Magpies Forever, I understand the frustration.
However I thought Marshall has been a pretty ordinary 6 the past 2 seasons? Has he played any good game at 6 since Prince left? People keep banging on about his brilliance at 6 and it being his natural position. However that was when one S Prince was there pulling the strings 3 seasons ago. THen has was a bloddy awesome 6! The last 2 seasons I thought he was awful at 6.
I think the only way for him to get better in the current squad is to give him the reigns. Giving him some ownership over the game at 7 and leadership over the team could bring the best out of him. You can't deny he has some freakish talent. Mix that talent with some responsibility and ownership at 7 and he could end up a better 7 then 6.
If we had replaced Prince with someone very good at 7 then Marshall's form at 6 would likely of been fine. However we haven't replaced him and we need someone to step up. SOmeone who is capable and earning big money. Im not as certain of failure as others with him in the 7.
He's not going to be much of even a "stop gap" #7, let alone a "very good one". Maybe better than J-Mo, but that's not a particularly high bar to reach. It's too damn late for Marshall to be tinkered into a Halfback in the NRL, at least at the Tigers, anyway. For such an experiment to have any chance of success, you would need a well oiled, defensive and attacking machine, permanently in the top 4 and coached
competently. Even then, the team would be carrying him more often than not.
He came way too late to League. Touch doesn't count. Marshall didn't start playing RL until he was
sixteen. Most backs who have had a 10 year head start don't have the goods to play #7 effectively, and Marshall is going to magically develop, not just the skills, but the tactical mindset to become a
good halfback, at this stage?
Marshall's lack of experience is what made him an effective weapon at 5/8, in a team that worked well, and was led by a great #7. There are a bunch of problems, but in regards to the halves, we are pretty much screwed unless WT wake up and start giving the options not yet tried a run, and time to gel (or prove that they can't), or sign an experienced specialist from outside the club.
Unfortunately, I can't see it happening. As long as Morris remains, Sheens will fall back on using him as a playmaker. He has a point to prove, and stated that the team was going to be "built around" him. I suspect he will be re-signed again, on playmaker's coin, and the merry-go-round will continue. Maybe by some miracle, Marshall
can, somehow, become even an adequate #7. But the team, as is, won't lend itself to such a development. Unless of course, we are talking about
years of trial and error, missing the 8 waiting for it to materialize.
