'Really poor': Benji's fault in Tigers axing

Benji Marshall should head to the Super League or become a bench utility after "really poor defence" helped trigger his Wests Tigers demise.

That's the verdict from fellow champion halves Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler, with a stop-gap role at the Brisbane Broncos also touted as a possibility.

While legendary coach Phil Gould believes that Marshall, 35, could still be useful to several NRL clubs, Johns told Wide World of Sports that his defence was a big problem; especially with coach Michael Maguire trying to harden up the under-performing club.

"I can understand both sides of it," Johns said on Freddy and the Eighth, of Maguire's call to axe Marshall.

"Benji's been a great player, he's doing some great things in attack but unfortunately, there's two parts to the game. Defensively this year, he's been really poor, Benji.

"In attack, he's still got that zest and he's controlling the game well. But unfortunately, the other side, defensively, he's been poor.

"Super League's the spot. Super League in the UK where it's all-out attack, that's suit him down to the ground.

"Brisbane could use him, they need some experience in the halves, [but] I think the UK Super League would suit him down to the ground. All-out attack, fast footy."

Marshall's Wests Tigers career will end at the conclusion of this season, after the club decided not to offer him a new contract despite his relatively modest salary of $300,000. The beloved Kiwi megastar wants to play on elsewhere.

Fittler said that Marshall may be better off playing reduced minutes if he persisted with his career in the NRL.

"That No.14 role could nearly be something for Benji," he said on Freddy and the Eighth.

"He's still got the flair and all the attack, sometimes just looks like he can't defend for 80 minutes, he's had some bad misses lately."

Gould named Canterbury, Manly and Brisbane as potential new homes for Marshall.

"Any club could use him, he's not very expensive," Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

"It's not as though he's looking for a lot of money, he just wants to play and wants to contribute. I think if you had a club with some young halves, if you had a club that was trying to rebuild, clubs that were struggling to score points...

"A Bulldogs, for example, could well use a player of his experience. I think they all could. Manly could certainly use another half to play with [Daly] Cherry-Evans. Broncos could use a half of any description."

Marshall will depart a Wests Tigers team that will again miss the finals, having not reached a post-season since 2011.

Johns said that the remaining players needed to get with Maguire's program. He said that the club was renowned as being soft and its poor record spoke for itself.

"There's always been this thought about the Wests Tigers where this is a soft underbelly," Johns said.

"Michael Maguire's from the Melbourne Storm regime, where they train them hard. Do you ever hear complaints out of Melbourne? No. Where are they always finishing? Top four.

"He went to South Sydney, did you hear any rumblings out of South Sydney? No, and they won a comp. There might be something in that.

"To be at the top as an individual, but also as a team, there are absolute sacrifices you have to make. Whether that's in your lifestyle, or the way you turn up to training, or what you eat, what you don't eat … it's a huge commitment and to get to that top [level] as a team but also as an individual, it's got to be selfish.

"It's got to be the No.1 thing in your life and I've got a question, at the Tigers, whether it is their No.1 thing; especially the way some of their players are playing. Not all. Aim up – he won't have to drop people. Make your tackles. Stop getting beat by 40.

"It's the longest losing streak, [that] any club has not made the semis. There's the answer."

Fittler added: "The next four week will tell him a lot about which players he'll want there next year."

Gould said that Maguire's reformation of the club was always going to be difficult, including his decision on Marshall's future. Marshall has played more than 250 games for the club and was a hero of their fairytale 2005 premiership.

"It's quite obvious what Michael Maguire is trying to do there at the Tigers," Gould said.

"He inherited a situation where there was some big salary cap issues and some players that obviously weren't playing to the money that they were being paid. He felt that there were cultural issues, which he's tried to address during the course of the year.

"And I think for the majority of this time, the players have been very supportive and understanding of that concept and I think they are today, too. But it's also not easy to hear and it's not easy to know that it's going to mean that maybe you need to be shuffled out or a younger player needs to be moved in.

"It's difficult for Benji. When your player wants to play on but your club's got different priorities moving forward, that's a difficult situation. I feel for Benji and I feel for the club.

"Benji Marshall is one of my favourite all-time players. Of all time, from the first time I saw him play.

"He came into the NRL and absolutely lit it up. I've never seen a teenager have such an impact as what Benji Marshall did to football."

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