Thank you fellow forumers!!! Pressure on Benji... FINALLY!
- Thread starter Black_amp_Gold
- Start date
I think Benji needs to consider his career choices at this stage of his life. Unlike most players, who really only know how to play football, Benji has so many other options in the realm of the media and marketing etc. If talking about football on TV has become more of a passion than actually playing it, then I think it's time for Benji to move in that direction and give the on field reins to one of our many promising young halves.
Lets be fair. Benji in 2005 was a freakish star. He helped us win a premiership. But that was in 2005.
3 or 4 shoulder operations and 8 years later , he's not the same player anymore. And I don't know if he is that fit either because he seems fat to me. If we did not have players like Farah and Woods now it would be quite embarrassing.
I was quietly confident earlier in the week when I heard Siro and Miller would be our playmakers against the bulldogs. When I heard Benji was fit to play, my confidence somewhat disappeared. I just don't have much faith in Benji anymore. Last night he made 6 tackles and missed 5…...I rest my case.
The Tigers need to bite the bullet and rebuild for the future. I am really happy with some of the younger players we have used this year. They are our future. Throw in Teddy, Siro, Miller, Sue and get rid of Blair, Moltz, Lote, Utui and any other pensioners who can no longer put their bodies on the line.
I think the coach needs to grow some BXXXs quickly and start making some hard calls so that in 2014 we will have a proper footy team again.
3 or 4 shoulder operations and 8 years later , he's not the same player anymore. And I don't know if he is that fit either because he seems fat to me. If we did not have players like Farah and Woods now it would be quite embarrassing.
I was quietly confident earlier in the week when I heard Siro and Miller would be our playmakers against the bulldogs. When I heard Benji was fit to play, my confidence somewhat disappeared. I just don't have much faith in Benji anymore. Last night he made 6 tackles and missed 5…...I rest my case.
The Tigers need to bite the bullet and rebuild for the future. I am really happy with some of the younger players we have used this year. They are our future. Throw in Teddy, Siro, Miller, Sue and get rid of Blair, Moltz, Lote, Utui and any other pensioners who can no longer put their bodies on the line.
I think the coach needs to grow some BXXXs quickly and start making some hard calls so that in 2014 we will have a proper footy team again.
hybrid_tiger
Well-known member
@simonthetiger said:
"He will come good"
And if he doesn't? We will be stuck with him on huge dollars for FIVE YEARS. Absolutely ridiculous.
He should be made to earn a contract extension, not have it handed to him on a silver platter.
Fact is, he hasn't had a good game this year and if we really do re-sign him for so long on the back of poor performances for the last 18 months we are in deep shit.
Will he come good? I doubt he is capable of coming good in the teams current circumstances.
As per snowleopard above, if the team had the right structure Marshall could be great, but while the pressure is on him to make decisions he can't even be good. He's a wild card and it's great to have one in your hand, but you've gotta be playing with a full deck.
As per snowleopard above, if the team had the right structure Marshall could be great, but while the pressure is on him to make decisions he can't even be good. He's a wild card and it's great to have one in your hand, but you've gotta be playing with a full deck.
ragedmachine
New member
The problem with Marshall from what I can see is all attitude and ego.
In his head, he is Michael Jordan and the cameras are on him full time, so naturally when he gets the ball, he needs to make something spectacular happen, if not, it's not good enough and it's beneath him just to pass the ball to the next player.
That's why he has evolved into a 'halfback' to take control. When he doesn't feel like he's in control, his ego is dented and he tries even harder.
This is why there have been so many failed halfbacks inside him. Marshall wants complete control and his ego won't allow otherwise.
In his head, he is Michael Jordan and the cameras are on him full time, so naturally when he gets the ball, he needs to make something spectacular happen, if not, it's not good enough and it's beneath him just to pass the ball to the next player.
That's why he has evolved into a 'halfback' to take control. When he doesn't feel like he's in control, his ego is dented and he tries even harder.
This is why there have been so many failed halfbacks inside him. Marshall wants complete control and his ego won't allow otherwise.
