Entry 29, 2nd December 2010
I'm glad to see that one of my predictions has come good this year! Whilst Featherstone let me down at the final hurdle in the Championship and Warrington couldn't rise to win the Super League crown, I was right with my pick of Benji Marshall as the World's best player.
To be honest it was a no brainer.
I went into some detail of Benji's career in an earlier article but for those of you who didn't see what I put, here it is again:
BENJI MARSHALL
For several years Benji Marshall has wowed the crowds in the NRL and certainly since working with Tim Sheens the talented halfback has taken his game to a whole new level.
The 25 year old was first graded in the NRL as a precocious teenager in 2003 and made his debut for Wests Tigers in a Round 20 game against Newcastle Knights. After leaving his native New Zealand, he went on to play for the formidable Australian Schoolboys after being offered a rugby scholarship by a school in Queensland.
He looked set to add to his experience in 2004 and helped guide Wests to win the World Sevens event before two dislocated shoulders brought an end to his season.
The following year he was back and better than ever. He played 27 games for Wests during the season and scored 15 tries as the merged club won the Premiership for the first time.
Once again, injury intervened in 2006 and again in 2007. It looked like another frustrating season lay infront of Marshall in 2008. He opened the season as part of a team that defeated St George 24-16 but only played one further game in the first 9 weeks. Thankfully for him and the Tigers, his return saw him again take up an important role and he was at his best when the Bulldogs were vanquished 56-4, scoring a try, laying a couple on and kicking 8 goals for a 20 point haul.
That momentum was carried into the 2008 World Cup and Marshall got better as the tournament went
on, playing a key role in a semi-final defeat of England before impressing against Australia in the final when the Kiwis won in excellent fashion 34-20.
2009 signalled a change for Marshall as he switched from stand-off to scrum half. Initially the changeover was slow but when Benji got up to speed with the position he excelled. This term has seen Marshall return to the blistering form of 2005. In 27 NRL matches he scored 12 tries, kicked 76 goals and 3 drop goals while he has really found his form in the Four Nations, leading from the front against England and conjuring a couple of plays when the Kiwis backs were to the wall last weekend.
He has now appeared 130 times for the Tigers, scoring 53 tries, kicking 207 goals and those three drop goals for 629 points.
####
Now the Rugby League World is at Marshall's feet. He was inspirational in the Four Nations Final and magic in the previous game against Australia, almost single handedly bringing Kiwi respectability back after the Aussies got out to a big lead. To be honest, Benji has always been destined for superstardom in the sport and his crowning try in the 2008 World Cup Final, well I still see it in my minds eye, the fumble from Billy Slater, the look of disgust and then abject panic as the champion halfback scooped up the mistake and scored.
His play at the very death of the 2010 Four Nations Final will go down in history. It made glorious television and radio as he took the ball to the line on the last tackle, fired a wide pass right for Shaun Kenny-Dowall to work the numbers game and forge a break for Jason Nightingale. If that pass was not sublime enough, with the vision and the footwork to really create, Marshall then had the gumption to follow up and when Nightingale's inside pass was played at by Darren Lockyer, it was the Kiwi who picked up the pieces and looked set to score himself before a desparing tackle slowed him down and another speculative offload, this time over his left shoulder was collected on the bounce for Nathan Fein to go under the posts.
I'd describe it as Rugby League poetry, equal to any of Shakespeare's sonnets or the best of William Blake. He is a pivotal player and I believe he is getting better.
Today, Marshall spoke to the Wests Tigers Website. He said: “To win this award, after coming back from three shoulder reconstructions, winning the Four Nations, and having my best ever year since I’ve started in the NRL, is pretty overwhelming,’’ Marshall said.
“I’m pretty excited. It is something I definitely won’t take for granted.”
“Losing my Dad was pretty tough. He was my number one supporter. He watched every game I played in and would offer advice,’’ Marshall recalled.
“ I said at his funeral that I would dedicate this year to him. Before every game I said a prayer, something I normally don’t do, but I did it because I knew how much he loved his church.
