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Rookie proves he's worth his salt in 100-minute blockbuster
Glenn Jackson
September 13, 2010
AFTER learning he would become just the second finals rookie in the past 13 years, the Wests Tigers' Ben Murdoch-Masila headed off to the movies to take his mind off the task ahead.
''I found out on Friday morning at training,'' Murdoch-Masila said. ''Tim [Sheens] told me to try not to think about it. He said: 'If you do think about it, just go down to a movie or something and just take your mind off it.' I went and watched Salt. I went with all the [under] 20s.''
Little did he know that his debut would be remembered not only for his remarkable promotion but also for being the first golden-point finals match in NRL history. The game, at 100 minutes, lasted as long as Salt.
And Murdoch-Masila played his part in 35 of those minutes - some of the most high-pressure minutes ever witnessed in the sport. It was a game that featured a forgettable ending for his side but it was difficult still to remove the smile from the 19-year-old's face after its completion.
''It's everything that I thought it would be,'' he said. ''It was tough, a lot faster, physical. It was a good experience. I'm still shocked.
''I'm also disappointed by the loss but I'm still learning the game.''
The fact that Sheens thought enough of Murdoch-Masila to throw him in the deep end reveals that the veteran coach considers him a quick learner.
Greg Lenton, his former coach at Keebra Park High School, the rugby league nursery that brought five-eighth Benji Marshall to the club, believes Murdoch-Masila is as good a prospect as he has seen since the Tigers playmaker.
Already he has created a bit of rugby league history. The last player to debut in a finals match was Brisbane's Alwyn Simpson, against Melbourne in 2007\. Before that, Dennis Moran played his first match for Parramatta in a 1997 final.
The most famous finals debutant was John Rheinberger, who played his one and only first-grade league game in Eastern Suburbs' 38-0 victory over St George in the 1975 grand final. But Murdoch-Masila can claim a first - he's the first player to debut in a 100-minute finals epic.
Glenn Jackson
September 13, 2010
AFTER learning he would become just the second finals rookie in the past 13 years, the Wests Tigers' Ben Murdoch-Masila headed off to the movies to take his mind off the task ahead.
''I found out on Friday morning at training,'' Murdoch-Masila said. ''Tim [Sheens] told me to try not to think about it. He said: 'If you do think about it, just go down to a movie or something and just take your mind off it.' I went and watched Salt. I went with all the [under] 20s.''
Little did he know that his debut would be remembered not only for his remarkable promotion but also for being the first golden-point finals match in NRL history. The game, at 100 minutes, lasted as long as Salt.
And Murdoch-Masila played his part in 35 of those minutes - some of the most high-pressure minutes ever witnessed in the sport. It was a game that featured a forgettable ending for his side but it was difficult still to remove the smile from the 19-year-old's face after its completion.
''It's everything that I thought it would be,'' he said. ''It was tough, a lot faster, physical. It was a good experience. I'm still shocked.
''I'm also disappointed by the loss but I'm still learning the game.''
The fact that Sheens thought enough of Murdoch-Masila to throw him in the deep end reveals that the veteran coach considers him a quick learner.
Greg Lenton, his former coach at Keebra Park High School, the rugby league nursery that brought five-eighth Benji Marshall to the club, believes Murdoch-Masila is as good a prospect as he has seen since the Tigers playmaker.
Already he has created a bit of rugby league history. The last player to debut in a finals match was Brisbane's Alwyn Simpson, against Melbourne in 2007\. Before that, Dennis Moran played his first match for Parramatta in a 1997 final.
The most famous finals debutant was John Rheinberger, who played his one and only first-grade league game in Eastern Suburbs' 38-0 victory over St George in the 1975 grand final. But Murdoch-Masila can claim a first - he's the first player to debut in a 100-minute finals epic.