Shooshmeister
New member
Humphreys needs to hold oof until the end onf the year, see how he plays. If he has a bad season, he should not command so much money, if he comes good and has a great back end of the season, we will see that resigning him could be good if his form keeps up…......Either way, it would be up to Benji to step up. Hope the club makes the right decision, or at least make it a 2 years contarct with another 2 years in the clubs favour. Don't like it, then start looking around to spend the money we will save with Benji leaving. Is there a down side??
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@ragedmachine said:
Benji would prefer to look pretty and lose than get down and dirty and win
Lets hold off until we see how he combines in 2014 with Brooks or Anasta and see what happens Either way we don't have any excuses and either does Benji
Juro
Well-known member
@Shooshmeister said:
Yeah, that makes a hell of a lot of sense. Let him know that on his current form, he is only worth $X. If he starts performing again, his worth goes up. The club needs to send him a very clear message.
hybrid_tiger
Well-known member
Exactly, he needs to earn a new contract, not have it handed to him on a silver platter.
When his form improves, then we can review the situation. As of right now, what person in their right mind would go and sign him up for five years?
When his form improves, then we can review the situation. As of right now, what person in their right mind would go and sign him up for five years?
I really have to say that I am dissappointed with the level of venom being spewed on here about this club legend.
Benji Marshal has been instrumental in putting the Wests Tigers as a football club on the map. We were a basket case of a team before he came along. A good Sunday arvo was to lose by 20\. We were boring, we were dirty, we were a joke.
Then this kid came along who allowed us as supporters to stand up and start boasting to our mates and whoever would listen that the Wests Tigers had the makings of a genuine star in our side - a player who had attacking skills not possessed by any other player in the competition. Through his pure attacking genious, he started making room for everyone outside him and creating passages of play that allowed them to believe in themselves. This led to our side in 05 playing with an arrogance that delighted the code and gained this club 10's of thousands of extra supporters and untold amounts in corporate dollars. We went from a side who provided little more than cannon fodder to one who was constantly being showcased on prime time television. Fast forward to last Friday night and the promotion was "the return of Benji Marshal". 8 years later and undoubtedly in career worst form, he is still our promotional tool and is still providing us with exposure to the wider audience and the corporate world. It is safe to say as far as I am concerned, that Benji Marshal has had a major hand in ensuring that this merger survived.
Benji is the face of this club and has been for 8 years even though some superb players who are better 'all rounders' have played here. I dont know the man, I have met him a couple of times, but he strikes me as an honest guy who loves his footy and loves this club. If he was only in it for himself as a lot of you have so stupidly claimed, then why do you think he bothered taking the field on Friday when he was obviously not ready? To what end did that personally help him? He didnt play well and a lot of people saw that. I will tell you that I believe he did it to help out his mates in Farah, Woodsey, Liam and co. He looked devastated last week on the sideline watching everyone go down hurt and came back early to try and help his team out. He is a one club man and he was playing for US!
The problems are obvious but no one wants to fix them. As I said in another thread, he isnt your average half. He is not strong at constructing play, organising the troups and implementing game plans….never has been, even when most of you who have turned on him now still loved him. That was never his go. He always played what was in front of him and everyone adapted their games to suit this...which resulted in some of the best tries scored in the preceding decade. No matter how much you train and practice, you can not learn to setup tries like the one Fitz scored against Cronulla, the one Richards scored in the GF or the one Ayshford scored against Parramatta. No player that I have ever seen could have pulled that off. The reason those tries were scored was because everyone understood Benji and were always aware that if they stayed alive and got THEMSELVES into good position, he would somehow magically find a way to get the ball to them. He is an attacking enigma and one we still need to score a lot of our points.
We desperately need a halfback to take control of the game and allow Benji to just concentrate on what he can do....score points and devastate defences. Sheens stuffed up royally by trying to make him a halfback. He does not have that in him. If Potter wants to make a name for himself, he needs to man up and sever ties with Rowdy, Lote, Timmy, Keith and others and use their money to steal an experienced, established, controlling halfback from another side....even if this means this half ends up being paid generous overs. The kids coming through have some talent. Benji will make them stars but he needs a hand as does Robbie to run this team. We need Rob to only concentrate on the forwards, we need a half to concentrate on the field position, game plan, general plays and end of set options, we need Benji to run with the ball and create space for Teddy, Korro and the others.
