Benjamin Quentin Marshall (born 25 February 1985) is a New Zealand former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played at or . He previously played for the

Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...

in two separate spells,

St. George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...

Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...

and

South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...

in the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

, and at representative level for the NRL All Stars and

New Zealand Kiwis The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...

. Marshall was also briefly a professional

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player with the

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

. Marshall played for fourteen seasons in the

for Sydney club

, with whom he won the 2005 NRL Premiership. He has been noted for his flamboyant attack, including sidesteps, no-look passes and flick-passes. In 2010 Marshall won the

Golden Boot Award Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

for the best international player.

Early years

Marshall was born in Whakatane, New Zealand. He is of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

descent. He is the eldest of three brothers, and the elder brother of New Zealand Māori international Jeremy Marshall-King. He was raised without his biological father, but has spoken of the influence of his foster-father Michael Doherty, and other men within his extended family. He has said he had, "10 or 11 fathers … which is not a bad thing." Marshall was a pupil at Whakatane High School. He was offered a scholarship to play for Keebra Park State High School in

Gold Coast, Queensland The Gold Coast is a coastal city in the state of Queensland, Australia, approximately south-southeast of the centre of the state capital Brisbane. With a population over 600,000, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, the nati ...

when he was 16. While living on the Gold Coast, he played junior rugby league for the

Nerang Roosters The Nerang Roosters were formed in 1977 and currently field male and female teams in all junior grades of the Gold Coast Rugby League. The club is based at Glennon Park. Notable juniors *Jaelen Feeney (2016 Newcastle Knights) *Keegan Hipgrave ( ...

. While in high school in Australia, Marshall played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2003, and also represented Australia in touch football that same year. Although eligible to represent Australia, Marshall declared his allegiance to the New Zealand Kiwis early in his career.

Rugby league career

2003

In Round 20 of the

2003 NRL season The 2003 NRL premiership was the 96th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the sixth run by the National Rugby League. Fifteen teams competed, with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles returning in place of their failed joint ...

, Marshall made his

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

debut for the

against the

Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...

, coming on as a replacement in the 14th minute as . The Wests Tigers won the match 52–12 at

Campbelltown Stadium Campbelltown Stadium, formerly Orana Park and Campbelltown Sports Ground, is a multi-use stadium in Leumeah, New South Wales, Australia, owned by Campbelltown City Council. It is the home ground of the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Wests Ti ...

. Marshall continued to make appearances for Wests Tigers for the remainder of 2003 when his studies allowed, playing halfback. In Round 24 against the

Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...

, Marshall scored his first NRL try in the Tigers 44–28 loss at

Penrith Stadium Penrith Stadium (known commercially as BlueBet Stadium) is a rugby league and association football stadium located in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. The 22,500 capacity venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthers who play in the N ...

. He scored one try from four appearances in his debut season.

2004

Marshall starred in the pre-season World Sevens competition helping the Wests Tigers to win the tournament. He began the season playing at centre until he dislocated his shoulder in Round 4 against the

North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...

. During his time off the Tigers struggled in attack. When he returned after four weeks, he was moved to the play-making position of five-eighth. From there, Marshall set the club on a record 3 match winning streak. He dislocated the same shoulder four weeks into his return in Round 13. Marshall's

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

ended as he had surgery, finishing the year with 2 tries from 7 matches.

2005

In 2005, Marshall injured his other shoulder in the opening minutes of the first trial match. After missing the opening round match, Marshall played five-eighth for the club's second match of the year against defending premiers, the

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.ANZAC Test. Marshall was a member of the

that defeated North Queensland Cowboys in the 2005 NRL grand final, where he famously set up a 90-metre try to

Pat Richards Pat Richards (born 27 February 1982) is a former professional rugby league footballer. An Ireland international er, he played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs the Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers, with whom he won the 2005 NRL ...

, which was considered to be one of the best tries of grand final history. The try involved a trademark 'flick pass', at about the 50-metre line to Richards. Marshall was named as New Zealand five-eighth for the 2005 Tri Nations tour. However, surgery on his weak shoulder in the off-season ruled him out and he also missed the

2006 World Club Challenge The 2006 World Club Challenge was a Rugby league match held on Friday, 3 February 2006, at Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield, UK. The game was contested by Bradford Bulls and Wests Tigers. Qualification Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls qualified for ...

