These NRL stars are worth fighting for
Roar Guru By Steve Kaless, 29 Mar 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Benji Marshall, Jarryd Hayne, Josh Morris, NRL, Parramatta Eels, Rugby League, West Tigers
Related coverage
Tigers Benji Marshall (centre) gets a pass away during the NRL Rugby League, Round 16, Penrith Panthers V Wests Tigers game in Sydney, Saturday, June 24, 2006. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Jonathan Ng
As I sat back and enjoyed the attacking master class that the Eels and the Tigers put on Friday night, I tried to think back to when I’d seen a player with the same bag of tricks as Benji Marshall.
My mate and I posed each other the question, and then polished off a few beers, some garlic bread, a couple of pizzas and a few glasses of red, still we had nothing.
Sure there have been many great five-eighths who’ll be remembered as better than Marshall, Wally Lewis and Brett Kenny for example, but Marshall like Jarryd Hayne has unique talents that fit the modern game like a glove.
It means that when other suitors come, as they inevitably do, the NRL needs to be able to stand up and play ball.
Of course, it doesn’t mean they pay anything to keep them but league fans need to get over the idea that they will automatically be replaced. “Plenty more where that came from,” is often the line but it often just isn’t the case.
Sure the game doesn’t stop, more players are found and fans are just as passionate, but it doesn’t mean that the stars are completely replaced.
Watching Lote Tuqiri for the Tigers on Friday convinced me that despite what they say the Broncos haven’t produced a winger as good since he left eight years ago. Yes, they’ve produced plenty of great players but imagine if Tuqiri had remained on the end of that backline?
Now I want to be clear that I am firmly behind the salary cap and believe it has given league fans a fantastic competition, but the real challenge for those with more power and higher salaries than me is to ensure that after all the hard work rugby league does to produce these superstars, the fans get to see them during their prime.
I could happily give up the beers and pizza if I knew I was going get football like that every Friday night.
And it wasn’t just that game, there were some other standout performances over the weekend.
Now here is the first name on the NSW Origin team sheet, but they can use it twice: Morris.
Those boys are certainly worth the price of admission, even if Josh was the benefactor of some comically woeful play from the Roosters on Sunday.
I’d like to make the point that when I talked up Todd Carney last week I did also say it was only Round 2. A week might be a long time in politics but it is even longer in football.
But surely while the NSW selectors can often be cited for pulling the reign, this one if a given.
I just hope I get to see them in full flight for years to come.
Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- Benji Marshall, Jarryd Hayne, Josh Morris, NRL, Parramatta Eels, Rugby League, West Tigers
March 29th 2010 @ 4:56pm
sunshinecoaster said | March 29th 2010 @ 4:56pm | Report comment
Will be interesting to see if they get Arana Taumata on track at the Tigers,has Marshall like skills with a Todd Carney like past,would make for exciting football if they played together
March 30th 2010 @ 9:51pm
Midfielder said | March 30th 2010 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
Steve
Even now and then and not often a player comes along that gives you a pain in the gut … because he is beyond good… at his best he is sublime … if you follow this team you want each moment to have him at his best … if he is on the other team you want him smashed before he can unleash his talent …
In modern sport these players are raw .. in football it is the dribbler a Ryan Gibbs or Harry Kewell that player who dares to take on his opposite number and use pure skill to turn and twist their marker and go past them.. often these players are also fragile because the very muscle that allows outrageous twists and turns can only handle so much hitting…
In League it is the the runner who can dummy and go from slow to fast in a flash… very few have ever reached this … In my lifetime I can remember some excellent players… Puff the magic Dragon was close, Laurie Daley also close, Steve Rogers again close… Cliff Lyons close …
As for Five Eights .. Wally Lewis as a great but like Beckham it was the structure of his play and the way he played others into position… But few players just can create and give you a feeling that is just shier joy at superior and brilliant skill…
But back to my list IMO Bobby Fulton was the best player to watch in terms of just brilliance one one turn twist (maybe his character on the field was poor but his skill is beyond argument) and to this day I play with number 6 on my back even tho I play football…
Benji Marshall IMO is the best … one on one player… since Fulton… his skills are unbelievable …….GGGWWWWWDDDD he would have made a great football player… his turn, balance, speed off the mark, and that amazing ability that only the truely great have to make defenders go the wrong way …. OHHHHHh what a player….
Thurston Haynes great .. but like Mark Ella, Bobby Fulton, Harry Kwell sometimes these players come along once in 30 years… I think it will be yonks before we find another Harry in Football … We need to enjoy Benji’s skill while we can … he is just sublime and Steve yes spend whatever it takes to keep em, break the bank, he is a freak….
March 30th 2010 @ 10:02pm
chris said | March 30th 2010 @ 10:02pm | Report comment
You can not beat watching Rugby League with a few Beers,Pizza and Red Wine.
I want an invite.
March 31st 2010 @ 1:30pm
Crosscoder said | March 31st 2010 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
The fact rugby league is now a full time pro sport,the opportunity for youngsters to develop their skills is there.Watching the game since the likes of Gasnier,Fulton,Rogers ,I believe there are proportionately more talented players on hand tthan the past.We have currently Benji,Hayne,the Morris Twins,some of the Canberra youngsters,Mitchell Pearce,Barba,Thurston,Inglis,Slater and many others .
A bigger junior base ,gives a better chance of a bigger flow of talented players.
They are all worth the price of admission on their day.
March 31st 2010 @ 5:12pm
The man said | March 31st 2010 @ 5:12pm | Report comment
Marshall is one of those guys who is just a joy to watch.
I do think Marshall’s play reflects a real touch footy style. His type of player, lightning acceleration and evasiveness is damn frustrating to play against in touch. I have come up against a number of guys with a similar style to Benji on the touch field where you think – what could this bloke do in tackle footy – although if you do manage to lay a finger on them you cant help thinking I would love to smash you into the turf and see how well you continued to play.
Marshall does continue to play well after being hit and has shown you can not only survive as a small bloke (with a few significant injuries) but you can prosper in the tackle version of the game and hopefully he is an inspiration to all touch footy players with a similar style to have a crack at the tackle version.
I do believe touch footy as a development pipeline is not encouraged enough and the league could do worse than targetting the vast player base more.