Crikey! How bad is Benji Marshall?

[R&WTILLIDIE]

To get the most out of Benji, you need a forward pack going forward.

That has been blatantly obvious throughout his entire career.

If you want to get the best out of him, he needs space.

I'd play him at centre (which is where he played when Tigers played Dragons last year and Luke Brooks made his debut)

He'd be a third receiver with room, whether the forwards are winning up front or not.

He's not a halfbacks arsehole and his five-eighth days are long gone.

He'd form a pretty lethal combination with Dugan and Widdop as a link man if he was at centre.

he can be helped in defence more easily too at centre.

Interesting...I think any playmaker's life is made easier with forwards that actually go forward. I think fix this issue, and Benji will go ok at 5/8

 

[Slippery Morris]

Benji will be fine. I like how Saints were only inside the Rabbits 20 mtr zone twice in the first half and scored twice, one try was disallowed. Second half was similar hardly anytime in the 20 but when they were they looked good. Problem is getting into the 20 and with these silly penalties piggy backing the side into the Dragons half then you have no chance. Marshall made 1 huge blunder kicking out on the full but hey he is not the only person that makes those errors.

Defence and forwards are to blame not attack as they have shown when in the 20 they have points in them.

If Morris took that ball from Benji's flick pass do you think he would have scored? That was pretty good to watch. Poor Nighty did not have the legs to run.

 

[Dragonbaal]

agree you want to gamble on footy you get what you deserve

 

[Drain the Dragon]

Marshall's passing game worries me. Twice he pushed it out the back a couple of metres behind the support. Both were early in the tackle count from memory. Those types of errors are game changers.
For a supposed 'class player' to be kicking out on the full and missing the mark with his passes, bread and butter stuff, it's not a good sign.
I really wonder where his head is at. And being at a club already in complete disarray before his arrival can't be helping.
I don't see where all the blind optimism is coming from, about Marshall coming good. His 'good' was a few years ago.

 

[West coast dragon]

Benji gives us a lot more options than the little runt Quinlan or that dud Sam Williams. At least Benji has a go and looks to create something, Williams had trouble just holding the ball and Quinlan has no Balls to hold onto.

Give it up mate, with a decent pack with him next year (hopefully), we will get much more out of him than any of the others put together. We have the best halves ( Widdop /Marshall) and back three combo( Dugan/Morris/Nightingale) in the comp, just needs those hard guy up front..... and a couple of centres, I don't think Runciman will ever be able to hold a regular 1st grade spot, he doesn't look big, fast or skilled enough and I have watched him on D and he is a bit of a jersey and arm puller.

agree with most of your comments except runciman,in the few opportunities he was given he showed a lot but for some reason they just won't play him get him in the side and get some games into him ffs what have we'd got to lose?

 

[Mr Red]

I think management need to face some facts.
1) we won't make the top eight.
2) young and McGregor with Price contributed to the present problems. The need to go now.
3) playing people out of their positions (Duggan, Merrin, Frizzel, etc) doesn't work. Stop it.
4) playing people with broken hands (Widdop) when we are rooted anyway is just plain dumb.
5) certain players ( Hunt, Harrison to name just two) needed to be told no more first grade, years end gone.
6) players like allomanai and I hate to say it Groat need to be thrown in the deep end. If they can't swin , years end gone.
7) new coach ASAP. Needs to start cleaning the place out now. Not next year. Three years have been wasted don't waste 2015 as well.

I don't think this is blowing things out of promotion . Look forward to others thoughts .

good summary, i agree with your thoughts..
time for a BIG reality check for some of those involved with the club, both on and off the field... 31 years between premierships.. they seem to be resting on their laurels for another 31 years...

 

[coast_dragons]

Benji Marshall self centred turd worst signing for the Dragons ever.

 

[TheRev]

Benji will be ok, gonna take time to get those clangers out of his game, but he has more x-factor than the rest of our backline.. I suggested he started at Centre before we signed him and I still believe that (but happy to watch McGregor experiment, nothing to lose to be honest, we need to get the right blokes into the right positions).

Definitely much bigger issues in the team, I thought we competed as well as could be expected against Souths, but were never going to make serious impact with our forwards as ineffective as they are currently, whether thats personnel, motivation or support play.. it has to be fixed before we can actually win games without luck on our side.

