Marshall 2015 extension

[Guest]

Benji Marshall pays NRL boss David Gallop a surprise compliment

* Brent Read
* From: The Australian
* February 26, 2010 12:00AM

BENJI Marshall had a lot to be thankful for yesterday. But one "thank you" was unexpected. It was directed towards NRL chief executive David Gallop, who 12 months ago stopped Marshall spending his off-season playing rugby union in Japan.

At the time, Marshall was ropable. His manager Martin Tauber threatened to take the Wests Tigers star to rugby union for good. Yesterday, having inked a mega-rich contract extension with the Tigers that secured his future and confirmed his place among the NRL's elite, Marshall was more than happy to acknowledge the part Gallop unwittingly played in his decision.

"The thing was I was never going to go to rugby and never come back," Marshall said.

"It was to play rugby in the off-season and then come back. Looking back it was probably a good thing that I didn't.

"Now this deal is done, it's even sweeter to be able to be in the game for so long."

A game Marshall believes he is still perfecting. If you think you've seen the best of Benji, think again. He celebrated becoming a Tiger for life yesterday by declaring he was ready to take his game to another level.

Given the lofty heights he has already reached, it's a bold claim. Marshall has always oozed confidence, from the moment he made his debut with the club as a prodigiously-talented 18-year-old in 2003\. Even a spate of shoulder injuries, which effectively robbed him of two years, failed to blunt the Marshall bravado.

"I still think I am far from my best," Marshall said.

"People think they have seen the best of me but I think the best is yet to come. I played the last two seasons without injury.

"I am feeling pretty good about myself. This year is going to be a big year for me."

It already is. As revealed in The Australian yesterday, Marshall's camp had been in talks with the Tigers since late last year over extending his deal.

By the time his new deal comes to an end, Marshall will have spent 12 years at the club.

In some eyes it represents a risk. To many, there remains a brittle look to Marshall. During yesterday's press conference, held in a room at Taronga Zoo with sweeping views of Sydney, he was described as injury-prone by one reporter.

Never mind that Marshall has barely missed a game over the past two years.

"He had one particular injury which was his shoulders," Tigers coach Tim Sheens said.

"I wouldn't say he is injury-prone. I don't think he misses many training session at all.

"The fact he has captained his country, he's played first grade, he's won a premiership and he's a leader among our team, in my opinion he's as good as any player I have coached."

Given Sheens has coached some of the finest players in the game's history, its a remarkable statement. And Marshall is only 25.

"I would say most players are better players in their late 20s than they are in their early 20s," Sheens said.

Which means Marshall should be about to enter his prime.

"I don't make decisions overnight," Marshall said.

"There are a lot of things I have to toss up. If you play at a club and you're just playing for the money and you're not comfortable where you are, it's not worth playing.

"I have a big following from kids and if I can be a Tigers icon and help attract players to the Tigers, I am doing my job."

Marshall smiled.

"And maybe David Gallop can be a little nicer to me."

 

[Guest]

Benji keen for Sheens
25/02/2010 4:52 PM
Adam Lucius
Sportal
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Benji Marshall has implored the Wests Tigers to offer a similar long-term deal to coach Tim Sheens after pledging his loyalty to the club for the next six years.

The Kiwi superstar, who turned 25 on Thursday, will see out his career with the joint venture club after agreeing to extend his current contract by four years to take in seasons 2012-15.

And he now wants the veteran Sheens – the only NRL coach Marshall has known – to come on the journey with him.

While not confirming or denying he's had clauses inserted in his lucrative new deal giving him an escape route should Sheens leave, Marshall made it clear he considers the the four-time premiership-winning coach the best man for the job.

Sheens is off contract at the end of the season and, after missing the finals four years running, is no certainty to be retained.

"You only give the coach the sack if there's someone better to replace him and in the game I don't think there is anyone better for the job of coaching the Wests Tigers than Tim Sheens," Marshall said after officially announcing his decision at Taronga Zoo on Thursday.

"I've made the first step in signing for this long and putting myself out there so hopefully that goes a long way towards helping Tim stay."

Sheens joked he would now ask for a six-year deal to match Marshall's offer before emphasising the importance of retaining the match-winning playmaker.

"He's a very important player for the team, that's obvious," Sheens said.

"The team is defined by him. He's one of the key players in the side."

"You talk about Wests Tigers, he's one of those players that you talk about."

"Besides helping us win games and marketing the club – there's a whole spectrum – he's become a leader among the boys."

"He's captained his country, he's won a premiership and he's a leader amongst our team."

"It puts him (up there) as good as any player I've coached."

Marshall, in demand from rival NRL clubs and cashed-up rugby union outfits, said the decision to sign off on such a long-term deal had not been difficult.

He revealed it was a sense of loyalty and longing to be a one-club player – not the cash – that convinced him to stay put.

"The loyalty the club has shown me in the past – I had a lot of injuries and ups and downs in my career – and through the ups they were there and through the downs even more," he explained.

"It's all good trying to get as much money as you can but if you're playing at a place where you're not comfortable you're not going to play your best."

"If you're playing just for money it's not worth playing."

"When you play around guys you're comfortable with, you're are comfortable with the coaching staff, you're comfortable with where the club's going in terms of what they want to do in the future…that's all got to be part of it."

"Being able to sign up for so long with the one club gives you that opportunity for things after football."

"I had to weigh up the pros and cons and the pros definitely outweighed the cons."

"In the end the decision wasn't that hard. It all made sense to me."

"It's a win-win situation for both parties."

Tigers CEO Stephen Humphreys added: "It's a really important signing for us and the game."

"It's news to be celebrated by everyone who loves the game of rugby league."

signing for us and the game."

"It's news to be celebrated by everyone who loves the game of rugby league."

 

[norm]

What an absolute champ Benji is, Sheens should also definately be extended because its the stability and feeling he brings to the place that has made this and the other quality signings a reality. His influence here is finaly making it a place where quality players want to play.

 

[alien]

also gained alot of respect for him to do what he did in a climate where everyone is more or less chasing the coin

Exactly but it's not like the new contract isn't much coin. Over $500,000 per year is pretty good.

 

[citizen_cub]

in terms of contracting, this is one great step in the right direction

having your player maker and arguably best player on a long term contract is very assuring