Marshall reveals Tigers get-out clause

[tigers_are_premiers]

Benji Marshall has hit out at factions which tried to drive him out of Wests Tigers and revealed he has a secret get-out clause in his contract allowing him to quit the NRL club should coach Tim Sheens be removed.
Speaking on the eve of leading New Zealand into their opening Four Nations clash with Australia in London, Marshall said he was bitterly disappointed to learn there were some sections of the Tigers hierarchy questioning his value to the club.
One of those questioning Marshall's productivity was definitely not Sheens, the man Marshall claims has had the biggest influence on his career.
So strong is the bond between player and coach that Marshall had a clause inserted in his contract which allows him to leave should Sheens no longer be the coach at the club.
"He's my No.1 supporter, he always has been," Marshall said of the man who will be doing his best to stop the Kiwi superstar in his role as Australian coach at the Four Nations.
"I've got the utmost respect for him.
"I've even got a clause in my contract that says if he's not the coach at the Tigers that I don't have to be there.
"That's just the respect that I have for Tim.
"The main reason I signed with the club was that I felt I owed the club for the games that I've missed for them - the players in the team I thought I owed and for Tim as well.
"I could easily have left but I stayed for those reasons."
Which is why Sheens' revelation this week that there were elements in the club that wanted Marshall gone hurt so much.
Marshall earlier this year turned down massive offers to switch codes and play rugby union in Japan or Europe to stay loyal to the Tigers, re-signing with the club through to the end of 2011.
He has vowed to throw egg in their face of those doubting his value to the Tigers, those doubts surfacing as a result of the 24-year-old's injury troubles in recent seasons and his struggles following a move to halfback earlier this year.
But as Sheens is quick to point out, Marshall missed only one game in 2009, and his brilliant form over the back half of the season when restored to the No.6 jumper fell just short of lifting the Tigers into the finals.
Asked if he knew there had been rumblings from some quarters for him to be let go, Marshall said: "I didn't. I was pretty disappointed when I got told that this morning - I only found out from my manager.
"I'm not going to make any rash comments or make any knee-jerk reactions until I speak to Tim about it, but at the end of the day I put everything aside to re-sign with the club and gave my loyalty back to the club because of what they've done for me.
"To hear some of that stuff after I've re-signed, I would have liked to have known that before I re-signed.
"I can't do anything about it now. I'm happy with the season I had at the club and the coach was happy with my season and that's all that matters.
"They can say what they like but the next couple of years I think are going to be some of my best so they might want to change some of their opinions over the next couple of years."


By Steve Jancetic AAP

http://www.nrl.com/newsviews/latest...ll-reveals-tigers-get-out-clause/default.aspx

Where the f$#k has this come from???

 

[Marshall_magic]

Sheens knows the writing is on the wall me thinks. He's taking a stance of "If I'm going down, then I'm going down swinging." He's probably hoping if we sack him Marshall activates the clause and leaves too. That said, I think these clauses are fairly common.

 

[adamkungl]

I thought this was common knowledge/rumour that everyone assumed was true. I'm sure i've heard it before.

 

[tigers_are_premiers]

Yah...I'm pretty sure that everyone knew already... But, why the f##k has this come out now..??

 

[Magpies Forever]

Sheens self serving, barbed attack on 'elements in the club' the other day. Absolutely astounding- served no purpose at all except to stir up this trouble, opening a very old 'wound' again and stirring the factions. He must be disciplined- and seen to be disciplined. Players would not be premitted to escape the consequences for such media outbursts.

As to Marshalls language- 'throwing egg on their faces' is pretty emotive. Makes you wonder how dumb can he be, or how shielded he was by Teflon not to have realised people were questioning whether to re-sign him or not. Could he really have thought his sh*t doesnt stink and that despite a horrendous injury run the WT board would just fawn over him and not doubt or need reassuring before action taken to re-sign him? Sounds like an ego and blindness to match one Tim Sheens.

I fear this egomaniac (Sheens) is going to tear the club apart before he goes. If Marshall wants to go despite the faith THE CLUB has shown in him, good bye. We cannot be blackmailed into retaining / extending Sheens- and Marshall too if it comes to that. No one is irreplaceable.

 

[N.C.]

If Marshall leaves, where will he go? If he walks out mid-season (working on an assumption that Sheens gets the sack) he wont fit under the cap in any NRL team - he'd pretty much be consigning himself to Europe, and relative obscurity. Sure, he'll make some money - but is that gonna be enough for a "superstar" like Benji?

 

[Magpies Forever]

Looking at this another way- which is equally as dangerous for the moral of the team- does that mean any new/replacement coach has to have the seal of approval of Benji before he can sign on?????

 

[tigers_are_premiers]

Hmmmmm.. Maybe Marshall will go at the end of next year, and we will pick up Thurston.. Just a thought... Lol

 

[bubblesunlimited]

I think for the people who want:

Sheens - OUT

and

Marshall - IN

Our best option is to sign Stphen Kearney as our next coach.

 

[N.C.]

Kearney is probably the best option either way. Whether or not Marshall is a keeper will depend on the quality of this egg he's got ready to throw on some faces...

 

[Magpies Forever]

Hmmmmm.. Maybe Marshall will go at the end of next year, and we will pick up Thurston.. Just a thought... Lol

If Benji wants to be a primadonna and leave in support of Teflon he can- WT actually have, or potentially have, a great alternate in the supposed signature of Aranda Taumata.

Immaterial of things we cannot have either a coach or player dictating to the path WT want to go. Either they are on board or out- no half measures.

 

[madunit]

It's almost blackmail what Sheens is doing here.

 

[Marshall_magic]

If Benji wants to be a primadonna and leave in support of Teflon he can- WT actually have, or potentially have, a great alternate in the supposed signature of Aranda Taumata.

Immaterial of things we cannot have either a coach or player dictating to the path WT want to go. Either they are on board or out- no half measures.

I wouldn't put any hopes on Taumata with his history. He could do something stupid at any moment, and if we're banking on him to be a long term player, it will just throw everything into disarray.

As far as Benji goes. I think a year with Folkes at the club will give him some perspective on other coaches. Hopefully if Sheens goes after that, he'll be tempted to stay.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Fair point Marshall Magic- I suppose I was just trying to highlight if Marshall is stupid enough to try blackmail in forcing WT to retain Sheens because he might walk- it is a two way street and WT can equally go elsewhere for a 5/8th too.

 

[bluey]

Every one forgets that when sheens took the job no one of any note wanted it there was just too much trouble in the camp.