When this happens, we will be gearing up in late September/early October again....but not a minute before hand, no matter how much you all whinge about him.
Benji Marshal has been instrumental in putting the Wests Tigers as a football club on the map. We were a basket case of a team before he came along. A good Sunday arvo was to lose by 20\. We were boring, we were dirty, we were a joke.
Then this kid came along who allowed us as supporters to stand up and start boasting to our mates and whoever would listen that the Wests Tigers had the makings of a genuine star in our side - a player who had attacking skills not possessed by any other player in the competition. Through his pure attacking genious, he started making room for everyone outside him and creating passages of play that allowed them to believe in themselves. This led to our side in 05 playing with an arrogance that delighted the code and gained this club 10's of thousands of extra supporters and untold amounts in corporate dollars. We went from a side who provided little more than cannon fodder to one who was constantly being showcased on prime time television. Fast forward to last Friday night and the promotion was "the return of Benji Marshal". 8 years later and undoubtedly in career worst form, he is still our promotional tool and is still providing us with exposure to the wider audience and the corporate world. It is safe to say as far as I am concerned, that Benji Marshal has had a major hand in ensuring that this merger survived.
Benji is the face of this club and has been for 8 years even though some superb players who are better 'all rounders' have played here. I dont know the man, I have met him a couple of times, but he strikes me as an honest guy who loves his footy and loves this club. If he was only in it for himself as a lot of you have so stupidly claimed, then why do you think he bothered taking the field on Friday when he was obviously not ready? To what end did that personally help him? He didnt play well and a lot of people saw that. I will tell you that I believe he did it to help out his mates in Farah, Woodsey, Liam and co. He looked devastated last week on the sideline watching everyone go down hurt and came back early to try and help his team out. He is a one club man and he was playing for US!
The problems are obvious but no one wants to fix them. As I said in another thread, he isnt your average half. He is not strong at constructing play, organising the troups and implementing game plans….never has been, even when most of you who have turned on him now still loved him. That was never his go. He always played what was in front of him and everyone adapted their games to suit this...which resulted in some of the best tries scored in the preceding decade. No matter how much you train and practice, you can not learn to setup tries like the one Fitz scored against Cronulla, the one Richards scored in the GF or the one Ayshford scored against Parramatta. No player that I have ever seen could have pulled that off. The reason those tries were scored was because everyone understood Benji and were always aware that if they stayed alive and got THEMSELVES into good position, he would somehow magically find a way to get the ball to them. He is an attacking enigma and one we still need to score a lot of our points.
We desperately need a halfback to take control of the game and allow Benji to just concentrate on what he can do....score points and devastate defences. Sheens stuffed up royally by trying to make him a halfback. He does not have that in him. If Potter wants to make a name for himself, he needs to man up and sever ties with Rowdy, Lote, Timmy, Keith and others and use their money to steal an experienced, established, controlling halfback from another side....even if this means this half ends up being paid generous overs. The kids coming through have some talent. Benji will make them stars but he needs a hand as does Robbie to run this team. We need Rob to only concentrate on the forwards, we need a half to concentrate on the field position, game plan, general plays and end of set options, we need Benji to run with the ball and create space for Teddy, Korro and the others.
When this happens, we will be gearing up in late September/early October again....but not a minute before hand, no matter how much you all whinge about him.
simonthetiger
New member
Well said Stryker…....I still love Bunji,I always will.
The bloke comes back early to help the side out,and he failed miserably in a well beaten side.
He is a champion with a huge ticker,and he loves the club.
Thats enough for me.......I know in my heart and head that is current form is only a glitch in the matrix and he will be on top of the charts again.
The bloke comes back early to help the side out,and he failed miserably in a well beaten side.
He is a champion with a huge ticker,and he loves the club.
