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Like almost everything else in life, the Benji Marshall car crash at the Wests Tigers can be compared to a scene from Jerry Maguire.
Matt Cushman (Beau Bridges) is the father of the No.1 pick in the NFL draft, and a desperate Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) wants to know if he can confirm he will be the young star's agent.
''What you do have is my whole word,'' vows Matt Cushman. ''And it's stronger than oak.''
In rugby league, someone's word is barely as strong as balsa wood. Even when it's in writing, even blood.
A few weeks ago, Marshall was ''led to believe'' he had struck a deal that would commit him to the Tigers until the end of 2017 that was reportedly worth $4 million.
Given his form in recent seasons - especially this one - it seemed exceedingly generous. That ''handshake agreement'' was apparently struck between Marshall's eccentric manager, Martin Tauber, and the Tigers' former chief executive Stephen Humphreys.
When Humphreys resigned soon after, club management made an offer that was considerably less. Actually, it was cut in half. About $2 million until the end of 2015.
For weeks, the Tigers were confident the player who has sold more jerseys, flags and season tickets than any other individual in the tumultuous history of the joint venture would be content with that.
Then, on Monday, Marshall stunned Tigers management when he requested a release from the final two years of his contract.
When Fairfax Media broke the story that night, it triggered divided opinion from Tigers and rugby league supporters on social media.
In one corner, Marshall was branded a fading superstar who has put himself ahead of the club and should have been delighted with the $2 million deal. Good riddance.
In the other, the firm view was the club had treated him appallingly because it had failed to honour the initial deal, inflated though it may have been.
(In the third corner, Dragons fans sniggered it was karma because they had seen Tim Moltzen renege on a deal to join their club for the 2012 season, most likely on the advice of his best mate Marshall).
Tauber insisted on Sky Sports Radio that Humphreys shook hands on the first deal ''on two occasions''. Humphreys, who attended Marshall's wedding in Byron Bay in March this year, did not respond to interview requests.
But he has insisted to his former colleagues that no deal had been agreed to and that an offer of that significance would need to be rubber-stamped by the board.
It is also believed the $4 million deal would never have been squeezed into the Tigers' bulging salary cap, which raises curiosity about why it would ever be agreed to in the first place.
Rival player managers were staggered that Tauber had never asked for the deal to be put in writing, and say it is normal business practice to do so.
Either way, if you talk to sources at the Tigers and those close to Marshall, it becomes apparent the player himself thought the initial $4 million deal was as solid as oak.
As Jerry Maguire told Matt Cushman when he knew he'd been duped: ''I'm still sort of moved by your, 'My word is stronger than oak' thing.''
Those who condemn Marshall as greedy and disloyal might consider if they would stay at their employer if a significant pay increase had been offered - only for it to be withdrawn. You suspect other factors are at play.
Marshall has seen coach Tim Sheens, chairman Dave Trodden, Humphreys and a score of his teammates leave the club in the past year.
A cultural shift is under way, and some argue the power that resided with Marshall and captain Robbie Farah is finally shifting back to where it belongs - with the coach, Mick Potter, who had the temerity to bench the five-eighth against South Sydney earlier this season.
Where to now for Benji?
Informed on Monday night that Marshall had asked for a release, one NRL coach laughed: ''Well, he's stitched up a deal somewhere else.''
Apparently not.
Early discussions have been held with the Waratahs and the Melbourne Rebels - as well as other Super Rugby franchises, including the Auckland-based Blues - but no offers have been tabled.
Some wonder how the Waratahs can fit him into their salary cap. As for the Rebels, they are hesitant to hastily sign an untried rugby league playmaker after they've just purged themselves of wayward stars James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale.
There is also a deeper issue.
Should Marshall sign with an Australian franchise, any deal will rely heavily on an ARU top-up.
That prises open wounds on several fronts.
Several Wallabies presently wear the gold jumper without a contract beefed up by the ARU.
Is the ARU prepared to do that for a convert from the rival code, even if Marshall will never play for the Wallabies if his criticism of Kiwi-born James Tamou playing for the Kangaroos last year is any indication?
Many in rugby union suspect new chief executive Bill Pulver is prepared to take that leap of faith.
Just get it in writing.
