Overrated Benji - Nothing has changed

[GeorgeQ]

I have defended Benji in the past and will probably do so in the future, but it's getting harder to do so. Benji's problem (I think) has nothing to do with football and everything to do with decision making. Unfortunately he makes too many poor decisions both on and off the field. He also goes for the low percentage play too often (I wonder if he punts, he seems like a punter because he don't mind taking a gamble). He has all the skills - although he probably needs to improve his defence - and he has the confidence, he just needs to make better decisions, or just fewer bad ones. Don't get me wrong, he makes some great decisions (like Zoe Balbi) but he makes just as many bad ones - like going to McDonalds after a function! Or that chip and chase just before halftime last night - irrespective of the outcome - it was a poor decision. As for his future, well I hope he improves and never have I wanted to be so wrong before, but I don't see him improving at the Tigers.

 

[Andyvee]

The mistakes and wrong options Benji has made far outweigh all the positives. An awful kick, stray pass in own half, wrong fifth tackle option, not kicking out after penalty etc etc etc

It seems that his errors are real momentum changers, and he does put the rest of the team under enormous pressure. This has been his trademark for many years, but all we take notice of is the one or two magic passes, a great run on occasions, one or two excellent kicks in a game. For ever one amazing play, he does several really crap ones.

I hope he does improve, and gets his confidence back. But I think he may need a fresh start somewhere else.

 

[Flippedy]

I thought I would go back into my old threads and see which one of you 'Einstein's' were defending Benji…..

Well here is the list...Is your name on it?

How silly do you feel?

supercoach
goose
bigsirro
sheer64
barra
fraze23
snake
fadetoblack
paris cobbs
tigersrule4life
hardwick
yearofthetiger
stryker

WELL WELL WELL - 99% of people in this forum want to see the back of Benji now! You were making a million and one excuses for him....Remember? Some of you were saying he had more try assists than anyone else....lololol...where are you now? Stil lwant to keep this liability in the team?

Oh and those of you that said Humphreys was a good CEO..........Well we all know how that ended...Actually, you dont....He resigned didnt he.......Or did he? Those of us that are close to people in the club or board know what really happened!

Don't you just love people who blow their own trumpet - NOT! You need to get a life B&G.

 

[LaT]

I thought I would go back into my old threads and see which one of you 'Einstein's' were defending Benji…..

Well here is the list...Is your name on it?

How silly do you feel?

supercoach
goose
bigsirro
sheer64
barra
fraze23
snake
fadetoblack
paris cobbs
tigersrule4life
hardwick
yearofthetiger
stryker

WELL WELL WELL - 99% of people in this forum want to see the back of Benji now! You were making a million and one excuses for him....Remember? Some of you were saying he had more try assists than anyone else....lololol...where are you now? Stil lwant to keep this liability in the team?

Oh and those of you that said Humphreys was a good CEO..........Well we all know how that ended...Actually, you dont....He resigned didnt he.......Or did he? Those of us that are close to people in the club or board know what really happened!

Wait a sec….are you the hero who PM'd me your mobile number, trying to get me to call because I disagreed with you?

Mate, seek help.

 

[laufoofan]

Benji has to chase kicks, practised that and he may score a few more tries.. Benji have to get his hands dirty and he has to learn how to tackle. If he can't takle, anyone running towards him will have a free passage to the tryline. Benji will have to improve his speed, as we know being slow will cut down his thinking time, thus less time to make decisions and often made the wrong decisions. The tries he and Pettybourne let in were soft and their tackles are mere jersy pulling which did not stop the progress of the attacker. Benji's attitude is also a problem, he thinks he is good, but he has fallen way behind most of the 5/8s and he makes too many errors.His errors are caused by his lack of speed today, thus he is often forced into making errors.I hope he check these few points and do something about his football, otherwise he will become a hasbeen if he is not already.

 

[Fade_To_Black]

I thought I would go back into my old threads and see which one of you 'Einstein's' were defending Benji…..

Well here is the list...Is your name on it?

How silly do you feel?

supercoach
goose
bigsirro
sheer64
barra
fraze23
snake
fadetoblack
paris cobbs
tigersrule4life
hardwick
yearofthetiger
stryker

WELL WELL WELL - 99% of people in this forum want to see the back of Benji now! You were making a million and one excuses for him....Remember? Some of you were saying he had more try assists than anyone else....lololol...where are you now? Stil lwant to keep this liability in the team?

Oh and those of you that said Humphreys was a good CEO..........Well we all know how that ended...Actually, you dont....He resigned didnt he.......Or did he? Those of us that are close to people in the club or board know what really happened!

Wait a sec….are you the hero who PM'd me your mobile number, trying to get me to call because I disagreed with you?

Mate, seek help.

Thats hilarious! Watch your back LaT, maybe B & G thought this was a dating site :slight_smile: Some people are a real worry.

 

[innsaneink]

I dunno

I think people taking a broad general swipe at others is pretty pathetic

At least B&G has pointed the finger directly to ensure he gets some replies

Still, trolling is trolling

 

[stryker]

Yeah the thing is though Ink, this Black & Gold character is obviously upset at the way we have started the year and is striking out at us on that list as if we are the reason….