Thats enough for me.......I know in my heart and head that is current form is only a glitch in the matrix and he will be on top of the charts again.
Eye_Of_Da_Tiger
New member
Agreed but does not mean we have to rush in and pay him $4 million because of the past.Any successful buisness is built around performance and so should be successful teams. You can't reward a guy who is clearly not performing to his capability. I think his marketing value is immeasurable but winning puts bums on seats , sells merchandise and memberships. He needs to step it up on the field. For his sake and the clubs I hope he does!!!
851
Well-known member
Benji usually saves his best games for cronulla,and we usually win,lets hope this tradition continues on,but we need someone to play 7,and Sirro is not that man,he is lost in attack,maybe Brooks or Miller at 7 with Sirro at 11.
Sorry Stryker I disagree.
I don't care that he is the face of the Wests Tigers. I don't know him and am not interested in what style of a person he is off the field. I can hazard a guess by the way he carries on when he appears on the footy show.
I want to see quality on the field. He hasn't delivered. He has always been an average player, never a champion. Johnathon Thurston is a champion, can you see the difference???
He is an average player at best and his best years are way past him. We already have one dinosaur on our payroll that is way past it (Lote) do we really need another?
Saying we need a decent halfback for Benji to shine is rubbish. Champions only need themselves.
.
I don't care that he is the face of the Wests Tigers. I don't know him and am not interested in what style of a person he is off the field. I can hazard a guess by the way he carries on when he appears on the footy show.
I want to see quality on the field. He hasn't delivered. He has always been an average player, never a champion. Johnathon Thurston is a champion, can you see the difference???
He is an average player at best and his best years are way past him. We already have one dinosaur on our payroll that is way past it (Lote) do we really need another?
Saying we need a decent halfback for Benji to shine is rubbish. Champions only need themselves.
.
simonthetiger
New member
@shane2801 said:
What rubbish.
At his best he is AWESOME.
The bloke has won the golden boot for gawds sake and he is average at best???
I boo you loudly sir.
The thing is, Benji is trying but nothing is coming off for him. These are my reasons why he isnt killing it like he normally does;
#1 Everyone with a valued opinion in the league world has been in his ear for a few years now saying that with his experience and at his age he should be directing traffic ala Darren Lockyer. Gould did a couple of segments on the footy show which he called "the evolution of Benji". As a shameless self promoter, it was painfully obvious to me that Phil had been trying to steer him in this direction as he only praised him for the stuff that Gould himself had been saying he should do. Joey was another as was Sheens. They are all wrong. He is not that guy and the attempts to make him play like that even had Benji out in the media saying he was attempting to become a more complete player and his future was as a controlling half. This is BS. He is a free running freak who should not be weighed down by the heavy chains of such a role.
#2 This is his 9th year of NRL and he has only played with a dominant halback for 3 of those years. One must be brought to this club for a 3 year contract who can help run the firsts whilst providing mentorship to the up and comers such as Brooks so that they will be ready to take over in their early 20's.
#3 Even in 2011 Benji was creating a lot of haovc out on the field. Last year barely any. What changed? Well for starters he lost his halfback in Lui, but even more serious was the injuries to the forwards such as Gal, Ellis and Heighno. We made no ground up the guts and he was given the ball in poor positioning for his skill set. He needs the ball out on the edges, after the forwards have sucked in defenders, at speed and with options. A lot of times in 2011 he would get the ball, jink, step, swerve, do a pirroette - whatever and find an outside back steaming onto the ball. Ryan became a go to man for him. The reason? he understood where to be when Benji had the ball. Fast forward to this year and we see the emergence of some of the 20's stars to firsts due to injuries once again. They havent spent enough time with Benji in game mode yet and arent timing runs or positioning themselves correctly as of yet. He is getting caught with the ball a lot at the moment. It will come. It wont be long until Teddy and Korro especially start turning up in the right spots at the right times to recieve those magic balls that see them excellerate into space. The combinations have been disruptive but when they get there we will see out point scoring abilities increase dramatically.
