charities, he has always promoted this club in its best light (bar the fracca with the yobs at Maccas). He has won a premiership, captained his country, won a four nations, won a world cup, captained the all stars, won the golden boot, was the face of Rugby League and got us to 2 other semi finals series after courageously coming back from devastating shoulder and knee injuries that should have ended him. He has a highlight reel that no other player comes close to. He has done things on the field that no other player could and he stayed loyal to us when his form and the enticements from other clubs were at their peak.
He is not an immortal calibre player, but is certainly revered in RL and more importantly a Wests Tigers legend. He adressed us the fans and spoke from the heart when announcing his decision to leave. He did not read a prepared statement but humbly sat there and looked us in the eye for the duration. He also wrote an article saying the same thing for the wider audience. He loves this club and its fans. He hopes to one day return in some capacity. Whilst it may be true his actions are akin to giving management the finger...I disagree entirely that his aim was to do so to the fans as well. He does not deserve to be spat on by his own supporters as he plays his last games for the club that may not even exist if it were not for him. Just let him go, say thanks for the memories and wish him good luck for the rest of his life. Continual bashing of one of our favourites sons is making this club look foolish and will hurt us financially into the future...in a corporate sense, a televisual coverage sense and in an attraction of marque players sense.
Theres a job for you at The Daily Telegraph
Do you go through a lot of keyboards?
