BYE BYE BENJI!

[Gus22]

Another reason I'm skeptical about what was said on 2SM is that they claimed that when they asked the Tigers who they were targeting as recruits the reply was "nobody, we were after Frank Pritchard but missed out".
This statement has already been proven incorrect with the signing of Whatuira, & the news in other media linking us to at least Feeney, Scott, & Bird.
I don't know who at Wests Tigers 2SM spoke to, but I think they were fed a load of hogwash.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Even though i don't have a lot of faith in the Tigers management, surely even they realise the value of Marshall to the club - and as others have indicated, we are not soley talking on the field here, but his potential with the media and sponsors, and bringing fans through the gate.

I cannot believe that the Tigers would be outbid for his services, although he may still decide to leave for other reasons, eg playing for a side that at least has a chance of winning the premiership.

To those who think he is not worth 250k a year, you have got to be joking....

He will sign a contract for more than that per year during 2005. Hopefully it is with us.

 

[Tigerpete]

Yeah mate , you'd like to think they'd see it as clearly as we all do and give him an offer fit for his status in the game. I actually think $250K is a good offer and can't see why he wouldnt accept it.

 

[BuffaloRules]

If a new side comes into the comp next year, they will be throwing around plenty of money and he would be the sort of player a team starting up would love to have on their books.

I would be stoked if we keep him for $250k.

 

[TIGERPies]

i hope its the central coast or wellington and not the gold coast :x
and im a qlder!!(in enemy territory though)

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

i not going to even worry bout this untill the time comes.

Benji has said a number of times he wishes to repay the Tigers for looking after him.
Even if we dont upgrade his contract by the end of 2005 and he is off contract.
IMO i think he will want to stay with the tigers for a bit longer to help pay them back.

Well i hope he does any way

 

[HOT028]

i not going to even worry bout this untill the time comes.

Benji has said a number of times he wishes to repay the Tigers for looking after him.
Even if we dont upgrade his contract by the end of 2005 and he is off contract.
IMO i think he will want to stay with the tigers for a bit longer to help pay them back.

Well i hope he does any way

:lol: :lol: loyalty is dead all they worry about is the money, players go to the roosters for less because they earn double the next contract as they have either played for city/country, nsw/qld or aus, short term pain long term gain.

 

[Nitekrwlr]

talk about a cyclone in a tea cup :roll:

 

[BuffaloRules]

I'm also not exactly sure how the Tigers have been "looking after him".

OK, they are nurturing his talent, but wouldn't any club be doing that??

He's only getting paid 40 grand isn't he??

I do agreee that its rare that any player shows loyalty, and how many of us can honestly blame them?

Would we knock back another 100 grand ??

Money talks all languages these days....

 

[Tigerpete]

Well speaking of loyalty we got 3 of the most loyal guys in the game in O'Neill, Senter and Skandalis......get in his ear boys!

 

[HOT028]

tigerpete, i agree with skandalis, but with o'neil and senter i have never heard of another club ever interested in them, so i think the loyalty they show goes both ways.

 

[Miracle Balls]

Yappy, I think you'll find that Lockyer was selected at five-eighth for Australia well before Bennett decided to slot him into the position this season. This had nothing to do with club economics but more due to the man's exceptional skills as a footballer. Lockyer came up through the grades as a pivot and on his first appearances off the bench in first grade that was were he always slotted in. He was only moulded into a fullback due to the presence of Langer and Walters as the Brisbane halves and it was an inevitability that one day he would move back into the number 6. He's worn the number 1 for the last few years but has always played a five-eighth's game in attack over that period anyhow.

I scratch my head over Marshall and really can't see what there is to get so excited about. He looks defensively fragile, doesn't appear to have a thoughtful passing game, and his trademark sidestep seems to jolt the attack and slow down the play. I thought a sidestep worked when you were moving forward, not come to a halt as Marshall does. His injuries over the last 12 months would also have to raise concerns over his durability. I hope I'm wrong, but I'd hate to think that we regard this guy as the Messiah, especially if the money we may throw in his direction compromises our commitment to some other young (and I believe better) talent we have at the club.

 

[Eddie.]

Marshall came back and we won 3 in a row

no coincidence

He has more then a step, he has a exciting if sometimes heart raising passing game and a developing kicking game

By being in the team, no matter how bad he is going the opposition looks out for him , and their eyes are taken off prince and hodgo

its a big advantage having him in the team and whoever suggests he is a kid with just a flashy step or whatever is kidding themselves and im very glad their not running the club, however incompetant the current management is. look he is raw no doubting it at all but but to come straight out of school and into first grade i think he has done remarkably well and created some spark in a team with none. he will only get better and it is not in any way a hard decision in re-signing him or not.

 

[gr8_1]

I have expressed my concerns to management on the email addresses below.

snoyce@weststigers.com.au
slavers@weststigers.com.au

If you really care about this and want Benji to be part of the Wests Tigers future I urge you to email the club with your thoughts.

 

[Tiger Barn]

I think you are all over reacting.

Royce said on the BSB that he was off contract next year and they would be looking to upgrade before that time come. I think they have a fair bit of an idea, they didn't bring Benji to the club so someone could come along and take him off our hands as soon as he showed some potential.

He also mentioned that they had talked to a number of players including Steve Price & Rubin Wiki but couldn't justify the money they had been offered from the likes of the Warriors. $1.2m for a 31 year old for 3 years, I think that would have been a stupid move.

 

[Sincas]

I think you are all over reacting.

Royce said on the BSB that he was off contract next year and they would be looking to upgrade before that time come. I think they have a fair bit of an idea, they didn't bring Benji to the club so someone could come along and take him off our hands as soon as he showed some potential.

He also mentioned that they had talked to a number of players including Steve Price & Rubin Wiki but couldn't justify the money they had been offered from the likes of the Warriors. $1.2m for a 31 year old for 3 years, I think that would have been a stupid move.

The longer we wait, the more chance the poaching rorters from other clubs will pounce.. don't think the june 30 deadline means anything.

 

[HOT028]

sincas, i think you are right if we haven't extended his contract by the start of next year he will sign with somebaody else.

 

[tigger]

As i said in the other post, Benji will not be playing with Wests after this current contract runs out. The ONLY way Wests will retain him is if they offer $100k more than any other offer.

 

[BuffaloRules]

As i said in the other post, Benji will not be playing with Wests after this current contract runs out. The ONLY way Wests will retain him is if they offer $100k more than any other offer.

If its all the same with you, I think I will wait to next year when there is something more official to go on.

You never know, he may stay for only 90k more than the next best offer, or he could do his shoulder again and be out for the year first game back.

Then he might be paying us 90k to get a run in 2006.

 

[Tiger Barn]

I think you are all over reacting.

Royce said on the BSB that he was off contract next year and they would be looking to upgrade before that time come. I think they have a fair bit of an idea, they didn't bring Benji to the club so someone could come along and take him off our hands as soon as he showed some potential.

He also mentioned that they had talked to a number of players including Steve Price & Rubin Wiki but couldn't justify the money they had been offered from the likes of the Warriors. $1.2m for a 31 year old for 3 years, I think that would have been a stupid move.

The longer we wait, the more chance the poaching rorters from other clubs will pounce.. don't think the june 30 deadline means anything.

The way Royce spoke on BSB he knows how important it is to get him signed up as early as possible. I can't see them letting him go to easily, after all they were the ones that spotted the early potential the kid showed.