#4 The R&B show. People have been carrying on about these 2 hogging the ball when down the oppositions end and they have a point. When in the opp half, Rob actively searches for Benj and distributes the ball hoping for a miracle. This is tied to the fact that we have no established halfback. The result is that Benji has 2 players all over him when he recieves the ball and feeling the weight of expectation to get us the score, tries something that is very low percentage to try and provide the miracle play. This has always been a part of his game but the difference is that in years past, we had structure to our attack - once again because of Prince and Lui and therefore what Benji was trying to pull off wasnt so far fetched. You can tell watching the game that R&B are completely alone out there when it comes to attack. I would like to see a stat on how many times one of them passes to the other. It would be a lot. They need running options. Last year neither center provided any and a lot of the times the back 3 didnt either…except Ryan who was usually fed a 20 meter cutout or a grubber under pressure himself.
It is going to take time for the new blokes to adapt to Marshal but one thing that can be done is ensure he stays out of the halfback role. Winning a lot of games isnt a reality this year. Blooding new players and practicing/perfecting combinations with them is. I reckon given another 4 months, a lot on here will have changed their tunes.
#1 Everyone with a valued opinion in the league world has been in his ear for a few years now saying that with his experience and at his age he should be directing traffic ala Darren Lockyer. Gould did a couple of segments on the footy show which he called "the evolution of Benji". As a shameless self promoter, it was painfully obvious to me that Phil had been trying to steer him in this direction as he only praised him for the stuff that Gould himself had been saying he should do. Joey was another as was Sheens. They are all wrong. He is not that guy and the attempts to make him play like that even had Benji out in the media saying he was attempting to become a more complete player and his future was as a controlling half. This is BS. He is a free running freak who should not be weighed down by the heavy chains of such a role.
#2 This is his 9th year of NRL and he has only played with a dominant halback for 3 of those years. One must be brought to this club for a 3 year contract who can help run the firsts whilst providing mentorship to the up and comers such as Brooks so that they will be ready to take over in their early 20's.
#3 Even in 2011 Benji was creating a lot of haovc out on the field. Last year barely any. What changed? Well for starters he lost his halfback in Lui, but even more serious was the injuries to the forwards such as Gal, Ellis and Heighno. We made no ground up the guts and he was given the ball in poor positioning for his skill set. He needs the ball out on the edges, after the forwards have sucked in defenders, at speed and with options. A lot of times in 2011 he would get the ball, jink, step, swerve, do a pirroette - whatever and find an outside back steaming onto the ball. Ryan became a go to man for him. The reason? he understood where to be when Benji had the ball. Fast forward to this year and we see the emergence of some of the 20's stars to firsts due to injuries once again. They havent spent enough time with Benji in game mode yet and arent timing runs or positioning themselves correctly as of yet. He is getting caught with the ball a lot at the moment. It will come. It wont be long until Teddy and Korro especially start turning up in the right spots at the right times to recieve those magic balls that see them excellerate into space. The combinations have been disruptive but when they get there we will see out point scoring abilities increase dramatically.
#4 The R&B show. People have been carrying on about these 2 hogging the ball when down the oppositions end and they have a point. When in the opp half, Rob actively searches for Benj and distributes the ball hoping for a miracle. This is tied to the fact that we have no established halfback. The result is that Benji has 2 players all over him when he recieves the ball and feeling the weight of expectation to get us the score, tries something that is very low percentage to try and provide the miracle play. This has always been a part of his game but the difference is that in years past, we had structure to our attack - once again because of Prince and Lui and therefore what Benji was trying to pull off wasnt so far fetched. You can tell watching the game that R&B are completely alone out there when it comes to attack. I would like to see a stat on how many times one of them passes to the other. It would be a lot. They need running options. Last year neither center provided any and a lot of the times the back 3 didnt either…except Ryan who was usually fed a 20 meter cutout or a grubber under pressure himself.
It is going to take time for the new blokes to adapt to Marshal but one thing that can be done is ensure he stays out of the halfback role. Winning a lot of games isnt a reality this year. Blooding new players and practicing/perfecting combinations with them is. I reckon given another 4 months, a lot on here will have changed their tunes.
