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He simply destroyed Parramatta on Friday night, but Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall says he’s still trying to get the clangers out of his game.
Two superb tries of his own and a deft grubber for Lote Tuqiri’s first four-pointer showed five-eighth Marshall, who played after being given a needle for a rib injury, was back to his brilliant best in the Tigers’ 23-12 victory.
But the New Zealand captain says he’s filthy on himself with errors such as his kick out on the full at a crucial stage of the second half in the Sydney Football Stadium clash.
“You don’t like letting the team down at any stage of the game and a couple of those kicks weren’t the best,” the 25-year-old said.
"I’ve got plenty of errors to fix up. "
And Marshall has ominously warned his NRL rivals that means he can get even better.
“The only expectation I’ve got to worry about is the expectation for myself,” he said.
"I’m building towards where I want to be, I’m still not there and a long way off what I think I can be at my best.
“Give me a bit of time, I’m getting towards where I want to be.”
Marshall’s goal-kicking is another part of his game he wants to improve after his one-from-five on Friday night saw his season success rate slump to just 50 per cent.
He says he is not taking new kicking coach Jason Taylor’s tips onto the field with him.
“I just struggled,” he said. "You have games where sometimes it’s on and sometimes it’s not and I’m working towards it.
"Lucky it didn’t affect the outcome of the game otherwise I would have been devastated.
“It’s a bit harder. I’ve changed goal-kicking coaches to Jason Taylor and at training I strike them good, but it comes to the game and I think I’m letting go a bit of what he’s taught me so (it’s) back to the drawing board this week.”
Marshall is thrilled the Tigers have re-signed coach Tim Sheens and says the club’s players owe the veteran mentor after missing the finals every year since their premiership in 2005.
“I think in the past he’s copped a lot of the flak for a lot of what the players have done,” Marshall said.
“I think we owe it to him this year to get some success because he’s been a great coach for us.”
Marshall said he did not expect his rib cartilage injury, which he sustained in the round two loss to the Sydney Roosters, to have him in doubt for next week’s trip to Canberra.
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hopefuly he comes well at the end of the week and is able to pull through it. we really need him!
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@Balmain Tiger:
He says he is not taking new kicking coach Jason Taylor’s tips onto the field with him.
“It’s a bit harder. I’ve changed goal-kicking coaches to Jason Taylor and at training I strike them good, but it comes to the game and I think I’m letting go a bit of what he’s taught me so (it’s) back to the drawing board this week.”I noticed his goalkicks have a slight inswing to them now like JT’s had. Sure he didn’t put them over…but his goalkicking HAS changed…
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Good to hear that his rib injury shouldnt keep him out next week…Benji is a lot tougher as a player these days.
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His goal kicking against the Eels reminded me of the way I play golf !
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What kind of headline is this?
The article says he isn’t in doubt, and yet you ignore that?
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Yeah, wth. Makes no sense at all. Why would you do that?
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I could see he had strapping around his ribcage after he came off the field.
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He will definately be out.
Why?
Phil Gould commented right at the end of the match that he had played in 42 of the Tigers last 43 matches… If that wasn’t a commentators curse then I don’t know what is
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we need to score closer to the posts
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read the bold…
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Marshall doubt’s Rib Injury will keep him out…
Has everyone seen Bunji’s Wests Tigers heart….it’s massive…
Benji Marshall will play…no doubt
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i really hope so
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Playing 3 games in 11 days would take it out of you … The 9 day turn around will be a blessing
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@Balmain Tiger:
read the bold…
Forget about the bold, the headline was a blatant bait and switch and quite frankly, is a pretty dumb one at that.
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@Balmain Tiger:
read the bold…
Forget about the bold, the headline was a blatant bait and switch and quite frankly, is a pretty dumb one at that.
In my limited experience on this forum, suggesting Marshall is injured without conctrete evidence is a big no no. I did it in an offhand way early on and got shut down. In hindshight it is understandable for fans to not be put on edge with rumour, especially when it comes to our no 1 player.
