I sit here this morning still finding it pretty hard to believe what has transpired in the past 12-13 hours. Yes, a check of the papers this morning confirms the black cloud that hovers over all Wests Tigers fans this morning is indeed still there:
BENJI MARSHALL IS LEAVING WESTS TIGERS!
Currently there is divided opinion on Benji's decision from fans of the Wests Tigers and and those of the game in general. Some feel that a player of Benji's value and service to the club should've been looked after - end of story! Others believe the guy is now past his best and should probably have accepted the offer as the best he can now command. Whilst others, myself included, believe the truth is probably somewhere in between. For those of us out of the know, well we'll just have to accept the facts that we do know. That Benji was presented an upgraded contract for the next 2 seasons and he rejected the terms, then seeking a release.
One thing i do know though is that this situation is far from ideal. It's not ideal for Benji, it's not ideal for Wests Tigers and it's not ideal for Rugby League. We're talking about one of the games most marketable players. He may have polarized some opinions but i think there's little doubt he is one of the game's modern day greats. From an attacking perspective i believe Benji pioneered a new breed of footballer. His skills are so silky, his ability to chance his arm, whilst always debatable, thrilled most people. Everyone remembers his flick pass for Pat Richards in the 2005 grand final win. What was he thinking? Is this guy nuts??? To this day he remains one of the games best attacking players. Statistically always up there for try assists, line break assists, line breaks and tackle busts.
2013 has not been a good year for Benji. In fact it's fair to say it's been his most challenging yet. After already having to deal with the departure of close friend and long time Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens, he then suffered the pain of losing the job as New Zealand Captain. That must have been shattering. Rumours were he would not even be selected in the squad. A turf toe injury put to rest that question though. His on field form for Wests Tigers had been insipid at best. The effort was always there but the execution and his confidence seemed to both fall away. He was dropped to the bench by coach Mick Potter in a game v Souths in a move i feel seemed to work because it bought with it a reaction. His form has slowly improved since that game. Though it's fair to say he's still not at his best weeks later.
These recent contract negotiations have clearly been tough. Tough for Wests Tigers, it's fans and most of all Benji. Benji has come out and said that after discussions with the then CEO Stephen Humphreys, that they had discussed a further 2 year extension to his current contract which would've tied him till 2017. This talk was only ever on a hand shake agreement and one that still had to be ratified with the board. However Humphreys since that time has resigned. Stepping in to the negotiations has been COO Grant Mayer. He and his board met and approved only an upgrade to his current deal. This was a clause in the current deal that allowed the deal to be restructured under a new salary cap. Wests Tigers honored this.
As we now know though, Benji has declined the offer. Reportedly on the grounds that he was first offered a further 2 years to his current deal. This is now where the situation becomes murky. There's not many people out there who will know the truth to how this played out. Plenty will say they will, but few will seriously know. This is how i look at it. Weather or not Benji was offered a further 2 years under a "hand shake" agreement with Humphreys is of little significance. This was never approved by the board and ultimately all deals need board approval.
Okay, morally Benji probably does have a point if this is indeed how it played out. Wests Tigers though cannot simply move heaven and earth to satisfy Benji. The board and Grant Mayer agreed to honor the clause in his contract and rightly so. They offered a deal which was fair for Benji and his status in the game. Also, remember this. It is an upgrade. Meaning he would now be paid more than previously. Which given current form is probably a little fortunate from Benji's perspective.
Ultimately, Wests Tigers needed to be mindful and responsible in their dealings. There is a wealth of young talent coming through the club these days. The youth plan has been developing nicely over the past 3-4 years and only now are we beginning to see the fruits of this. The Tigers decided to make this priority number one. To nurture and retain their talented young players. Therefore it sits comfortably with me that the club would only raise the bar so high with Benji. They had to act responsibly for the sake of the club and it's future. Guys like James Tedesco, David Nofoaluma, Tim Simona, Marika Koroibete, Curtis Sironen, Sauaso Sue, Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses, Brendan Santi, Kyle Lovett and Nathan Brown amongst others are our future, and significant time has been invested in them. Would it be right to sacrfice a long term investment for one player who's form has not been top shelf for quite some time now?? I don't believe so. This is why the club i feel was right to only raise the bar on Benji to a certain point. It needed to think long term and NOT short term.
All this aside though it's still a sad time for Wests Tigers. Benji will forever be one of this club's greatest ever players. And having him leave prematurely does hurt. In an ideal world he would've agreed to his upgrade. He has bought so many fans to the game. I feel terrible for all the young Tigers fans who have to face up to the reality that their hero is leaving. I'm sure there are tears, i know there are tears. I will miss his ability to conjure a play that simply wasn't there. His instinct. It was his greatest strength. I often thought that a lot of his errors occurred because he often thought a level ahead of his team mates. He could see what his team mates couldn't process at the same time.
Benji though is an institution at Wests Tigers. Some will call him Wests Tigers. That when people think Wests Tigers they think Benji Marshall. His 11 years of service have been incredible. From the lows of recurring shoulder injuries to the highs of a grand final win in 2005. I was overseas when he was exceptional in the 2008 World Cup. He was tremendous in periods of 2010-11. These are the things i will remember him for. He made going to the football just that little bit more fun. He always had you anticipating something brilliant. He was more than capable of it.
If i saw Benji now, i would thank him for his service. For he has provided us Wests Tigers fans with so many moments of joy. He gave this club it's hope. Help turned us from a basket case into a contender. I got no doubt that Rugby League thrives these days because of the impact stars like Benji have had over the his past 11 years. It doesn't seem right for Rugby League to lose him. Benji's loyalty to this club though means we will lose him though.
The reality though for our club is that star players will always move on at some point. The club though will always be here. It will remain here to provide opportunities to other players. The good news is there will be other star players to throw on a Wests Tigers jersey. We will recover. We will survive. Benji though will ALWAYS be remembered.
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