DIEHARD
11-11-05, 05:22 AM
By James Hooper
Wests Tigers whiz kid Benji Marshall has informed the club of his desire to remain at the premiers with a new $1 million deal expected to be signed before the end of this month.
But Marshall's upgraded three-year contract is set to complicate the Tigers' quest to retain Test halfback Scott Prince as the premiers feel the bite of salary cap pressure.
In a positive signal, Marshall's manager Martin Tauber last night confirmed the Kiwi Test representative's desire to remain with Wests.
But Tauber cautioned the premiers against undervaluing the former Keebra Park schoolboy sensation, who could command upwards of $350,000 on the open market.
The Daily Telegraph understands a new deal contracting Marshall to the Tigers until the end of 2009 is expected to be finalised in the next fortnight.
"There's no question the boy wants to stay, it's more a question of what the Tigers can do in regards to his contract," Tauber said.
"At this stage their offer is nowhere near what the boy is worth so there is still a fair bit of work to be done.
"We've had a couple of meetings with Steve Noyce the chief executive and I've got another one [today].
"Benji wants to stay and we want him to stay, the Tigers are a good club on the up and up and they are going to be good for his football development.
"They're a good bunch of people that he has a great relationship with but we won't be signing until we get the right terms."
Wests chief executive Steve Noyce was non-committal when quizzed about the progress of Marshall's new contract, suggesting the deal was a work-in-progress.
The Daily Telegraph understands the Tigers are yet to reach their $3.3 million salary cap ceiling for 2005 and part of Marshall's new deal will utilise this.
"We had a meeting with his manager a couple of weeks ago and that's where we're up to," Noyce said.
"I'm sure you can appreciate these decisions take some time."
Since unearthing Marshall as a precocious schoolboy in season 2002 the Tigers have nurtured the Kiwi Test prodigy into one of the NRL's most exciting talents.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens deserves credit for playing a huge role in the development of Marshall, who burst into rugby league showcasing a damaging sidestep.
Marshall is currently sidelined after undergoing right shoulder surgery on an injury he carried throughout all of 2005.
The Tigers star is expected to be unavailable for Wests' season-opening match against St George Illawarra at Telstra Stadium.
* SOUTHS icon George Piggins intends to launch legal action against media identity Andrew Denton over the high-profile Rabbitohs supporter's outburst yesterday.
* NRL club Melbourne Storm will share AFL team Carlton's training and administration base at Optus Oval for the next two years.
The Storm have been forced to find a new base because their current administration offices will be torn down next year so a new stadium can be built adjacent to their current home ground Olympic Park.
Their current training ground, Gosch's Paddock, will also be unavailable.
Source: The Daily Telegraph - http://www.FOXSPORTS.com.au
Wests Tigers whiz kid Benji Marshall has informed the club of his desire to remain at the premiers with a new $1 million deal expected to be signed before the end of this month.
But Marshall's upgraded three-year contract is set to complicate the Tigers' quest to retain Test halfback Scott Prince as the premiers feel the bite of salary cap pressure.
In a positive signal, Marshall's manager Martin Tauber last night confirmed the Kiwi Test representative's desire to remain with Wests.
But Tauber cautioned the premiers against undervaluing the former Keebra Park schoolboy sensation, who could command upwards of $350,000 on the open market.
The Daily Telegraph understands a new deal contracting Marshall to the Tigers until the end of 2009 is expected to be finalised in the next fortnight.
"There's no question the boy wants to stay, it's more a question of what the Tigers can do in regards to his contract," Tauber said.
"At this stage their offer is nowhere near what the boy is worth so there is still a fair bit of work to be done.
"We've had a couple of meetings with Steve Noyce the chief executive and I've got another one [today].
"Benji wants to stay and we want him to stay, the Tigers are a good club on the up and up and they are going to be good for his football development.
"They're a good bunch of people that he has a great relationship with but we won't be signing until we get the right terms."
Wests chief executive Steve Noyce was non-committal when quizzed about the progress of Marshall's new contract, suggesting the deal was a work-in-progress.
The Daily Telegraph understands the Tigers are yet to reach their $3.3 million salary cap ceiling for 2005 and part of Marshall's new deal will utilise this.
"We had a meeting with his manager a couple of weeks ago and that's where we're up to," Noyce said.
"I'm sure you can appreciate these decisions take some time."
Since unearthing Marshall as a precocious schoolboy in season 2002 the Tigers have nurtured the Kiwi Test prodigy into one of the NRL's most exciting talents.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens deserves credit for playing a huge role in the development of Marshall, who burst into rugby league showcasing a damaging sidestep.
Marshall is currently sidelined after undergoing right shoulder surgery on an injury he carried throughout all of 2005.
The Tigers star is expected to be unavailable for Wests' season-opening match against St George Illawarra at Telstra Stadium.
* SOUTHS icon George Piggins intends to launch legal action against media identity Andrew Denton over the high-profile Rabbitohs supporter's outburst yesterday.
* NRL club Melbourne Storm will share AFL team Carlton's training and administration base at Optus Oval for the next two years.
The Storm have been forced to find a new base because their current administration offices will be torn down next year so a new stadium can be built adjacent to their current home ground Olympic Park.
Their current training ground, Gosch's Paddock, will also be unavailable.
Source: The Daily Telegraph - http://www.FOXSPORTS.com.au