2006

"Benji equals anybody I've seen in terms of flair, and making something happen. He is a remarkable talent, born out of living on the edge. That's the way he is. He was made to be a footballer."
- Wayne Bennett

Marshall made his comeback from surgery against St George Illawarra in round 1, but broke his cheek bone. He played the rest of the match and set up the winning try. Making his comeback against the Cowboys, Marshall set up many tries with a mixture of stepping and perceptiveness. In the 79th minute he was injured by Cowboy's prop

Carl Webb Carl Webb (born 20 March 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and the Parramatta Eels in the NRL. Webb ...

. He popped his shoulder out but recovered in three weeks, playing for New Zealand in the ANZAC test. With another injury-free run he began producing dominating performances for the Tigers but eight weeks into his come-back he dislocated the same shoulder that had been dislocated against North Queensland, and he missed the rest of the season.

2007

In 2007, Marshall again made his comeback from injury against the

Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...

in Round 1. Marshall had to adapt to changes within the team such as the departure of halfback,

Scott Prince Scott Prince (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club footba ...

, and the added responsibility of goal kicking while fullback,

Brett Hodgson Brett Hodgson (born 12 February 1978) is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional player during the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative goal-kicking , he played his club football in the NRL ...

, was recovering from a knee injury. The Daily Telegraph later said, "Marshall had to become something else, he had to become an organiser, a dictator, a tactician. This never came naturally to him but he made himself into that type of player because he had to do it." Marshall was selected to play for New Zealand at five-eighth in the 2007 ANZAC test, kicking one goal in the 6–30 loss. In round 8, Marshall sustained a fractured shoulder in a tackle where his arm was jammed between Melbourne's

Israel Folau Israel Folau ( to, ‘Isileli Folau; born 3 April 1989) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who plays for the Shining Arcs in the Japan Rugby League One and the Tonga national rugby union team. He has previously played Aust ...

and the Tigers' Taniela Tuiaki, and didn't return until round 20. Following the season, he missed the Centenary Trans-Tasman Test due to injury and also missed the Kiwis' Tour of Great Britain and France.

2008

In 2008 Marshall's injury troubles continued when he suffered a knee ligament tear in the third minute of the season's opening game. He returned in round 7. Halfway through 2008, coach

Tim Sheens Tim Sheens (born 30 October 1950) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Head Coach of the Australia national team between 2009 and 2015, he has also been the head coach of National Rugby League (NRL) clubs ...

' announced his plan to move Marshall to the halfback position during the 2009 season, going as far as encouraging New Zealand coach

Stephen Kearney Stephen Peter Kearney (born 11 June 1972) is a New Zealand professional rugby league football coach who until 2020 was the head coach of the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL and a former player. A New Zealand national captain and second-row for ...

to play Marshall in this role during the 2008 World Cup. The suggestion was declined. Marshall was named in the 24-man Kiwis squad for the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

. He captained New Zealand for the first time on 8 November, against

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Marshall scored a try and kicked two conversions in the World Cup final victory over the Kangaroos. It was the Kiwis first ever World Cup victory, in a game they were considered "massive underdogs."

2009

In round one of the 2009 season, Marshall started at halfback alongside John Morris at five-eighth. By the third round of the season, Marshall began to make an impact in his new role, helping the team to a 40–24 win over the

Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...

. In March, despite speculation that he might play rugby union in Japan, Marshall signed with the Wests Tigers for a further two seasons through to the end of 2011. Following Kiwis captain

Nathan Cayless Nathan Frederick Cayless (born 28 March 1978) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, and has coached in the 2010s. He played at representative level for New Zealand (captain), and ...

' retirement from international football, Marshall was named as captain in that year's ANZAC test. Marshall returned to his old position of five-eighth from July, though both Marshall and coach

insisted that Marshall had been switching between first and second receiver throughout the entire season. He went on to be named at 5/8 in the Team of the Year as chosen by The Rugby League International Federation. Kurt Gidley and Benji Marshall (26 April 2009)

Kurt Gidley and Benji Marshall (26 April 2009)

2010

In early 2010, Marshall signed a further extension with the Tigers, to stay at the club until the end of the 2015 season, saying, "I just can't see myself as anything other than a one-club man." As captain of New Zealand, Marshall was an automatic selection for the NRL All Stars in 2010. In March 2010, Marshall scored two tries against the Parramatta Eels to become the highest try-scorer for the Wests Tigers, breaking the record of 43 previously held by Daniel Fitzhenry. For the 2010 Anzac Test, he captained New Zealand at five-eighth in their loss against Australia. Later that year, in a match against the

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...

