Dodging the Benji Bullet

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WTDiehard

New member
With all due respect to his past efforts and deeds with the club three things come to mind immediately;

1\. What an idiot his manager is…..fancy having a high profile NRL product go to Union on less money than the Tigers were offering when realistically he was never going to make the transition at 29 years of age. Dumb Dumb Dumb. Remind me to never have this bloke manage my affairs !!!!

2\. How glad are we that benji said no to our 3 year deal worth about $2.5 million dollars in total. His form and selection in our teams last year took centre stage to what the club was about. IMO his attitude caused a number of the problems we had amongst the players and coach. IMO Benji thought he was bigger than the club in the end. This year with the distraction gone we have started to smell like a football club again.

3\. I wish benji all the best and if he is smart he will take the big money on offer from super league and go and earn a living to support his family. If he thinks he's a washed up ex Tiger then he could always go to the sharks.....they have a number of our rejects there already. But whatever you do benji put the ego aside and play for the love of the game.
 
Do the Tigers still have an option on Benji? I know he said he'd never play against us, but did we get that in writing in the terms of his release?
 
The whole saga is sad,champion player going further downhill,i wish Benji the best but his form over the last few seasons has been barely at NRL level.I heard this afternoon that the Tiges may take him back on a vastly reduced contract to replace Anasta but i think it would cause more problems than it solves and the reality at this early stage is another Tiger Shark if his wife doesn't wish to stay in NZ with the Warriors.
 
Might be alright running off a decent halfback, which never happened after Scott Prince left. If Benji was willing to hang about in NSW cup competing with Blake Austin for a run in the NRL on match payments we'd get a few decent games out of him I'm sure. The one game last year where he was actually running off Brooks he looked alright.

I highly doubt Marshall wants to play park football at this stage in his career, so realistically he's off to England where he'll be able to skip around sideways through second rate defences and get paid lots of money. All the best mate.
 
Don't be surprised if he is lining up against us in a few weeks at Shark Park or even in Newcastle. I can see it now is first game back will be against us. They are his 2 most likely destinations i reckon.

As for the original posters thoughts, 1 agree 100%. His manager sold him down the river, we dodged a massive bullet, he is a fallen star and there is no way we will be going back.

I have bagged him but I reckon if he is motivated he could still do OK in the NRL. He could still be a decent player if he is motivated. Im not saying he is a shocking player. However with the different culture and mentality since he left the Tigers, the risk of bringing him back is something I know Potter and Mayer would not even consider
 
@Eddie said:
Don't be surprised if he is lining up against us in a few weeks at Shark Park or even in Newcastle. I can see it now is first game back will be against us. They are his 2 most likely destinations i reckon.

As for the original posters thoughts, 1 agree 100%. His manager sold him down the river, we dodged a massive bullet, he is a fallen star and there is no way we will be going back.

I have bagged him but I reckon if he is motivated he could still do OK in the NRL. He could still be a decent player if he is motivated. Im not saying he is a shocking player. However with the different culture and mentality since he left the Tigers, the risk of bringing him back is something I know Potter and Mayer would not even consider
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Newcastle haha. They have Mullen who just re-signed and Roberts who is an up and coming young gun. I would say he would be most likely to go to canberra. They are losing Milford next year and Jack Wighton is no 5/8
 
True. Only said Newcastle because Bennett loves him and likes to bring in fallen stars. I forgot that Mullen was back, I thought he was out for a few months.
 
@Eddie said:
True. Only said Newcastle because Bennett loves him and likes to bring in fallen stars. I forgot that Mullen was back, I thought he was out for a few months.
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yea true, Bennett does love the older players
 
@tigertilidie said:
@Eddie said:
Don't be surprised if he is lining up against us in a few weeks at Shark Park or even in Newcastle. I can see it now is first game back will be against us. They are his 2 most likely destinations i reckon.

As for the original posters thoughts, 1 agree 100%. His manager sold him down the river, we dodged a massive bullet, he is a fallen star and there is no way we will be going back.

