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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.
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