I'll put my hand up B&G, I staunchly defended Benji at the years start and my support has become less vocal as the year has progressed as my predictions have fallen completely flat. Every crap kick he puts through and every tackle he doesnt commit to is another nail in my argument...I realise this. However I am still not a member of the lynch mob who want him released 2 years early. I believe he still has something to offer this side and he showed a bit of that tonight.

Attacking people for supporting one of our own is pretty childish I reckon. We are not the ones playing poorly...it aint our fault bud. What I said at the years start was true at that time as far as I am concerned. How was I to know the form of our backline would totally evaporate? How was I to know about the huge injury toll that was about to wreck our season?

Some of the points people make about Benji are true...guess what? I agree.
1\. He cant organise play,
2\. He cant lead a team.
3\. His general kicking is aweful.
4\. His defence is weak.
5\. He makes a lot of mistakes.
This is nothing new...it has been this way since 2004\. You are not some visionary football genious for pointing this out to us all. You give him a good half and the first 3 things on my list become negligable and the last 2 improve or lessen. On top of that, the real reason he is in this team comes to the fore. We start scoring points. That is the only reason he is in this team....he converts the hard work of others into points. If the hard yards arent being done by the pigs or the half, then his impact is non existant. As I said...this is nothing new to anyone who has followed his career.

He isnt a Lockyer, Thurston, Foran or Maloney. They are proper 5/8ths who run the show....BUT given the right situation, he can do things that those boys could only dream of. He has an X factor that those guys dont possess. The new men in our backline are learning how he plays and you can notice our attack is starting to become threatening again. The combos are beginning to form and they will only get better, however he needs a controlling half and that is not an excuse, that is reality.

 

[tig_prmz]

**How was I to know the form of our backline would totally evaporate? How was I to know about the huge injury toll that was about to wreck our season?**
Some of the points people make about Benji are true…guess what? I agree.
1\. He cant organise play,
2\. He cant lead a team.
**3\. His general kicking is aweful.
4\. His defence is weak.
5\. He makes a lot of mistakes.**

the backline has only gotten better since the start of the season. not sure what you mean there.

as for the bolded parts… it's HIS issue that his defense is weak. it's HIS issue that he makes the amount of mistakes he makes. he's a 5/8- there is no half in the world who doesnt do general kicking. the thing with benji is he CAN do all that, we've seen him defend good, we've seen him have error free games and have good/OK general kicking (tonight was an example). he doesn't do that consistently. he doesn't need a halfback or a good forward pack or a good backline.

it's HIS issue. he is getting paid a lot. he's not the leader but he's a senior. been at the club for over 8 years. he shouldn't be leading, but he should be setting an example. no club in the world can afford to pay him what we pay for him for what you want him to do (which thru other thread is just sit back at 5/8 and do a couple of miraculous plays every game)

consistency is his problem. he acknowledges it but doesn't bloody address it for some reason. no doubt people here have good memories of benji lifting us through 2005 and '10-'11 but he cannot live off that his entire life. we cannot keep dishing out cash and upgrades coz he CAN do that. he has to show us that he can do it consistently.

 

[Black_amp_Gold]

So where are all the people that were critical of my comments from back in Febuary?

You deserve a big I TOLD YOU SO!
\
\
You cant imagine how happy I am that this egotistical, money hungry, arrogant slimeball of a man is leaving out club!

His form is STILL terrible and should be dropped for lack of form. As a second reason, Brooks can acquire invaluable experience in FG before next year.

 

[alexaki]

So where are all the people that were critical of my comments from back in Febuary?

You deserve a big I TOLD YOU SO!
\
\
You cant imagine how happy I am that this egotistical, money hungry, arrogant slimeball of a man is leaving out club!

His form is STILL terrible and should be dropped for lack of form. As a second reason, Brooks can acquire invaluable experience in FG before next year.

Sounds like your Happy he's going!…only a few weeks to go mate...hang in there....

 

[Balmainboydug]

Sad that Benji has chosen to go out with a whimper , the seasons we waited for him to recover from shoulder injuries , we showed faith. Life goes to show as a sportsperson you are only as good as your last performance , Benji has not performed at all. I wouldn't lay the entire blame of our poor season all on him , he needs to feel important and wanted. Potter has had a tough start in the NRL with injuries and in fighting but we should give him another crack next year.

Benji has given us some great memories and has been a one club player , he did state he wouldn't enjoy playing against the tigers , so his heart is in the right place it's just the inner circle he once ruled has been reluctant to back him up on the field. Never so apparent as that final pass to no one but Pearce , sad.

Of all the staff we have lost over the past two seasons I won't miss Benji as much as Gibbs and Fifita ! Though I will always remember Fatty saying " who does that in a GF ? " Referring to Benji's flick pass to Richards , was only 8 years ago. Benji's era promised so much , we let ourselves down in major semis during his tenure , we were unlucky and stupid at times , it could of been better I know.

Good luck Benji .