Tigers legend Stephen ‘Blocker’ Roach once remarked he’d only ever seen the hill at Leichhardt stand for three players whenever they touched the ball – Larry Corowa, Ellery Hanley and Benji Marshall.
Marshall’s return to the NRL, while welcomed by some, has also sparked a loud chorus of criticism. The howls of protest are predictable – “too old”, “past it”, “pea-hearted”, “turnstile”, “overrated”.
But amidst the clamour, let’s not forget there was a reason the Leichhardt Oval Hill stood for him.
At his very best, the game traded off his wizardry. He became its face, its back-page star, its poster boy. Working off instinct, Marshall embodied one of the game’s most endearing traits – simplicity.
Benji was the boy having fun at the park. Flick passes, no-look passes, giant jinking steps – kids wanted to be him. He showed that the reasons for loving the game need not diminish with professionalism.
He may not rank alongside the game’s greatest five-eighths, but we hadn’t seen anyone quite like him. He dominated the highlights reel, he won a premiership against the odds, and did it with panache.
Rugby league leveraged Marshall’s star power. But just as the game needs its stars, so too do the stars need the game. Sport thrives on this synergy. In his fading years at the Tigers, Marshall strained to manage his side of the equation. After two years of lacklustre performances, Benji ceased being ‘the guy’. The Tigers, once so enamoured by him, saw his departure as no great loss. It was a sobering reminder that sport is the great leveller.
Rugby union offered a fresh start. However, the game’s complexity bogged him down. At 29, sensing a fading career as a rugby player, Benji was surely thinking of his legacy in league. Only through time away from the game could he properly turn the mirror on himself.
The realisation that he is not a rugby player drove him back to the NRL. Most humbling, though, is he returns to a game that no longer needs him. Marshall is acutely aware of this, and it is why he will be a success this time around.
Champions in any sport need to test themselves, and at a proud club like the Dragons, he has nowhere to hide. He knows he will be held to account, and it is this accountability that will re-focus him.
That many are willing him to fail is a nod to his reputation as a game breaker; a tacit acknowledgement that he was, indeed, very, very good; a player whose exploits had excited and inspired.
Love him or loathe him, one cannot dispute that Benji Marshall enhanced rugby league. As rugby league fans, we must at the very least respect his contribution.
Pete75
Guest
As a Tigers supporter, I wish Benji all the very best, I really do. He gave me a lot of good memories and played no small part in winning the Tigers a very unlikely premiership. Having said that, it is quite a difficult thing to reconcile. What came first in his performances over the last two years with the Tigers, the chicken of his motivation, or the egg of not being able to play with a decent half-back? I'm going to say take the soft option and say a bit of both. Benji wasn't nor will ever be a half-back. Benji played his best football when he played a traditional five-eighth as second receiver role. He is a bar better runner of the ball than passer, and his passing game prospered of his ability to suck in a couple of defenders and throw a short ball. After observing Benji over a number of years as first receiver, he didn't have the precision long pass to be able to play that position with any authority, and he has a very long wind up action when passion the ball long which gives the defence time to slide to the outside. So, with these things in mind, Benji was done no favours by Tim Sheens insistence in making Benji a passing play-maker, and it's hardly surprising that he became de-motivated. All of that said, Benji was taking up a lot of money under the cap whilst with the Tigers. When you take up that sort of money it is incumbent on you to make things work, whether that be to work hard to change your game, or work hard to ensure that the coach changes your position and recruits accordingly. Whilst I think that Benji back in rugby league is a great thing, I'll admit that I'll feel kind of cheated as a Tigers supporter if he shows the sort of motivation at the Dragons that was so clearly lacking at the Tigers. Benji asked for the board for a lot of money during his final unsuccessful negotiation with the club, and one can only feel that someone who asks for a lot of money ought to have that justified through their on-field performances. To be blunt, I'm not sure Benji even showed the sincerity to make an honest effort, and my guess is that this was the chief reason to show him the door. I'd further guess that Benji probably wasn't too phased if negotiations broke down as they did. If you want my predictions, I think Benji will do very well. I think that he will silence the critics. The larger question is how well he will perform if he finds himself in a role of chief play-maker in a tea, struggling for form.
Black Panther
Guest
As a long suffering supporter, I am of course eternally optimistic that this purchase (like many others before) will lift us once again. I must say, if Benji doesn't work out then Dousty should be folowing him out the door. Unless of course he is able to convince Karmichael Hunt to join us......
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
As a Tigers fan I wish him every happiness, and all the luck in the world at the Dragons. The bloke is a living legend - on his day, he was untouchable - and he deserves a better end to his rugby league career than he appeared to get when heading to rugby. Good luck, Benji.
Crober
Guest
Pick Benji for NSW 5/8.....
maximillian
Guest
A bit harsh saying Benji is past it when hes only 29 there TD. His last few years at the tigers he openly admitted to being overweight & unmotivated. The RU stint was a failure but on a positive note he at least lost the extra kgs he was carrying & looks as fit as he did in 2010. He is now back in the NRL playing the game he knows best & also has a point to prove to all the doubters & naysayers, of which there are many. A fit & motivated Benji is a dangerous player when you consider his tremendous skillset so I am at least optimistic we will see a better Benji than 2012/2013. I know Id take him over Witt/Williams every day of the week.