“I not only wanted to play for myself but in memory for him.
“My mum has been keeping track of everything I do too, so she would be over the moon.”
“I have matured on and off the field this year. On the field, I feel I have taken on more of a leadership role and directed the team around more than usual,’’ he said.
“I have to give plenty of credit to the Wests Tigers players for what they do around me and letting me play my game. They make me look good a lot of the time.
“I also like to thank the coaching staff of Tim Sheens, Royce Simmons, Peter Gentle and everyone involved with the club. Without them, these awards don’t happen for me.”
"I have plenty of respect for everything Tim has done for me," he said.
“Coming from school as a touch footy player who didn’t really know much about rugby league, Tim taught me everything I know.
“I am the player I am today because of Tim and I still have plenty more to learn.
“We have a great relationship on and off the field. He has definitely been like a father figure for me in Sydney.”
Again my congratulations to Benji on an outstanding 2010. I hope 2011 is just as successful and that I get the chance to see Mr Marshall playing for the Kiwis in next season's Four Nations.
Showing posts with label Benji Marshall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benji Marshall. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Saturday, 13 November 2010
#rugbyleague BLOG 2010/11: NZ are Four Nations Champions
Entry 11, 13th November
AUSTRALIA 12 NEW ZEALAND 16
An exhausting game was ended in the most exhilarating fashion when Nathan Fien added the finishing touch to a wonderful move. Australia were clinging to a 12-10 advantage two minutes from the end of the game when Kiwi maestro Benji Marshall went down the right. Marshall then fired out an accurate pass. Shaun Kenny-Dowall sent Jason Nightingale free and his inside pass was played at by the Australian defence. Marshall followed up and slipped a speculator over his shoulder for Fein to take the second bounce and cross for a try by the posts.
Marshall who kicked the resulting conversion to tie up a 16-12 win, held the trophy aloft and said, "It means an awful lot to us. We are trying to close that gap. I'd like to thank the New Zealand supporters. To my boys its a pleasure to stand up here and be your captain, we've done a lot of hard work this week."
New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney said, "We were a lot better than we were last week, it was a matter of giving us an opportunity and we did that tonight, I'm so very proud of the guys. Australia are a champion side but we showed some fairly good qualities tonight too. Last week showed us there is still a gap and for me and the NZ RL it's a matter of closing that gap. We did some of that tonight, but it's an ongoing project."
The contest was one of attrition from the start and Australia got away to a better opening when Darren Lockyer slid a grubber kick behind the defence after referee Tony Archer and touch judge James Child missed a foot in touch by wing Brett Morris. Lance Hohaia struggled to take the bounce and Brent Tate followed up to touch down. The conversion from Cameron Smith gave Australia a 6-0 lead and the Kangaroos continued to keep the pressure on New Zealand.
Midway through the first half, Australia were unlucky to lose Luke Lewis with injury just as the second row appeared to be hitting form.
Gradually, New Zealand worked their way into the game with their pack eventually winning field position and their defence tough and uncompromising. It took until just before half-time for the visitors to unlock the Australian defence and it was through that man Marshall. His short pass looked forward but Kenny-Dowall raced through for his skipper to level matters at 6-6.
A short brawl on half-time between a number of players from both teams saw the temperatures rise further prompting the referee to speak with both captains. This masked a further problem for Australia who were forced to play on without Tate in the second half. The centre was inconsolable having suffered a suspected knee problem.
Despite playing with their backs to the wall, it was Australia who struck with a fine try before the hour as they bashed away at the Kiwi defence and then switched the ball down the left for Greg Bird to conjure up an offload to send Billy Slater into space and past a stranded Hohaia. Again Cameron Smith goaled from a difficult position and it was 12-6 to Australia, heading into the final quarter.
Hohaia continued to remain involved for New Zealand, bravely returning kicks and chiming in where possible while the sheer toughness of Jeremy Smith was to be admired. The Kiwis visibly upped their efforts and forced Australia into a number of errors, forcing a drop out and then a succession of penalties that eventually told.