, Marshall kicked a 51-metre-long field goal, considered to be the longest in NRL history. 2010 was the first season that Marshall had played without missing a game due to injury, and his form was thought to be close to his career-best. He played in 34 games in 2010, the most of any NRL player. Marshall lead the Kiwis to victory in the

2010 Four Nations The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France. ...

tournament, setting up two late tries in what was described as, "perhaps the finest game of his life." He was then awarded the

Rugby League World Golden Boot Award The ''Rugby League World'' Golden Boot Award is a rugby league award handed out annually for achievements in rugby league by ''Rugby League World'' magazine. The ''Golden Boot'' is given, usually in December after the conclusion of all the year's m ...

for international footballer of the year. ''

Big League ''Big League'' was the official magazine of the National Rugby League. Its predecessor, ''The Rugby League News'', was first published in 1920; in 1974 it was rebranded as ''Big League''. In 2020, due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in ...

'' magazine named him one of the year's five top players.

2011

As New Zealand captain, Marshall was again an automatic selection in the

2011 All Stars Match The 2011 All Stars Match was the second of the annual representative exhibition match played between the Indigenous All Stars and the NRL All Stars which was held on the 12 of February 2011 at the Gold Coast's Skilled Park. The game was won by ...

. In March, Marshall was charged with assault after another man sustained a facial injury during an altercation with Marshall at a McDonald's restaurant in Sydney. In August, the judge dismissed the case, saying she had reasonable doubt that the injury was caused by Marshall. In round 14 of the 2011 season, Marshall scored 2 tries against the

New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

. He had then scored a try against every team in the NRL. Before the end of the season he had eclipsed

as the highest scorer in the short history of the Wests Tigers, having amassed 797 points in 151 games. Marshall was the top point-scorer for the

2011 NRL season The 2011 NRL season was the 104th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fourteenth and last run by the National Rugby League's partnership committee of the Australian Rugby League and News Ltd. The NRL ...

. After the post-season test against Australia in Newcastle, Marshall travelled to England with the Kiwis for the

2011 Four Nations The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament (also known as the 2011 Gillette Rugby League Four Nations due to sponsorship by Gillette) was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during O ...

tournament. On 3 November 2011, The annual

RLIF Awards The RLIF Awards are the Rugby League International Federation's annual major international sporting award for rugby league. Since 2004 the awards ceremony recognises the best referee, coach, developing nations player, international newcomer, captai ...

dinner was held at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

and Marshall was named stand-off half back of the year. Benji Marshall (7176095836) (cropped)

2012

Marshall began the 2012 season by captaining the

NRL All Stars team The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Au ...

to victory in the inaugural

Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011

trophy. He was one of the few players to appear in every Wests Tigers game for the year and, despite the club's poor showing, led the NRL in try assists and line-break assists in the regular season. With the departure of

Robert Lui Robert Lui (born 23 February 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup. He has previously played for the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys in ...

in the off-season, the club tried a number of players at halfback in 2012, before Marshall switched from five-eighth in May. In the second last game of the regular season, Marshall kicked two goals to become the first Wests Tigers and 43rd player in the Australian competition to score one thousand points. At the end of the season he was nominated for the

Dally M The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. As well as honouring the player of the year, who received the Dally M Medal, awards are also given to the premier player in each position, the b ...

halfback of the year. During the post-season Trans-Tasman Test 10–18 loss to Australia in Townsville, Marshall played his 20th game as New Zealand test captain, breaking the record for 'most capped

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

' for the Kiwis previously held by Gary Freeman since 1995.

