Where does Benji Marshall Rank as NRL'S 5/8's?

[kickback]

He is a tallent alright, but he is still young and there is time to get better. Locky is still the worlds best 5/8 by a country mile. Marshal is about 4th with Anasta

 

[Darth Bobo]

The thread isn't about which players are better than Benji, there are a tonne of them, but where does Benji rank as a 5/8?

Personally if I was putting a team together from scratch I would have Lockyer, Barrett and Anasta ahead of Benji as a dream 5/8 and that's the way I think you should rate them. Who would you rather have if you could have anybody? (No salary cap etc,).

Realistically though, I wouldn't swap Benji for any of those players at this stage because Benji is still good for another 10 years and is quite clearly a key figure in the Tigers future.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

Lockyer and barret, yes, they r beter than benji, but not anasta hes about par

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

People dissing Benji's "passing" and "organisation" are a little ignorant. Maybe he isn't an "organiser" (whatever the hell that means) in the conventional sense, but he has great vision, creativity and accuracy in his passing game. Infact, I reckon he is one of the best ball-playing stand-offs going as well as having the best running game.

By saying you dont know what an organiser is friend your revealing a lack of knowledge about footy.

 

[Raider_69]

Dart Bobo i still rate smith above benji, but if benji were to join the raiders smith would almost definately got to lock

exactly right
if marshall was a raiders junior, smith still probably would of been brought to help his development ala with carney. At this staged id still have Smith over Benji in a 5/8th shoot off but if we had benji youd find a way to fit him the halves. Which would mean the best solution to preserve Carneys confidence atm and fit everyone in would be Smith to lock

 

[Darth Bobo]

Lockyer and barret, yes, they r beter than benji, but not anasta hes about par

I'm a diehard Tigers fan but can't see Beni having the "whole package" game that Locky, Baz and Anasta have.

In the future it will develop but his game is still raw at times and he also lacks the long kicking game of those 3. Maybe in another year or 2, but for now I just can't put Benji ahead of those 3.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

ok ill take the advice of saab and agrre that there r 2 sides to the coin

 

[Raider_69]

Personally i see Benji Marshall as the newest and best prototype of type of 5/8th developed years ago. The first of his kind was Mark McLinden, then there was Preton Campbell and now Benji Marshall.

All have average long kicking games, have good enough passing games go get by and with some practise and time a neat little short kicking game. But their strength is easily their running, quick, ellusive, brillient foot work, awesome pace off the mark, however for them to be successful they need a dominating half with that. Campbell had Gower, Benji has Prince... unfortunately for canberra McLinden had Finch and Drew :roll:

I love watching these types of players play as you know when they get the ball that any thing is possible. They can turn the game on its head with one run. As said, Benji is like the newer, better model with more features, leaving his previous models for dead.

 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Even come with the new car smell

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

im just curious abt something, would you guys rate drew of 01 better than piggy & PJ of this yr??

 

[Raider_69]

Even come with the new car smell

i dunno about that, might have to ask scotty prince that one, i hear they are pretty close ;-) :lol:

 

[Raider_69]

im just curious abt something, would you guys rate drew of 01 better than piggy & PJ of this yr??

yes. Drew in 2001 was unbelievably good.
What went wrong at canberra is Smelliot tryed to turn a top hooker into a half, what he succeeded in doing was turn a top hooker into one of the most ordinary halves of all time

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

yeah, i suppose, but he was a half before that at the panthers wasnt he?

 

[Raider_69]

yeah, i suppose, but he was a half before that at the panthers wasnt he?

yes and was pretty ordinary there too
he was only a half there as he was never gonna get ahead of Gower, who if you recall played mostly hooker in those days

 

[Mr Saab]

People dissing Benji's "passing" and "organisation" are a little ignorant. Maybe he isn't an "organiser" (whatever the hell that means) in the conventional sense,

dont know what an organiser is? hmmmmmmm ok :lol:

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

yeah but then with taylor in the side, he couldnt be at half so he went to hooker for the 01 season. isnt he playin in the ESL now?

 

[Mr Saab]

isnt he playin in the ESL now?

yes he is...and scored a 90m try a few weeks back!
how he scored a 90m try is beyond me....he could be given a 30m start and still be caught by shane webcke!!!!!!!

 

[Raider_69]

yes he is...and scored a 90m try a few weeks back!
how he scored a 90m try is beyond me....he could give a 30m start and still be caught by shane webcke!!!!!!!

yes indeed he did score a 90 metre effort
much to the disbelief and dismay of raiders fans across the country... still at a miss at how he managed to race 90 metres to score a try :?

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

he scored a couple of long range tries at parra in 01, and he is a hell of a lot faster than Co#ell

 

[Mr Saab]

did you see him last yr? he was not quick...and i cant see how he would have improved in 2005 playing in england.
He was quick over 5m.