Once again the Australian lock-picker was Marshall as he weighed up the options open to him in the blink of an eye. He put a tremendous grubber kick to the in-goal and Nightingale timed his run to perfection to claim the try. Marshall's conversion attempt looked good until the final second when it struck the post and bounced out.
Still clinging to their slender advantage, Australia tried to close out but Marshall and company had other ideas with a wonderful attack which brought the spectacular team try for Fien to win the Four Nations Trophy.
Australia: Slater; Morris, Tate, Tonga, Tuqiri; Lockyer (captain), Cronk; Scott, Smith, Shillington; Lewis, Thaiday, Gallen. : Learoyd-Lahrs, Bird, Gidley, Myles.
Tries: Tate, Slater
Goals: Smith 2/2
New Zealand: Hohaia; Nightingale, Kenny-Dowall, Mannering, Perrett; Marshall (captain), Fien; McKendry, Leuluai, Blair; Harrison, Matulino, Smith. : Eastwood, Luke, Nuuausala, Manu.
Tries: Kenny-Dowall, Nightingale, Fien
Goals: Marshall 2/3
Attendance: 36,299.
AUSTRALIA 12 NEW ZEALAND 16
An exhausting game was ended in the most exhilarating fashion when Nathan Fien added the finishing touch to a wonderful move. Australia were clinging to a 12-10 advantage two minutes from the end of the game when Kiwi maestro Benji Marshall went down the right. Marshall then fired out an accurate pass. Shaun Kenny-Dowall sent Jason Nightingale free and his inside pass was played at by the Australian defence. Marshall followed up and slipped a speculator over his shoulder for Fein to take the second bounce and cross for a try by the posts.
Marshall who kicked the resulting conversion to tie up a 16-12 win, held the trophy aloft and said, "It means an awful lot to us. We are trying to close that gap. I'd like to thank the New Zealand supporters. To my boys its a pleasure to stand up here and be your captain, we've done a lot of hard work this week."
New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney said, "We were a lot better than we were last week, it was a matter of giving us an opportunity and we did that tonight, I'm so very proud of the guys. Australia are a champion side but we showed some fairly good qualities tonight too. Last week showed us there is still a gap and for me and the NZ RL it's a matter of closing that gap. We did some of that tonight, but it's an ongoing project."
The contest was one of attrition from the start and Australia got away to a better opening when Darren Lockyer slid a grubber kick behind the defence after referee Tony Archer and touch judge James Child missed a foot in touch by wing Brett Morris. Lance Hohaia struggled to take the bounce and Brent Tate followed up to touch down. The conversion from Cameron Smith gave Australia a 6-0 lead and the Kangaroos continued to keep the pressure on New Zealand.
Midway through the first half, Australia were unlucky to lose Luke Lewis with injury just as the second row appeared to be hitting form.
Gradually, New Zealand worked their way into the game with their pack eventually winning field position and their defence tough and uncompromising. It took until just before half-time for the visitors to unlock the Australian defence and it was through that man Marshall. His short pass looked forward but Kenny-Dowall raced through for his skipper to level matters at 6-6.
A short brawl on half-time between a number of players from both teams saw the temperatures rise further prompting the referee to speak with both captains. This masked a further problem for Australia who were forced to play on without Tate in the second half. The centre was inconsolable having suffered a suspected knee problem.
Despite playing with their backs to the wall, it was Australia who struck with a fine try before the hour as they bashed away at the Kiwi defence and then switched the ball down the left for Greg Bird to conjure up an offload to send Billy Slater into space and past a stranded Hohaia. Again Cameron Smith goaled from a difficult position and it was 12-6 to Australia, heading into the final quarter.
Hohaia continued to remain involved for New Zealand, bravely returning kicks and chiming in where possible while the sheer toughness of Jeremy Smith was to be admired. The Kiwis visibly upped their efforts and forced Australia into a number of errors, forcing a drop out and then a succession of penalties that eventually told.
