Benji Gone - new team structure

[BrotherJim05]

I was in two minds about Benji leaving but to be honest I'm actually pretty sad. He has done so much for this club and provided some moments I'll never forget.

But what's done is done and we have to think about 2014 and beyond. My strategy:

2013 - Benji moves to #7, Siro to #6 (they already play like this anyway)
2014 - Anasta moves to #7, Siro stays #6. Brooks and Moses are locked in NSW Cup halves for entire year (barring an injury to Anasta or Siro)
2015 - Siro will be a monster. He looks like he has more growth in him and he will be blooded to play lock. Anasta will no longer be on contract (probably will retire) and Moses and Brooks can move to permanent FG halves. By this time all our forwards will be long blooded and with the likes of Farah, Galloway, Taupau, Woods, Sue, Ava and Buchanen in our pack we might actually see our club become a force once again without relying solely on Benji.

Just please god no more injuries!

Thoughts?

 

[Magpies Forever]

I was in two minds about Benji leaving but to be honest I'm actually pretty sad. He has done so much for this club and provided some moments I'll never forget.

But what's done is done and we have to think about 2014 and beyond. My strategy:

2013 - Benji moves to #7, Siro to #6 (they already play like this anyway)
2014 - Anasta moves to #7, Siro stays #6. Brooks and Moses are locked in NSW Cup halves for entire year (barring an injury to Anasta or Siro)
2015 - Siro will be a monster. He looks like he has more growth in him and he will be blooded to play lock. Anasta will no longer be on contract (probably will retire) and Moses and Brooks can move to permanent FG halves. By this time all our forwards will be long blooded and with the likes of Farah, Galloway, Taupau, Woods, Sue, Ava and Buchanen in our pack we might actually see our club become a force once again without relying solely on Benji.

Just please god no more injuries!

Thoughts?

2013 Benji's continued position in the team relies on his form. If his form continues to be just average or below average with an occasional good play, I'd rather he go to interchange or State Cup and we let someone else have a go. Anasta at 7 and Sironen at 6?

I just cant believe the money this bloke thinks he is worth. The Sheens induced ego must really be smarting. I do wonder how much he is being offered- find it hard to believe its more than $1.5m over 2 yrs which WT stupidly offered.

 

[BrotherJim05]

Yeah the money he was asking was just ludicrous. If he was in the same form as Carney or Maloney I would understand.

I think with my strategy Siro will be moving to lock sooner than later. I read in an article that he publicly stated he "wouldn't be in the halves for too much longer due to his size". He's going to be a monster and he knows it.

 

[Fordy20]

Need a succession plan for Robbie. The bloke is a legend but he can't play for ever. Plus we need a decent understudy come Origin time, given he's the current acting captain and bound to be the actual captain once Gallen retires.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Need a succession plan for Robbie. The bloke is a legend but he can't play for ever. Plus we need a decent understudy come Origin time, given he's the current acting captain and bound to be the actual captain once Gallen retires.

We did have it in Politoni. Dunno now he is gone.

 

[madunit]

Get him back. Simple.

 

[Tiger05]

My thoughts are that Sirro stays at 6 for the moment.

Next year we experiment with Brooks at 7 and pray that he is good enough. I'd like to see Moses playing off the bench as well. After that we have to see how it develops. We will need though a great forward pack, outside backs and a really good defensive structure. I think we have the players to provide Brooks, Sirro and Moses plenty of opportunities to show how good they can be.

I don't really want Anasta out there. I figure he should be gone soon and playing him in the halves is just holding back the younger players getting experience.

 

[hutch]

I still want benji to stay, his importance to our team in massively understated on here and I think a lot of you have been incredibly harsh.

However, if he is too far gone and 100% won't be there, I think we should throw the bank at Sam Tomkins. I think he is a genuine superstar.

 

[macnaz]

My concern now would be wether Benji will play like a superstar to enhance his worth to where ever he is thinking of going or wether he will play like a pussy worried about getting injured and totally destroying his future earnings .

