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Marshall reins it in for shot at title
By Steve Jancetic AAP Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:36:28
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At his best he's one of the game's most exciting playmakers, but Benji Marshall says he is willing to sacrifice his natural urge for the flamboyant in a bid to deliver Wests Tigers another NRL premiership.
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Happy just to be playing injury-free let alone being on the brink of a finals campaign, Marshall is heeding coach Tim Sheens' call for him to rein it in for the betterment of the team.
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It's a suppression he admits is a constant battle, but with the race for the premiership wide open, it is one he is willing to make.
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"It's pretty hard, I like to play the way I like to play but at the end of the day I've got to think what's better for the team and sometimes putting the fancy stuff away needs to be done," Marshall said.
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"As much as I didn't like doing it (against Parramatta) on the weekend … it gave me the chance to play a bit more structured and do what the coach asked and it made me open my eyes a bit and realise that's what needs to be done sometimes.
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"I take a lot of risks when I play and they're probably not as calculated as they should be and sometimes that's probably to our detriment.
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"The next couple of weeks I'll tweak with it a bit and try and find a good medium that suits me and the coach and we'll go from there."
>
Sacrificing his desire for the fancy play may be hard but Marshall admits he is relieved that he is in a position to do so.
>
While the Tigers have had their own struggles with no finals football since their 2005 triumph, it is nothing compared to the torment Marshall has gone through as he battled shoulder injuries which threatened his career.
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"There was a point of my career at the end of 07 where I started to doubt if I'd ever play again," Marshall said.
>
"To be playing injury-free and not being asked about the injury so much - I can't remember the last time I was asked how my shoulder was and that's fantastic.
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"I was asked for four years in a row and it used to piss me off.
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"Just to be able to play consistently, being in the team and then starting to find a bit of form, that probably means more to me and playing in the semis is a bonus."
>
Approaching his second finals campaign, Marshall says he is a much more mature player than the 20-year-old who wowed fans with that unforgettable flick pass in the 2005 decider.
>
But that or the form that has propelled the Tigers into third spot on the NRL ladder - and a guaranteed home final should they beat Melbourne on Sunday - hasn't convinced everyone of the club's premiership credentials.
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And that doesn't bother Marshall one bit.
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"I still know a lot of teams don't respect us as contenders and we're fine with that, all that comes down to is what we believe ... we believe we're good enough," Marshall said.
>
"A lot of people didn't tip us to make the eight at the start of the year and they've changed their opinions around in the past few weeks.
>
"Anyone in the top eight can do it - Parramatta did it from eighth last year and no-one thought that would happen."
By Steve Jancetic AAP Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:36:28
>
At his best he's one of the game's most exciting playmakers, but Benji Marshall says he is willing to sacrifice his natural urge for the flamboyant in a bid to deliver Wests Tigers another NRL premiership.
>
Happy just to be playing injury-free let alone being on the brink of a finals campaign, Marshall is heeding coach Tim Sheens' call for him to rein it in for the betterment of the team.
>
It's a suppression he admits is a constant battle, but with the race for the premiership wide open, it is one he is willing to make.
>
"It's pretty hard, I like to play the way I like to play but at the end of the day I've got to think what's better for the team and sometimes putting the fancy stuff away needs to be done," Marshall said.
>
"As much as I didn't like doing it (against Parramatta) on the weekend … it gave me the chance to play a bit more structured and do what the coach asked and it made me open my eyes a bit and realise that's what needs to be done sometimes.
>
"I take a lot of risks when I play and they're probably not as calculated as they should be and sometimes that's probably to our detriment.
>
"The next couple of weeks I'll tweak with it a bit and try and find a good medium that suits me and the coach and we'll go from there."
>
Sacrificing his desire for the fancy play may be hard but Marshall admits he is relieved that he is in a position to do so.
>
While the Tigers have had their own struggles with no finals football since their 2005 triumph, it is nothing compared to the torment Marshall has gone through as he battled shoulder injuries which threatened his career.
>
"There was a point of my career at the end of 07 where I started to doubt if I'd ever play again," Marshall said.
>
"To be playing injury-free and not being asked about the injury so much - I can't remember the last time I was asked how my shoulder was and that's fantastic.
>
"I was asked for four years in a row and it used to piss me off.
>
"Just to be able to play consistently, being in the team and then starting to find a bit of form, that probably means more to me and playing in the semis is a bonus."
>
Approaching his second finals campaign, Marshall says he is a much more mature player than the 20-year-old who wowed fans with that unforgettable flick pass in the 2005 decider.
>
But that or the form that has propelled the Tigers into third spot on the NRL ladder - and a guaranteed home final should they beat Melbourne on Sunday - hasn't convinced everyone of the club's premiership credentials.
>
And that doesn't bother Marshall one bit.
>
"I still know a lot of teams don't respect us as contenders and we're fine with that, all that comes down to is what we believe ... we believe we're good enough," Marshall said.
>
"A lot of people didn't tip us to make the eight at the start of the year and they've changed their opinions around in the past few weeks.
>
"Anyone in the top eight can do it - Parramatta did it from eighth last year and no-one thought that would happen."