Once again the Australian lock-picker was Marshall as he weighed up the options open to him in the blink of an eye. He put a tremendous grubber kick to the in-goal and Nightingale timed his run to perfection to claim the try. Marshall's conversion attempt looked good until the final second when it struck the post and bounced out.
Still clinging to their slender advantage, Australia tried to close out but Marshall and company had other ideas with a wonderful attack which brought the spectacular team try for Fien to win the Four Nations Trophy.
Australia: Slater; Morris, Tate, Tonga, Tuqiri; Lockyer (captain), Cronk; Scott, Smith, Shillington; Lewis, Thaiday, Gallen. : Learoyd-Lahrs, Bird, Gidley, Myles.
Tries: Tate, Slater
Goals: Smith 2/2
New Zealand: Hohaia; Nightingale, Kenny-Dowall, Mannering, Perrett; Marshall (captain), Fien; McKendry, Leuluai, Blair; Harrison, Matulino, Smith. : Eastwood, Luke, Nuuausala, Manu.
Tries: Kenny-Dowall, Nightingale, Fien
Goals: Marshall 2/3
Attendance: 36,299.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
#rugbyleague BLOG 2010/11: The Race for the Golden Boot Pt 2.
Entry 8. 10th November
Six players have been nominated for this year's Golden Boot and a seventh wildcard could enter the fray.
Each of the nominations have merits, obvious strengths, and are fine players in their own right.
On Monday I looked at Paul Gallen, James Graham and Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Today I'll look at another and pick my wildcard punt.
BENJI MARSHALL
For several years Benji Marshall has wowed the crowds in the NRL and certainly since working with Tim Sheens the talented halfback has taken his game to a whole new level.
The 25 year old was first graded in the NRL as a precocious teenager in 2003 and made his debut for Wests Tigers in a Round 20 game against Newcastle Knights. After leaving his native New Zealand, he went on to play for the formidable Australian Schoolboys after being offered a rugby scholarship by a school in Queensland.
He looked set to add to his experience in 2004 and helped guide Wests to win the World Sevens event before two dislocated shoulders brought an end to his season.
The following year he was back and better than ever. He played 27 games for Wests during the season and scored 15 tries as the merged club won the Premiership for the first time.
Once again, injury intervened in 2006 and again in 2007. It looked like another frustrating season lay infront of Marshall in 2008. He opened the season as part of a team that defeated St George 24-16 but only played one further game in the first 9 weeks. Thankfully for him and the Tigers, his return saw him again take up an important role and he was at his best when the Bulldogs were vanquished 56-4, scoring a try, laying a couple on and kicking 8 goals for a 20 point haul.
That momentum was carried into the 2008 World Cup and Marshall got better as the tournament went
on, playing a key role in a semi-final defeat of England before impressing against Australia in the final when the Kiwis won in excellent fashion 34-20.
2009 signalled a change for Marshall as he switched from stand-off to scrum half. Initially the changeover was slow but when Benji got up to speed with the position he excelled. This term has seen Marshall return to the blistering form of 2005. In 27 NRL matches he scored 12 tries, kicked 76 goals and 3 drop goals while he has really found his form in the Four Nations, leading from the front against England and conjuring a couple of plays when the Kiwis backs were to the walls last weekend.
He has now appeared 130 times for the Tigers, scoring 53 tries, kicking 207 goals and those three drop goals for 629 points.
My Wildcard pick would be none other than
DARREN LOCKYER
For 333 games Darren Lockyer has lit up the NRL and in 52 tests for Australia, he has done the same thing. Lockyer has been around the top end of the NRL for 15 long years and that looks set to continue. He made his debut for the Brisbane Broncos way back in June 1995 and despite a couple of niggling injuries, he was still going strong with 18 appearances for the Broncos this past season.