I have bagged him but I reckon if he is motivated he could still do OK in the NRL. He could still be a decent player if he is motivated. Im not saying he is a shocking player. However with the different culture and mentality since he left the Tigers, the risk of bringing him back is something I know Potter and Mayer would not even consider

Newcastle haha. They have Mullen who just re-signed and Roberts who is an up and coming young gun. I would say he would be most likely to go to canberra. They are losing Milford next year and Jack Wighton is no 5/8
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Campese and Marshall in the halves… they'd better hope they can also find a time machine and go back to 2009.
 
he could actually work at the cowboys, JT doing most of the work with benji just playing what he sees.

but in reality he's probably just past it, sad to see but least we dont have to see it every week anymore.
 
@happy tiger said:
I really hope that the Raiders sign Marshall

Will help with another potential Wests Tigers problem
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I am hearing you mate. Reckon he will end up in the shire though.
 
Wherever he goes it won't be on the big $$$. Tauber also murdered any career Benji might have had with the media post football.

What a let down.
 
It's a little sad to see him in this situation. He put his trust in his manager and made some bad decisions himself. Certainly saying he'll never play against the Tigers was one and now here he is.
 
I have always thought Benji is a decent guy who's been poorly managed, by both Sheens and Tauber. I think he is loyal and genuine in his appreciation for his time at the Tigers. But, I also think one of the reasons for our consistency and success this year is the fact that he has gone. The guys providing the leadership for our bunch of young guns are brilliant examples for them to emulate and learn from; Fulton, Galloway, Richards, Anasta and, of course, the biggest beneficiary of Benji's departure, Robbie Farah. It's a great mix at the club at the moment and I can only see things being on the up over the short term for us. Where ever Benji ends up, I wish him well.
 
We've moved on - says Tigers chief executive Grant Mayer

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-21/benji-marshall-seeking-nrl-return/5402178
 
@wtfl1981 said:
He is Not going to UK.

_Posted using RoarFEED V.4_
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…and if Union players can be believed his Wife wants to live in Sydney so you would think Canberra & the Cows are longshots but time will tell.At least out of all this mess he didn't suffer the indignity of being dropped from the Kiwi WC squad.
 
Like an unstable ex, I was hoping Benji just wouldn't call or visit. It's easier for the kids that way. I don't see him in a constructive role in our current first grade side, but emotionally I don't think I want to see him in another team's colours. I'm feeling a bit possessive. Can't live with Benji, don't want to see him with anyone else.

Would the Tigers still let him sleep on the couch? He is family after all. There's some leftover pizza in the fridge and if he's lucky Tim Moltzen might come and spoon him during the night. If he's lucky.

I guess you could say "Benji, your 2015 preseason starts now. You don't even think about playing in the NRL this season, you're in the special ed class for strength and conditioning, and you might get some game time in NSW cup. You will spend 2015 as a backup for Blake Austin and a mentor for Mitchell Moses."

However I suspect that even taking Marshal for free as a depth player would cause cap headaches for the Tigers. He would still be under his old contract had he stayed, and the NRL would have a case to value Benji at his pre-release cost should we take him back. They might go so far as to impose the same salary cap penalty on other prospective clubs, making him overpriced poison.

English Superleague is the obvious solution, and where does Benji go if not England? Happily this is no longer our problem, Since Marshall demanded a release, we no longer need to sell him down the river to a club desperate for a number 6, while we pick up the difference on our cap. The Sharks might be running their club off the Tigers pension fund, but it shouldn't cost us a thing if they wanted to pick up Benji. Hard to see what they could offer though, Todd Carney has improbably managed to stay out of trouble down in Hobbiton, so no vacancies at 5/8th there.

After watching yesterdays debacle at ANZ stadium, Dr Zaretti can only recommend one course of action. Benji Marshall starts at halfback for Parramatta. It's the only way forward for all parties. Chris Sandau can report to the pokie room at Wenty Leagues and Marshall can take charge of the Eels last tackle options.
 
@LCA said:
I have always thought Benji is a decent guy who's been poorly managed, by both Sheens and Tauber. I think he is loyal and genuine in his appreciation for his time at the Tigers. But, I also think one of the reasons for our consistency and success this year is the fact that he has gone. The guys providing the leadership for our bunch of young guns are brilliant examples for them to emulate and learn from; Fulton, Galloway, Richards, Anasta and, of course, the biggest beneficiary of Benji's departure, Robbie Farah. It's a great mix at the club at the moment and I can only see things being on the up over the short term for us. Where ever Benji ends up, I wish him well.
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Well said and I 100% agree.
 
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