2013

As the incumbent New Zealand national captain, Marshall was again selected to play in the 2013 NRL All Stars game. Weeks later, New Zealand coach

announced that Marshall had been dropped as the team's captain. Marshall said, "It was the proudest moment of my career, captaining my country. I was lucky enough that I got to break the record for most caps as Kiwi captain. The decision was Steve's and the New Zealand Rugby League's, and it's just a decision I'm just going to have to live with." By May, with the Wests Tigers on a losing streak, Marshall was dropped to the bench. Coach

Mick Potter Michael Potter (born 24 September 1963) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the interim head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League, and a former professional rugby league football ...

said, "We needed to change something around. We can't just keep doing what we've been doing and expect a result. Benji, as you could imagine, was disappointed. Disappointed is probably not hard enough." Marshall later admitted he was playing badly and without confidence. "This year, I've hardly taken the line on and I've hardly been tackled. Over the first six rounds I was barely contributing to the team," he said. In July, Marshall sought a release from the remaining two years of his contract with Wests Tigers to pursue a career in

, after the club declined to offer him a contract extension and upgrade that had been previously verbally agreed upon. He finished the remainder of the season before leaving, and left the Wests Tigers as the club's all-time top try and point scorer.

Highlights

*''First Grade Debut:'' 2003 – Round 20, Wests Tigers v

, Sydney, 27 July. *''Premierships:'' 2005 – Wests Tigers defeated North Queensland Cowboys 30 – 16 in the

Grand Final Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Sy ...

Stadium Australia Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park, in Sydney, Australia. The stadium, which in Australia is sometimes referred to as Sydney Olympic Stad ...

, Sydney, 2 October. *''

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Test Debut:'' 2005 – ANZAC Test, New Zealand v Australia,

Suncorp Stadium Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, 22 April. *''New Zealand Test Captain:'' 2008–12 *''New Zealand Test Squad Selection:'' 2005–12 *''

World Cups A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

:'' 2008 – New Zealand defeated Australia 34 – 20 in

Final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 26 October. *'' NRL All Stars Debut:'' 2010 – NRL All Stars v Indigenous All Stars,

Skilled Park A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of wo ...

, Robina, Queensland, 13 February. *''NRL All Stars Captain'': 2012–13 *''NRL All Stars Selection:'' 2010–13

Rugby union

2014

In August Marshall entered negotiations with the

to play

in New Zealand. He indicated his desire to play for the Auckland team, even if it meant a pay cut and the probability of starting on the bench. Marshall signed a two-year deal with the Auckland franchise worth close to $500,000 a season, announced via Blues official YouTube channel, with Marshall wearing the Blues jumper while still signed with Wests Tigers. Blues coach

Sir John Kirwan Sir John Kirwan (1650–1721) was an Irish merchant and politician who founded the Kirwans of Castle Hackett, County Galway. Background Kirwan was a member of one of the Tribes of Galway. The family were of Gaelic origin, possibly of Conmha� ...

hinted that number 10 (first five-eighth), not 15 (fullback), may be Marshall's ideal position. Marshall later said, "I’m a little bit dirty on myself for the way I left. I could’ve done things a lot better. I know that. The whole Auckland Blues jumper fiasco. The disrespect of doing that. I didn’t know it at the time, and people around me were telling me to do it. I was dumb enough to listen." In February 2014, Marshall made his Super Rugby debut for the

against the Highlanders at

Forsyth Barr Stadium The Forsyth Barr Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. At various stages of development it was also known as Dunedin Stadium or Awatea Street Stadium, or its non-commercial official name during the 2011 Rugby World Cup an ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

coming on off the bench in the 59th minute playing at fullback which resulted in a re-shuffle with

Charles Piutau Salesi Tu'ipulotu "Charles" Piutau (born 31 October 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the fullback (and occasionally wing) position for England club Bristol Bears in the Premiership, and formerly for New Zealand's national ...

shifting to the centres. In his debut game he set up a line-break assist to Peter Saili, which led to a try to Patrick Tuipulotu. However, the Blues end-up losing 21–29. On 15 March 2014, Marshall made his first appearance at fullback for the Blues for the clash against the South African team, the at

Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was ...

in Johannesburg. During the game, he scored his first Super Rugby try in the second half of the game (in the 80th minute). He made 10 runs (130 metres), 2 line-breaks, 3 Offloads and 2 Try-Assists - setting up a try to team outside-backs

Frank Halai Frank Halai (born 6 March 1988) is a Tongan rugby union player who plays as a winger for the Austin Gilgronis in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for Pau in the Top 14. and for Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup, and before that ...