Just the sheer length of his honours board suggest he is a living legend down under and such praise is well deserved. Not only is he a true world class stand-off with the guile and knowhow to unlock a defence, for much of his early career he was also a wonderful fullback and a more than useful goal-kicker. He is a State of Origin veteran for Queensland and years after his retirement, Lockyer is sure to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga such has been his influence on that arena. Lockyer has also appeared in Australain World Cup campaigns in 2000 and 2008 and even appeared in four tests for the Super League Australian team during the great rugby war that rocked a nation between 1995 and 1997.
Having broken the Australian records for most international appearances and most international tries, I think he would be a great choice, particularly if he can inspire the Australians to Four Nations glory in his own back yard of Brisbane this weekend.
Long may his reign continue.
Six players have been nominated for this year's Golden Boot and a seventh wildcard could enter the fray.
Each of the nominations have merits, obvious strengths, and are fine players in their own right.
On Monday I looked at Paul Gallen, James Graham and Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Today I'll look at another and pick my wildcard punt.
BENJI MARSHALL
For several years Benji Marshall has wowed the crowds in the NRL and certainly since working with Tim Sheens the talented halfback has taken his game to a whole new level.
The 25 year old was first graded in the NRL as a precocious teenager in 2003 and made his debut for Wests Tigers in a Round 20 game against Newcastle Knights. After leaving his native New Zealand, he went on to play for the formidable Australian Schoolboys after being offered a rugby scholarship by a school in Queensland.
He looked set to add to his experience in 2004 and helped guide Wests to win the World Sevens event before two dislocated shoulders brought an end to his season.
The following year he was back and better than ever. He played 27 games for Wests during the season and scored 15 tries as the merged club won the Premiership for the first time.
Once again, injury intervened in 2006 and again in 2007. It looked like another frustrating season lay infront of Marshall in 2008. He opened the season as part of a team that defeated St George 24-16 but only played one further game in the first 9 weeks. Thankfully for him and the Tigers, his return saw him again take up an important role and he was at his best when the Bulldogs were vanquished 56-4, scoring a try, laying a couple on and kicking 8 goals for a 20 point haul.
That momentum was carried into the 2008 World Cup and Marshall got better as the tournament went
on, playing a key role in a semi-final defeat of England before impressing against Australia in the final when the Kiwis won in excellent fashion 34-20.
2009 signalled a change for Marshall as he switched from stand-off to scrum half. Initially the changeover was slow but when Benji got up to speed with the position he excelled. This term has seen Marshall return to the blistering form of 2005. In 27 NRL matches he scored 12 tries, kicked 76 goals and 3 drop goals while he has really found his form in the Four Nations, leading from the front against England and conjuring a couple of plays when the Kiwis backs were to the walls last weekend.
He has now appeared 130 times for the Tigers, scoring 53 tries, kicking 207 goals and those three drop goals for 629 points.
My Wildcard pick would be none other than
DARREN LOCKYER
For 333 games Darren Lockyer has lit up the NRL and in 52 tests for Australia, he has done the same thing. Lockyer has been around the top end of the NRL for 15 long years and that looks set to continue. He made his debut for the Brisbane Broncos way back in June 1995 and despite a couple of niggling injuries, he was still going strong with 18 appearances for the Broncos this past season.
Just the sheer length of his honours board suggest he is a living legend down under and such praise is well deserved. Not only is he a true world class stand-off with the guile and knowhow to unlock a defence, for much of his early career he was also a wonderful fullback and a more than useful goal-kicker. He is a State of Origin veteran for Queensland and years after his retirement, Lockyer is sure to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga such has been his influence on that arena. Lockyer has also appeared in Australain World Cup campaigns in 2000 and 2008 and even appeared in four tests for the Super League Australian team during the great rugby war that rocked a nation between 1995 and 1997.
Having broken the Australian records for most international appearances and most international tries, I think he would be a great choice, particularly if he can inspire the Australians to Four Nations glory in his own back yard of Brisbane this weekend.
Long may his reign continue.
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