Benji Marshall’s NRL career faces uncertain future with clubs showing no interest in the halfback
BENJI Marshall faces a fight to continue his NRL career beyond 2016 with a number of clubs, including Cronulla, knocking back an approach from his management.
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ST GEORGE Illawarra star Benji Marshall faces a fight to continue his NRL career beyond this season with several clubs, including Cronulla, knocking back an approach from his management.
Coach Shane Flanagan told The Saturday Telegraph the Sharks were already well equipped in the halves with recruits James Maloney and Chad Townsend on long-term deals.
“We’re not going there (Benji) and we’ve moved well and truly on from needing any halves,” Flanagan said.
“We’ve signed Townsend and Maloney, so I’m not looking into that.
“I can also put Bird in the halves and we’ve got young ones coming through as well, so we are comfortable with where we are in the halves.”
Melbourne have also been approached via the club’s recruitment team as a possible home for the off-contract Marshall, but football manager Frank Ponissi denied any interest. “Nothing against Benji, but no,” he said.
Marshall has previously been linked to a return to the Wests Tigers, but CEO Justin Pascoe said the club’s focus was retaining young halves Mitch Moses and Luke Brooks.
Marshall’s first priority is to remain at St George Illawarra, but the playmaker has publicly stated his disappointment at the club’s initial $300,000 offer.
The former New Zealand Test star recently parted ways with his long-term agent Martin Tauber to link with Mario Tartak of Crown Sports Management.
Tartak, who also manages Canterbury big men Sam Kasiano and Greg Eastwood, officially met with the Dragons to kick-start talks this week.
Director of rugby league pathways Ian Millward said they wanted to retain Marshall, but face a juggling act with the salary cap and the playmaker may have to accept even less money to remain at the Dragons.
He said the club was also working through the process of retaining in-form hooker Mitch Rein, who has attracted significant interest from rival NRL clubs.
“As much as we’d like to keep Benji, we’ve also got to be realistic,” Millward said about Marshall, who makes his return from a hamstring injury against North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday.
“We’ve got a salary cap to work within, we’ve got other players coming off-contract and we’ve got another players to upgrade in 2017.
“When Paul McGregor took over it was tough at first because there were some salary cap issues that needed be cleared, but we are moving forward on that.
“The last thing we want to do as a club is put ourselves back in that position.
“We’d like Benji to stay, but we have to work within our parameters.”
Meanwhile, Millward refused to rule out the Dragons making a play for premiership-winning Cowboys fullback Lachlan Coote.
“We aren’t in any negotiations with Lachlan at present,” he said of Coote, whose manager Mark Wright flew to Sydney last week to meet a number of clubs, including Manly.
“Our first priority is to get a conclusion with Benji and then get to other players, but it’s getting the balance with the salary cap right.
“But it’s like everything, if one door closes, another opens and you’ve always got to be flexible.”
Originally published as Benji Marshall’s NRL career faces uncertain future with clubs showing no interest in the halfback
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