The big topic in the NRL world today is the news that Benji Marshall is seeking an early release from the final two years of his playing contract with the Wests Tigers. Marshall has been playing with the Tigers for a decade and was vital in their 2005 Premiership success. It is likely that Marshall will be playing rugby union next year.
This is extremely sad news for a number of reasons. Firstly, the reason Marshall is seeking this release is likely to be because he is disillusioned that the Tigers have not honoured a handshake agreement which would see him remain at the Club until the end of 2017. Throughout his career, Marshall has always stated that he would never play for another NRL club. Sport has become a business and while the Tigers may have other commercial priorities which see them unable to secure Benji's services for couple of years, it is sad to see Marshall and the Tigers part like this.
Marshall will not only be a huge loss for the Tigers but also for the NRL. Marshall has been a crowd pleaser for the entirety of his career. He is immediately associated as a star of the Tigers and it will certainly be a shock to see him playing another code next year. Many children idolise Marshall and see him as their hero. He has been a remarkable role model for the NRL and for his Club.
When huge decisions like this are made in the NRL, the word loyalty is often thrown around.
I am quite a sentimental person and am delighted and proud to see players honour contracts and ultimately show loyalty to the team that often gave them their big break in the NRL. Men like Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Burt were always held in such high esteem by myself and many other Parramatta fans because of their commitment to our Club over their entire playing careers.
However, in today's modern game, is loyalty overrated? Or can players who show loyalty be said to be oversentimental?
Professional footballers need to take extreme care when negotiating their contracts. As I have blogged previously, a football career generally only lasts for 10 years, if players are lucky and injury does not get too much in the way. For these 10 years, players need to maximise their earning potential, particularly when careers can end in an instant. Loyalty to a club is not the only consideration when players try to navigate their way through their careers. Responsibility and obligation are often two other very important considerations.
As a fan, it is extremely easy for us to be blindly loyal and devoted to our teams from the day we are born to the day we die. Unfortunately however, players are often unable to match this unwavering loyalty. Our game has a salary cap in place and this unfortunately limits the ability of each Club to keep all the players that they want, even when a player is desperate to remain. Kevin Kingston is a prime example. In 2009 he desperately wanted to remain with the Eels, but salary cap restraints meant the Eels were unable to keep him. In an era where money talks, sport is big business and loyalty is often seen as less important than winning, do we blame players for wanting to leave clubs?
While loyalty is a beautiful thing and many of us have a
place in our hearts for those men who are 'one-club men', I truly think that
the 'one-club man' is something which will become even more of a rarity in our
modern game.
Love,
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