Over the off season Benji Marshall sat down with former Penrith Panther and now West Tigers defensive coach Royce Simmons and asked him how much it meant to him to be a one club player.
Marshall has always been a very mature player, if you know a bit about his background, even away from football, you know this is a young man wise beyond his years.
Because of this I think Marshall worked out what is really important in like….being happy.
A lot of young men over the years have been duped into moving away from good situations, good clubs, places where they grew up and were happy just because people talked up other options.
Sure, money is important, but when you are at the level of a Benji Marshall, even your lowest offer on the table will mean you are very well off well beyond your playing days.
The old saying that the grass is always greener on the other side does ring true. We’ve all experienced that in our every day lives at some point, whether it be thinking of moving, changing jobs, getting a new car, hell even little things like buying a new mobile phone or a new TV.
Something always seems it might be a little better than what you have.
The fact is, if you are happy where you are, that is worth all the money in the world.
Benji Marshall is still only a young bloke, but he already has a Grand Final win to his name, has an amazing World Cup victory under his belt and he has years of football ahead of him. He’s happy at the Tigers, he likes the players around him, he likes the coaching staff, he likes the culture of the club…..why would he think of leaving?
There are so many players lured away from good situations you know they wished they never left.
You know that Willie Mason would loved to still be a Bulldog. There are already rumours that Mark Gasnier wishes he was back at St George/Illawarra. Would Matt Orford have ever left Melbourne? Would Michael Crocker or Matt King rather be back at the Storm for that matter?
The list goes on and on.
Marshall made a smart move, a long term contract at the club he loves playing for. The Tigers made a smart move too, you lock up one of the games best player, one of the most marketable player, and it stabilizes the whole club.
A good day for Rugby League.
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