{"id":324370,"date":"2023-08-18T06:19:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T06:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=324370"},"modified":"2023-08-18T07:58:30","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T07:58:30","slug":"benjis-frosty-exchange-after-shock-promotion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=324370","title":{"rendered":"Benji's frosty exchange after 'shock' promotion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Benji Marshall<\/a> was defiant, and a touch icy, as he addressed media for the first time since it was revealed the club legend would take over from Tim Sheens as head coach a year earlier than originally planned<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The embattled Tigers<\/a>' five-year plan took an astonishing twist when it was revealed on Wednesday that Sheens<\/a> would step down as head coach at the end of the season.<\/p>\n

The plan was for Marshall to learn the craft under Sheens and take up the club's head coaching position from 2025, but he will now step into the hot seat ahead of the 2024 season.<\/p>\n

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As Marshall spoke to media from the Tigers' Concord headquarters on Friday, the club's 2005 NRL<\/a> grand final hero\ufeff admitted the twist in the five-year plan was a "shock", but declared he would be ready.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old also insisted he would crack down on the leaking that's long plagued the club.<\/p>\n

"\ufeffIt was surreal 12 months ago when I got appointed in this position to be head coach in 2025. The fact that it's come sooner than anticipated is a bit of a shock, no doubt, but at the same time it excites me, the challenge," Marshall said.<\/p>\n

"\ufeffWithout Tim that doesn't happen, so I'm really thankful and grateful to him.<\/p>\n

"\ufeffUntil you are head coach you don't get to put your stamp on things as much and do things the way you do things. That part excites me, being able to do that.<\/p>\n

"But I'm not saying I know everything. I've still got a lot to learn. I'm really lucky that I've had a guy in Tim who's had a lot of experience."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Marshall revealed he'd sought advice from Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett\ufeff and Storm mentor Craig Bellamy, as well as Todd Payten, his former Tigers teammate and the coach of the Cowboys.<\/p>\n

"But I'll back myself," Marshall added.<\/p>\n

"That's what I've always done in my life. No matter the challenge, whether it might seem impossible to others, in my head it's possible … When the time comes for me to step up, which will be next year, I will be ready.<\/p>\n

"I got a phone call from Tim about it and he had decided he was going to step down. I would have loved him to stay around and mentor me, but for whatever reason they've made an agreement … I've only found out probably the last 36 hours, to be fair.<\/p>\n

"But this is what my job was always going to be and the fact that it's coming early is different, but it's still where we're heading."<\/p>\n

\"Benji<\/p>\n

Marshall had a frosty exchange with a reporter early in the press conference, having been asked to explain how the Tigers' altered five-year plan would work.<\/p>\n

"\ufeffI don't know what you're asking me," Marshall said.<\/p>\n

"Just with your question, I don't understand what you're saying," he added after the reporter tried to clarify his question.<\/p>\n

"So Tim is moving on.<\/p>\n

"So, have you done your research before you came?<\/p>\n

"Everyone knows that; it's been quite well documented."<\/p>\n

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 live and free on<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Leaks of sacked coaches, disgruntled players and signings have hurt the club repeatedly, which Marshall is adamant on solving.\ufeff<\/p>\n

"\ufeffAlthough I know you want the information to be made public, everything that I will be doing internally will stay that way," he said.<\/p>\n

"When I do know what's going to happen you will be the first to know … Again, like internally, everyone wants to know everything. I'm at the point where that can stay internal for me, so you won't be finding that out."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sheens made a return to the NRL when the Tigers appointed him as head of football in June 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 2005 premiership-winning coach was involved in the axing of Michael Maguire a year later<\/a>, before controversially taking up the head coaching role himself<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A month after coaching his final game for the Tigers, against Manly at Brookvale Oval\ufeff on September 1, he will turn 73.<\/p>\n

But Marshall said he expected Sheens to pick up another job in rugby league.<\/p>\n

"If you've spoken to Tim it's his life. When you talk to him and have conversations about anything it's do with rugby league," Marshall said.<\/p>\n

"There's no doubt he's one of the smartest minds in the game and his legacy at the club will be forever. He won the first premiership here, he brought a lot of these players here.<\/p>\n

"I don't think it'll be the last we see of him in the game, no."<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Benji Marshall was defiant, and a touch icy, as he addressed media for the first time since it was revealed the club legend would take […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":324372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324370"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=324370"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":324375,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324370\/revisions\/324375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/324372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=324370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=324370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=324370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}