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Marshall's accuracy finally kicks back into gear
Daniel Lane
September 19, 2010
AFTER a lean streak which, at its lowest ebb, forced Benji Marshall to relinquish the goalkicking duties mid-match against Cronulla in round 21, he sought specialist coaching from the only person he knew could really help him - himself.
Marshall's five goals from as many attempts in Friday night's semi-final against Canberra allowed the Tigers to hang on for a thrilling 26-24 win, inspiring Peter Gentle, the club's defensive coach, to attribute the clean sheet to the Kiwi Test star's dedication to perfection. He also revealed that Marshall had worked closely with Jason Taylor throughout the season until he ultimately decided it would be best for him to simply trust his own instinct.
''Jason Taylor was working with him, but his style probably didn't suit Benji,'' Gentle said. ''They persisted with it, but in the end Benji wanted to go back to his old style of kicking; he's changed his angle when he comes in to kick.
''That's in no way a slight on Jason. The way he [Taylor] kicked the ball [compared to Marshall] was due to a different physique. Benji is a lot heavier in the lower half of his body than Jason and he does [prefer to] come in at a different angle.
''If you look at all the kickers in the competition, you'll notice they strike the ball differently. He's found what works for him and he's gone with it.''
However, Gentle revealed it has taken hours of fine-tuning for Marshall to develop this accuracy. He said the star five-eighth also dealt with the ''frustration'' of perfecting a skill that did not come naturally.
''He's a natural at a lot of things and what's driven him with his goalkicking is the fact he's not a natural,'' Gentle told The Sun-Herald. ''He's worked hard to become a goalkicker. He's a natural at musical things; everything comes naturally to Benji and because goalkicking didn't, he worked hard. I think it's safe to say it gets under his skin when he can't do something.''
As one of the crew who fields the balls for Marshall during his goalkicking sessions, Gentle said the secret to his late-season success was the three 'Ps' - persistence, perspiration and practice.
''He just practised and practised,'' Gentle said. ''He spends so many hours a week on his kicking, and as a result he has really improved out of sight over the last six weeks. I've been around rugby league for a long time and I've never seen anyone put the effort in like he has.
''He's worked on it until he's nailed it. He's getting the rewards now.
''Sometimes he'll stay for an hour after training and we'll field the balls for him. He knows what to do. He talks to himself, comes in and strikes the ball.
''He does it at all times throughout the day, too. While boys have a drink during ball work he'll have a kick. He does it at every opportunity, even under fatigue or different circumstances. It's [his success is] all him.''
Daniel Lane
September 19, 2010
AFTER a lean streak which, at its lowest ebb, forced Benji Marshall to relinquish the goalkicking duties mid-match against Cronulla in round 21, he sought specialist coaching from the only person he knew could really help him - himself.
Marshall's five goals from as many attempts in Friday night's semi-final against Canberra allowed the Tigers to hang on for a thrilling 26-24 win, inspiring Peter Gentle, the club's defensive coach, to attribute the clean sheet to the Kiwi Test star's dedication to perfection. He also revealed that Marshall had worked closely with Jason Taylor throughout the season until he ultimately decided it would be best for him to simply trust his own instinct.
''Jason Taylor was working with him, but his style probably didn't suit Benji,'' Gentle said. ''They persisted with it, but in the end Benji wanted to go back to his old style of kicking; he's changed his angle when he comes in to kick.
''That's in no way a slight on Jason. The way he [Taylor] kicked the ball [compared to Marshall] was due to a different physique. Benji is a lot heavier in the lower half of his body than Jason and he does [prefer to] come in at a different angle.
''If you look at all the kickers in the competition, you'll notice they strike the ball differently. He's found what works for him and he's gone with it.''
However, Gentle revealed it has taken hours of fine-tuning for Marshall to develop this accuracy. He said the star five-eighth also dealt with the ''frustration'' of perfecting a skill that did not come naturally.
''He's a natural at a lot of things and what's driven him with his goalkicking is the fact he's not a natural,'' Gentle told The Sun-Herald. ''He's worked hard to become a goalkicker. He's a natural at musical things; everything comes naturally to Benji and because goalkicking didn't, he worked hard. I think it's safe to say it gets under his skin when he can't do something.''
As one of the crew who fields the balls for Marshall during his goalkicking sessions, Gentle said the secret to his late-season success was the three 'Ps' - persistence, perspiration and practice.
''He just practised and practised,'' Gentle said. ''He spends so many hours a week on his kicking, and as a result he has really improved out of sight over the last six weeks. I've been around rugby league for a long time and I've never seen anyone put the effort in like he has.
''He's worked on it until he's nailed it. He's getting the rewards now.
''Sometimes he'll stay for an hour after training and we'll field the balls for him. He knows what to do. He talks to himself, comes in and strikes the ball.
''He does it at all times throughout the day, too. While boys have a drink during ball work he'll have a kick. He does it at every opportunity, even under fatigue or different circumstances. It's [his success is] all him.''