(in the 65th minute) and

George Moala George Moala (born 5 November 1990), is a professional rugby union player currently playing for Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14, having previously played in New Zealand for both Auckland and the Blues. Early career Moala attended Tamaki ...

(in the 71st minute). Unfortunately, the Blues end-up losing 36–39. Despite the loss, Marshall made a couple of great touches with the ball and produce a strong performance in the game. Following round 5 (of the 2014 Super Rugby Season), Marshall was named at Fullback in the Fox-Sports' Round 5 Super Rugby 'Team of the week'. However, on 23 April 2014, having made just one start and six appearances, Marshall was released from his contract with the Blues.

Return to rugby league

2014

On 9 May 2014, Marshall signed a -year contract with the

St George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint- ...

. He finished the year with 3 tries.

2015

In 2015, Marshall steered the

Dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

to their first NRL finals series since coach Wayne Bennett left the club at the end of the 2011 season. The Dragons were defeated in golden point extra time by the Bulldogs in the first elimination final with Marshall being forced from the field in the second half with an ankle injury. Marshall finished equal second in the Dally M medal count, behind

Johnathan Thurston Johnathan Dean Thurston (born 25 April 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All ...

, who won the People's Choice award, along with the Player of the Year and Halfback of the Year.

2016

On 24 July, Marshall played his 250th NRL game, playing against his former club Wests Tigers. Marshall had been set to play game number 250 the weekend earlier against the Gold Coast Titans, before a troublesome hamstring pushed it back a week. Benji ran out in his 250th game in the Red V of St George, meaning that he ended up playing a major milestone match against a team he played most of his career with.

2017

After rejecting a one-year extension worth $300,000, Marshall decided to reunite with Wayne Bennett and sign with the

on a one-year deal. Marshall later said, "I had nowhere to go so I called him and he just said, 'come to Brisbane'. He talked to me about just enjoying the game again, which I had lost. I've just been trying to do that ever since." He played in 13 games for them, sometimes covering injured or representative players, and sometimes playing as a utility off the bench.

2018

Marshall signed a deal in August 2017 to go back to his first club The

for one year. With the departure of Aaron Woods, Marshall was named as one of 5 co-captains at Wests Tigers, alongside Chris Lawrence,

Elijah Taylor Elijah Taylor may refer to: * Elijah Taylor (rugby league) (born 1990), New Zealand rugby league player * Elijah Taylor (Australian footballer) Elijah Taylor (born 1 May 2001) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney S ...

Russell Packer Russell Packer (born 9 October 1989) is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who played as a for the Wests Tigers, St. George Illawarra Dragons and the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL, and the New Zealand Māori and New ...

and

Josh Reynolds Josh Reynolds may refer to: * Josh Reynolds (American football) (born 1995), American football wide receiver * Josh Reynolds (rugby league) (born 1989), Australian rugby league player * Josh Reynolds (rugby union) (born 1998), Welsh rugby union pla ...

. Coach

Ivan Cleary Ivan Cleary (born 1 March 1971) is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Penrith Panthers in the NRL and a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s and 2000s. He is a ...

said, "I just think it's the right model for us right now. When we started this preseason it was pretty obvious straight away that there was no real pecking order. There was no set culture to adhere to. It was all new." With the role rotating, Marshall made his return as on-field captain in round 3. Named on the bench for his return in round 1, Marshall got a call-up to five-eighth after a late injury to

, and was said to play a "central role" in the surprise victory over eventual premiers the Sydney Roosters. Marshall said, "I’m just enjoying being back in this No.6 jersey and I’m going to give my all every week to try and stay in it. If that happens I’ll be pretty happy. I thought my career was coming to an end so to get this opportunity is a dream come true for me." With Reynolds suffering further injuries, Marshall made 21 appearances for the season.

2019

Marshall's contract renewal for 2019 was announced at the same time as long-time teammate

Robbie Farah Robert Peter Farah ( ar, روبي فرح) (born 23 January 1984) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international, Lebanese international and captain of New South Wales Blues te ...