 

[Tiger05]

I still want benji to stay, his importance to our team in massively understated on here and I think a lot of you have been incredibly harsh.

I would prefer him to stay as well however it has to be at the right price. Benji appears to want a massive amount of money and I don't think he is worth what he is asking.

I think his performances haven't even been that bad apart from against Brisbane. Its just that he isn't the same player that he was when he came into first grade because he lacks that explosiveness that he had previously.

 

[benched tiger]

I would still like him at the club but no way is he worth 2.1 mill over three years.

 

[851]

I would still like him at the club but no way is he worth 2.1 mill over three years.

He wanted,1 million a year,so no way would he cop 700K a year,best we part as that is too much cap to tie up on very little return.

 

[magpie guy]

I was in two minds about Benji leaving but to be honest I'm actually pretty sad. He has done so much for this club and provided some moments I'll never forget.

But what's done is done and we have to think about 2014 and beyond. My strategy:

2013 - Benji moves to #7, Siro to #6 (they already play like this anyway)
2014 - Anasta moves to #7, Siro stays #6. Brooks and Moses are locked in NSW Cup halves for entire year (barring an injury to Anasta or Siro)
2015 - Siro will be a monster. He looks like he has more growth in him and he will be blooded to play lock. Anasta will no longer be on contract (probably will retire) and Moses and Brooks can move to permanent FG halves. By this time all our forwards will be long blooded and with the likes of Farah, Galloway, Taupau, Woods, Sue, Ava and Buchanen in our pack we might actually see our club become a force once again without relying solely on Benji.

Just please god no more injuries!

Thoughts?

I think this is what we should see next season with Brooks and Moses getting stints off the bench in 2014 to give them a taste of FG. I don't think it really matters what halves we have for the rest of this season. It is already done and I cannot see us making the 8.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

I would prefer him to stay as well however it has to be at the right price. Benji appears to want a massive amount of money and I don't think he is worth what he is asking.

I think his performances haven't even been that bad apart from against Brisbane. Its just that he isn't the same player that he was when he came into first grade because he lacks that explosiveness that he had previously.

The rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that Benji was actually offered a one year extension on his current deal. So that would mean a contract for the next three seasons worth a total of 2.1 million dollars.

Anyone who is blaming the club for him leaving, or thinks he is worth this kind of money is on some heavy drugs.

 

[Tiger05]

The rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that Benji was actually offered a one year extension on his current deal. So that would mean a contract for the next three seasons worth a total of 2.1 million dollars.

Anyone who is blaming the club for him leaving, or thinks he is worth this kind of money is on some heavy drugs.

The club at the moment to me is doing everything right. I think Benji isn't thinking clearly or there are some people making decisions out there with regards to money that make the Blair signing look good.

 

[BrotherJim05]

I just hope with the salary cap space they now have from what Benji would have been offered they can sign an incredible back rower. Bit late to lock one down for 2014 but hopefully we can secure one for 2015 onwards

 

[benched tiger]

It has been reported that he has the shits because WT has not honoured the so call hand sake deal he had with Humpty concerning his contract extension.What they have offered is still more than what union is offering and what he is worth.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Whatever structure the WT come up with, the team will now be better off with the prima donna gone from the place. He was unable to play structured football. He could play well in broken play and use his zip and step, unfortunately he ahs lost that for whatever reason, and he has become a liability to the team progressing. Unable to take criticism, unwilling to change ways and just riding roughshod over any halfback the club puts forward. He had to go.

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

Brooks will not be doing an apprnticeship in Reggies.
Moses will, but not Brooks.

Question is who plays 6. Anasta for leadership or Sironen.

 

[Tiger05]

Brooks will not be doing an apprnticeship in Reggies.
Moses will, but not Brooks.

Question is who plays 6. Anasta for leadership or Sironen.

Hopefully Sironen.