Julian King
Roar Guru
It'll be fascinating to see how he goes. I could be way off the mark, but I sense he will be primed for his return. Even if the Dragons haven't bought the 2005-2010 model of Benji, that's not to say he can't contribute. Just don't ask me how. In Widdop and Marshall, you have 2 instinct players. The difficulty will be to ensure they don't tread on each other's toes. Above all, it's nice to see Tiger's fans wish him luck. It's like Dragons' fans with Bennett, Whilst on one level they're upset about poaching a number of players to Newcastle, they can't forget that he delivered them the elusvie premiership. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
tigerdave
Guest
only $100k a year too much. Big gamble, and Price has his left anfd right one firmly on the chopping block. If he fails he will leave the problem with (hopefully) a good coach,.
tigerdave
Guest
No argument, Benji was a very exciting player, and gave me and many fans much joy. He sold merchandise, had the punters flock to the ground and watch him on TV. Benji was certainly a star and I thank him for the memories. Two words in this "WAS" and "Memories" indicate past tense, and indeed that is what it was. Benji started to read his Golden Boot newspaper clippings and I suspect had them hanging all over his myriad of mirrors he checked into every day. I suspect he drank his own bathwater. He forgot that success comes after work. This competition is far too good to rest on laurels. In the past years he has ben slow, predictable, indecisive, and with that his defence remained pouros. I wish Benji luck, hopefully the big dose of reality and humiliation of not being able to make the starting side for the RA Ra'a and in fact being dropped off the ebnch, may refocus him. If he can recapture the humble and original Benji, he will be an asset to any side. The Saints have 3 strong positions (only 3) and that's where he may have been best suited. He shouldn't replace Widdop, cannot replace Rein or Dugan. That would leave the 7, where they are a basketcase. His game style didn't suit the 7 when he was at his very top at the tigers, how can he be expected to give value now when he seems to be well past his prime. Good luck Saints, the question is, have you bought the 2005-2010 model Benji or the 2013-2014 version. Time will tell, because when he puts on that big red "V", he cannot hide. They are not good enough to carry any passengers.
Julian King
Roar Guru
At least Benji was honest about his last year at the Tigers, where he confessed that he was overweight and lazy. I suspect the less input Price has into his game, the better. Just let him play what's in front of him. Let's be honest, Price's tactical nous has not exactly stood up in the past few seasons.
Julian King
Roar Guru
Perhaps the tail between the legs return is his awakening. The question is, did he have more bad games than good games? When you weigh it all up, was the Benji investment by the Tigers worth it? Absolutely. Yes the NRL marketed him, but would not have done so if he was rubbish. They served each other.
Western fugue
Guest
Hope Benji goes ok but the profita rolls for forwards will have to help him out,on another note how funny would it be if the tigers declared peter doust as a 3rd party sponsor m spent that 150k on re signing James Tedesco??
One Iron
Guest
As a Tigers fan, people think I want Benji to fail. But I can't wish that upon a bloke who won us a comp and took us to finals on the back of his freakish skills. I’ve been on the hill at Leichhardt Oval and the atmosphere was unreal. As time passes, you forget how good he was. Go to youtube and watch his highlights. Even though he was crap last year, he’s done plenty for out club. Good luck to him.
Blackers
Guest
Benji's freestyle attacking flair was very entertaining in his early years but I think he's lost that vital foot of extra pace needed to break the big games wide open. I personally hope he can relive some of that magic in this 2nd chance at the Dragons.
Thirroul Dragon
Guest
I hated Marshall ever since that semi final in 2005. I used to love it when he'd skew kicks and rifle passes over the sideline. Now that he's playing for us, I don't hate him as much. I just hope he can bring back the magic. If he fails, Dragons fans will let him know about it. I still think he may have something to offer, but not sure how he'll function with Widdop.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Have to agree with this statement. Benji will be good if he is motivated, but is he? Steve Price is a joke of a coach and is not the right person to manage it.. then again he probably didnt want to walk in to the ASADA drama on the shire. I think though he will have motivation, its called proving doubters wrong and getting back to some sort of respectable finish to his career.
JGK
Roar Guru
Nice piece Julian. The key issue with Benji will be his motivation. When he was driven and healthy he was mesmeric. When he was fat and lazy like the last two years he was a liability. Not sure that Steve Price is the right person to bring out the old Benji but let's see.
Chris Sandow of Bilgola
Guest
Romantic sentiment Julian, but I disagree on some elements. Yes, the Leichardt Oval crowd (and others) may have stood up to see Benji perform, I personally feel his success was more from a marketing con job than just talent alone. Don't get me wrong, his flick pass and one good Premiership winning year was good, but if you actually look at the amount of times his pass went wrong, he didn't cover in defence or he just gave up chasing, you'd see the real picture. And that real picture is he was a good but not great player. His impact and the romantic memories everyone refers to were built on the back of marketing and showbiz. If he hadn't been picked up by Channel 9 in particular, he'd be just another player who would cop the same criticism others do for his faults. He is a brand built by the NRL on the back of a relatively small block of success. His decision to move to Rugby was off the back of finally being dropped. "How dare anyone ruin the brand of Benji!". He went to a game that whilst technically different has enough similarities to be able to perform if he was as good as made out. He struggled because he couldn't defend (strange coming from a league to rugby convert), couldn't read the opposition but most of all because he wasn't a brand to the die hard Kiwi rugby fans. He returns to the NRL with his tail between his legs. He is miles behind halves such as the Reynolds, Cherry Evans, Carney, Johnson, Cronk, Widdop, Mullen etc etc. But everyone in the NRL will swallow him back up and re-ignite the brand no matter how much he is below mediocrity for the Dragons. And we can all already hear Phil Gould screaming orgasmically as he passes the ball.....
Wolfman
Guest
Yes Benji is one of the great attacking players but he really needs to step up in the defensive department. But I guess the Dragons have a history of having attacking halves with poor defence (a la Jamie Soward). I think he suits the Dragons better than the Sharks but I think they paid $100,000 a year too much