Twitter- @awebstar1
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/tigers-showed-marshall-the-money–then-cut-it-in-half-20130716-2q2d6.html#ixzz2ZEeaPodQ
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Love reading Andrew Webster .....just wished more Sport writers were as good
Matt Cushman (Beau Bridges) is the father of the No.1 pick in the NFL draft, and a desperate Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) wants to know if he can confirm he will be the young star's agent.
''What you do have is my whole word,'' vows Matt Cushman. ''And it's stronger than oak.''
In rugby league, someone's word is barely as strong as balsa wood. Even when it's in writing, even blood.
A few weeks ago, Marshall was ''led to believe'' he had struck a deal that would commit him to the Tigers until the end of 2017 that was reportedly worth $4 million.
Given his form in recent seasons - especially this one - it seemed exceedingly generous. That ''handshake agreement'' was apparently struck between Marshall's eccentric manager, Martin Tauber, and the Tigers' former chief executive Stephen Humphreys.
When Humphreys resigned soon after, club management made an offer that was considerably less. Actually, it was cut in half. About $2 million until the end of 2015.
For weeks, the Tigers were confident the player who has sold more jerseys, flags and season tickets than any other individual in the tumultuous history of the joint venture would be content with that.
Then, on Monday, Marshall stunned Tigers management when he requested a release from the final two years of his contract.
When Fairfax Media broke the story that night, it triggered divided opinion from Tigers and rugby league supporters on social media.
In one corner, Marshall was branded a fading superstar who has put himself ahead of the club and should have been delighted with the $2 million deal. Good riddance.
In the other, the firm view was the club had treated him appallingly because it had failed to honour the initial deal, inflated though it may have been.
(In the third corner, Dragons fans sniggered it was karma because they had seen Tim Moltzen renege on a deal to join their club for the 2012 season, most likely on the advice of his best mate Marshall).
Tauber insisted on Sky Sports Radio that Humphreys shook hands on the first deal ''on two occasions''. Humphreys, who attended Marshall's wedding in Byron Bay in March this year, did not respond to interview requests.
But he has insisted to his former colleagues that no deal had been agreed to and that an offer of that significance would need to be rubber-stamped by the board.
It is also believed the $4 million deal would never have been squeezed into the Tigers' bulging salary cap, which raises curiosity about why it would ever be agreed to in the first place.
Rival player managers were staggered that Tauber had never asked for the deal to be put in writing, and say it is normal business practice to do so.
Either way, if you talk to sources at the Tigers and those close to Marshall, it becomes apparent the player himself thought the initial $4 million deal was as solid as oak.
As Jerry Maguire told Matt Cushman when he knew he'd been duped: ''I'm still sort of moved by your, 'My word is stronger than oak' thing.''
Those who condemn Marshall as greedy and disloyal might consider if they would stay at their employer if a significant pay increase had been offered - only for it to be withdrawn. You suspect other factors are at play.
Marshall has seen coach Tim Sheens, chairman Dave Trodden, Humphreys and a score of his teammates leave the club in the past year.
A cultural shift is under way, and some argue the power that resided with Marshall and captain Robbie Farah is finally shifting back to where it belongs - with the coach, Mick Potter, who had the temerity to bench the five-eighth against South Sydney earlier this season.
Where to now for Benji?
Informed on Monday night that Marshall had asked for a release, one NRL coach laughed: ''Well, he's stitched up a deal somewhere else.''
Apparently not.
Early discussions have been held with the Waratahs and the Melbourne Rebels - as well as other Super Rugby franchises, including the Auckland-based Blues - but no offers have been tabled.
Some wonder how the Waratahs can fit him into their salary cap. As for the Rebels, they are hesitant to hastily sign an untried rugby league playmaker after they've just purged themselves of wayward stars James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale.
There is also a deeper issue.
Should Marshall sign with an Australian franchise, any deal will rely heavily on an ARU top-up.
That prises open wounds on several fronts.
Several Wallabies presently wear the gold jumper without a contract beefed up by the ARU.
Is the ARU prepared to do that for a convert from the rival code, even if Marshall will never play for the Wallabies if his criticism of Kiwi-born James Tamou playing for the Kangaroos last year is any indication?
Many in rugby union suspect new chief executive Bill Pulver is prepared to take that leap of faith.
Just get it in writing.
Twitter- @awebstar1
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/tigers-showed-marshall-the-money–then-cut-it-in-half-20130716-2q2d6.html#ixzz2ZEeaPodQ
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Love reading Andrew Webster .....just wished more Sport writers were as good
