Speculation about whether Benji Marshall can make a mark in his return to the NRL will continue as long he delivers the inconsistent performances. He produced his latest below-par effort last Saturday night in the Dragons’ 30-22 loss against the Roosters.
When it comes to producing the right play for the right moment, Benji is a mixed bag. He always has been but he doesn’t always have to be.
His kicking from hand was inconsistent, highlighted by an abysmal grubber that went dead as the Dragons were on the attack.
The Roosters had to absorb enormous pressure in the early stages, and with the Dragons on the attack the ball found its way to Benji Marshall. Drifting across field looking for an opening, Marshall kicked dead instead of taking the tackle. The Roosters were handed possession and went on to score in the minutes that followed.
If he had pulled it off, it would have looked really special. But right at that moment, it wasn’t the right play.
His lateral passing continues to be untidy at times. On two occasions Benji’s passes resulted in the Roosters regaining possession. A short ball that hit nothing but turf, as well as a pass that was thrown behind back-rower Joel Thompson as the Dragons worked the ball out from their own try line.
Marshall did conjour a superb solo effort late in the game, beating several Roosters defenders on his way to the try line, but it’s plays like these that leave Dragons fans frustrated. He doesn’t seal the deal for his team, even though he’s capable of doing it.
Benji continues to produce moments, but my criticism is that he’s still making the same mistakes he did when he was 18. Mistakes you would expect a player of his class and experience to learn from.
It’s time that Benji takes control of his game. Adjust to the surrounding environment and make the simpler play rather than going for the harder option. Up step Gareth Widdop.
In the first four rounds, without Marshall in the team, Widdop racked up five try assists and four line break assists which saw him sit atop the Dally M standings. When he saw that the Dragons had got the opposition retreating he commanded the football.
In the 16 rounds proceeding, Widdop has 13 try assists and 11 line break assists. The numbers speak for themselves.
I’m not entirely blaming Marshall for the drop in numbers but no doubt it has hindered Widdop’s performances, with Marshall himself admitting he demanded the ball too much upon his return.
One of the things we needed to find out about Widdop was what he could do when he became the main man, and to some degree he surprised many at how easily he’s slipped into that role.
Now he has an experienced half next to him, as he did in Melbourne, Widdop needs to get back to that early season form and command the ball if the Dragons are to have success.
For Marshall, he has to play a pretty simple role, keeping in mind that the simple role required is just as important, if not more so, when any team experiences success.
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