. Farah said, "Once he texted me late last night to tell me he was staying on again, it relieved the nerves, to be honest. To know he was there for another year - the two old boys at the club - it made me feel a lot better." Marshall was selected to represent the New Zealand Kiwis for their matchup against Tonga on 22 June. He started as halfback, pairing with

Shaun Johnson Shaun Johnson (born 9 September 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL) and the New Zealand Kiwis at international level. He has played pr ...

for a much anticipated halves combination. This was his first appearance for the Kiwis in seven years, and also his return to captaincy. They won the game 34–14. Marshall made 19 appearances for the

in the

2019 NRL season The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...

as the club finished ninth on the table and missed out on the finals. The year also saw Marshall put in a number of strong performances. At the end of the regular season, Marshall captained New Zealand in two further tests, breaking the record for most matches as captain for them at 22. Wayne Bennett said, "I think it is great what the coach has done in bringing him back because he brings so much. They all get older, there's no doubt about that but they don't lose their skill level, they don't lose their commitment, they might lose a yard of speed but that's about all."

2020

After the first game of the season, Fox Sports had a headline, "Benji Marshall is the second oldest player in the NRL. He’s not playing like it." Finishing the game with one try, two try assists, and returning to the goal-kicking role for the first time since leaving Wests Tigers in 2013, Marshall said, "I am actually proud of myself that I am still playing. There was a pretty tough patch there when I thought I was going to have to retire, especially when I went to Brisbane." On 8 August, in round 13 of the season, Marshall and fellow Wests Tigers teammate Chris Lawrence played their 250th games for the Tigers in a 44–4 loss against the Newcastle Knights. Towards the back end of the

, Marshall was informed by Wests that he was not part of their plans going into the 2021 season. In round 20, he played his final game for the club against Parramatta. Marshall was taken from the field early in the first half with a rib injury and did not return as Wests lost 28–24 at

Bankwest Stadium Western Sydney Stadium, commercially known as CommBank Stadium, is a multi-purpose rectangular stadium in Parramatta, within the Greater Western Sydney region, approximately west of Sydney CBD. It replaced the demolished Parramatta Stadi ...

2021

On 29 January, Marshall signed a one-year contract with the

. He made his debut for them in round 1 in a 26-18 loss against Melbourne. In round 5 against Brisbane, he scored his first try for South Sydney in a 35-6 victory at

, and in round 7, he scored two tries for South Sydney in a 40-30 victory over the Gold Coast. Marshall played a total of 22 games for South Sydney in the

2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...

including the club's

2021 NRL Grand Final The 2021 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2021 National Rugby League season in Australia. It was contested between the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday 3 October at Suncorp Stadiu ...

defeat against Penrith. Following the NRL premiership decider, Marshall announced his retirement on 6 October. On 6 October 2021, Marshall officially announced his retirement from professional rugby league. He then signed a two-year contract with Fox Sports to work as an analyst/pundit. In the 2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours, Marshall was appointed a

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...

, for services to rugby league.

Media appearances

In 2022, Marshall competed on the sixth season of ''

The Celebrity Apprentice Australia ''The Celebrity Apprentice Australia'' is an Australian reality television series which aired on the Nine Network. Based on NBC's ''The Apprentice'', it first aired on 24 October 2011 and originally featured Mark Bouris, the founder and chairm ...

''. On June 21, he was declared the winner of the series, raising over $487,000 for his chosen charity

Souths Cares The Souths Cares program is an initiative of the South Sydney Rabbitohs which was started with the aim of to give children and young people from Redfern and the surrounding areas the opportunity to take part in a series of health and education work ...

References

External links

Wests Tigers profile

*https://web.archive.org/web/20130503092218/http://www.benjimarshall.com.au/
NRL profileBlues profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marshall, Benji 1985 births Living people Blues (Super Rugby) players Brisbane Broncos players Mangere East Hawks players Ngāi Tūhoe people New Zealand emigrants to Australia New Zealand expatriate rugby league players New Zealand Māori rugby league players New Zealand national rugby league team captains New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand rugby union players NRL All Stars players People educated at Keebra Park State High School People educated at Whakatane High School Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league players from Whakatāne Rugby union players from Whakatāne South Sydney Rabbitohs players St. George Illawarra Dragons players Touch footballers Wests Tigers players The Apprentice Australia candidates Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit