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We've been there done that and I'm afraid that Benji did not leave a good impression. He should face up to the fact that like many players before him, he is now past it and should retire or ply his trade in the ESL.
Mate nothing would surprise me with our mob
Madge seems to have a sensible plan when it comes to testing his squad for next season. At the Dragons, we have Dean Young instead trying to show he can carry out the duties of head coach. So it is all about Young at the Dragons and all about the playing squad at the Tigers.Tigers to shuffle Benji out door despite his desire for extra year
Benji Marshall's time at the Wests Tigers is coming to an end. In the coming days, Tigers officials will sit down with the club legend to lay out their vision for the future. Unfortunately for Marshall, who believes he has one more year to offer, he isn’t part of it.
It’s not that Marshall is over the hill. He has shown in 2020 he still has plenty to offer. But the Tigers have $1 million to spend on five roster spots for next season and too much money tied up in their halves to justify spending $300,000 on another playmaker.
The Wests Tigers are set to inform Benji Marshall there is no room for him in 2021.CREDIT:GETTY
It’s about salary-cap management. Josh Reynolds isn’t going anywhere, despite the club’s best endeavours, and neither is Luke Brooks. Between them they take up $1.6m in the salary cap and it is on coach Michael Maguire to make that work.
There’s also junior star Jock Madden, who has been likened to a young Luke Keary. Madden will make his NRL debut as early as this week as the coach looks to blood some youth in the final month of the season.
There’s also a case that Adam Doueihi’s best position is five-eighth, while the club also has Billy Walters on contract for next year. Co-captain Moses Mbye has played plenty of five-eighth as well, leaving the club with no shortage of options next year. Adding Marshall to that list makes little sense, especially when they are in dire need of leadership in the forwards and strike in the outside backs.
The club has been walking on eggshells for weeks for fear of disrespecting the club’s greatest player. It’s why, even with their finals hopes dead following Saturday night’s loss to the Panthers, Marshall will still feature in the final month of the season despite the club preparing to inform the veteran they are heading in a different direction.
Josh Reynolds will get another chance in the last month of the season.CREDIT:GETTY
Marshall may not be happy, but the Tigers know they can’t afford to allow emotion to dictate their next move. The Tigers indicated earlier in the year that there would be a spot for him at the club in 2021 if he wanted to play on. A lot has changed since then.
The club isn’t convinced Reynolds, who has one more season on his deal worth $800,000, is the answer next year. Playing him over the last month may finally answer that question, or at the very least allow him to show he still has something to offer a rival club willing to pay part of his salary next year.
You would expect Marshall to walk into a media job, like Cooper Cronk, at Fox Sports. However, at this point, he isn’t ready to hang up the boots. A club such as Newcastle or Manly, both on the lookout for a five-eighth, could benefit from his services. Marshall may provide the experience to help those respective clubs emerge as genuine title contenders next year.
The Tigers will begin planning for 2021 from this week. Hooker Harry Grant may not see a lot of football in the last month. With Grant expected to head back to Melbourne next year, the club will look to give 18-year-old Jake Simpkin a crack alongside Jacob Liddle.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ti...is-desire-for-extra-year-20200830-p55qn1.html
my thoughts? Its September 1 not April 1.
Swap Norman for Benji and then play Benji in reserve grade, great idea.
get benji, and cam smith, that would shake things up a bit
BUT when he really had to play the team game with pressure on and 5 mins to go he selfishly kicks it dead ? Still go back all those years to the GF flick pass , did he really have to do that ? What if the pass was misdirected ? Dont want to bag a player for low percentage plays but this bloke career is filled with them. One good year with us and 2 bad about sums it up.