 

[ggould]

Christ in heaven!! Anybody who thinks all this has anything to do with Marshall just don't know the game at all!! Jesus the cancer had set in long before Marshall even gave union away!! Benji joined the cub on a hiding to nothing at least he is trying things behind a pack of forwards that just refuse to aim up!! Forwards that refuse to get up in the face of rival packs!! Forwards that lack any sort of aggression! You guys want to pick on Marshall who has had 2 games!! Answer me this how does Hunt Merrin Creagh Frizzel Ah Mau and especially Thompson not cop any flak??? Your kidding Joel Thompson now there is a huge waste of money!!!!! Really our forwards could'nt match with a Jim Beam cup pack!!! being a pro footy player is as much to with attitude as it is with getting the money and there are a heap of players to go at before you even think about Marshall for christ sake!!!!! Our forwards wouldnt bruise a grape!!!!:

 

[Dezziedc]

Benji will be ok, gonna take time to get those clangers out of his game, but he has more x-factor than the rest of our backline.. I suggested he started at Centre before we signed him and I still believe that (but happy to watch McGregor experiment, nothing to lose to be honest, we need to get the right blokes into the right positions).

Definitely much bigger issues in the team, I thought we competed as well as could be expected against Souths, but were never going to make serious impact with our forwards as ineffective as they are currently, whether thats personnel, motivation or support play.. it has to be fixed before we can actually win games without luck on our side.

Agreed. However I think he should remain in the halves to build those combinations. If his position is going to be half he needs to start working with Widdop as early as possible. There's no point putting him in the centres because it just delays him forming that combination - which needs to be done sooner rather than later.

The forwards are the issue. We have no punch. Creagh was the only player to get past the advantage line with any sort of consistency. Every other player was stopped dead in their tracks when they got to the defense. As for our defense, when every forward in the opposition gets past the advantage line and drags 3 or 4 players with him for another 5 - 10 meters, you know you have issues.

Nothing is going change until something is done with the forwards.

 

[jenninga]

FORWARDS WIN GAMES,BACKS DETERMINE BY HOW MUCH.
We don't have the forwards to dominate so our backs can be effective.

 

[Jubileeboy]

The last 3 posts all speaketh the truth !
Our forwards are rubbish bar 1 or 2.
We offer a 2nd rate pack.

 

[Drain the Dragon]

Christ in heaven!! Anybody who thinks all this has anything to do with Marshall just don't know the game at all!! Jesus the cancer had set in long before Marshall even gave union away!! Benji joined the cub on a hiding to nothing at least he is trying things behind a pack of forwards that just refuse to aim up!! Forwards that refuse to get up in the face of rival packs!! Forwards that lack any sort of aggression! You guys want to pick on Marshall who has had 2 games!! Answer me this how does Hunt Merrin Creagh Frizzel Ah Mau and especially Thompson not cop any flak??? Your kidding Joel Thompson now there is a huge waste of money!!!!! Really our forwards could'nt match with a Jim Beam cup pack!!! being a pro footy player is as much to with attitude as it is with getting the money and there are a heap of players to go at before you even think about Marshall for christ sake!!!!! Our forwards wouldnt bruise a grape!!!!:

LOL@ggould - this thread is about Marshall. Nobody is saying our issues stem from Marshall.

There are plenty of other threads where you can vent your spleen over our under-performing forward pack.

I just don't believe all the hype that Benji will be fine. My view is that he was brought to the club for promotional value first and foremost. His best playing days are well and truly behind him, and even when he was at his supposed best, the no-look passes, the passes over the sideline, and the kicks out on the full were still there. Ask any Tigers supporter, they were glad to see the back of him.

 

[West coast dragon]

Price could coach the Storm out of a Hungry Jacks meal deal.[/QUOTE nice one I'll pay that!

 

[The Chef]

Oh how the Scum must be laughing at us re Benji. They certainly dodged a bullet!

 

[ggould]

Right back at you drain the dragon!! As i said our troubles were well documented long before marshall arrived pure and simple thats just a . Marshall is just an easy target!! This a team game one in all in!!! The way it is the way it always will be and if its not then it should be!!! Wasnt long ago people were saying soward was past it went to england got booed and jeered there to thing is how is he doin now????

 

[Drain the Dragon]

Right back at you drain the dragon!! As i said our troubles were well documented long before marshall arrived pure and simple thats just a . Marshall is just an easy target!! This a team game one in all in!!! The way it is the way it always will be and if its not then it should be!!! Wasnt long ago people were saying soward was past it went to england got booed and jeered there to thing is how is he doin now????

You've missed my point - but cheers anyway.

 

[Nick pap]

Let's face it, his last two years at the tigers were crap.

Run across field and set up blokes to get hospital smashed back on the inside.
All the D knows that the bloke never runs himself.
What a cat.

You poor bastards.
And Dugan should bet fullback.full stop.
Merrin was awful, as was Beale.

I backed the dragons with 12.5 start. Never, ever again!

He's overweight and slow.

 

[Hutty1986]

Needs more exclamation marks here imo.

 

[smi962]

And 2 more years of him after this year. Imagine what he is going to be like in 2 years from now.....:roll:

Behind a pack like SOuths or the Bulldogs I believe he would still be good. But not ours, that's why I was against the signing.