Louisa Wall: Shoulder damage won't deter Marshall

Whatever the outcome of tomorrow's NRL grand final between Wests Tigers and the Cowboys, superstar Benji Marshall and other Kiwis involved in this match will have much to deliberate about regarding international duty.

I needed a shoulder reconstruction in 1999, having played the entire rugby season in pain after I landed on it during a club match. It slipped out during mundane things such as changing the gears on the car. I decided to have the operation at the end of the season after games against the USA in Palmerston North and little did I know that these were to be my last international games.

I snapped my right Achilles tendon in 2000, against Northland on Eden Park, the last round robin game before the finals of the NPC and I missed the tour to Canada. In 2001 I snapped my left knee anterior cruciate ligament, again against Northland at Waitemata playing for the Auckland Maori and made it back for provincial duties later that season but then in early 2002 I re-snapped the same ligament and my medial ligament as well.

It was well and truly time to hang up the boots then.

In 1999, Stu Walsh was my surgeon and by the following season I was all better and able to do what I had done before. My form fell away though during the season but by general standards I was still good enough to be selected.

Marshall is certainly in great form and playing at a level of performance that will guarantee Kiwis selection if he wants it.

Imagine, however, if he was injured, underperforming and wanted the Black jersey so bad. Maybe this is his last chance to wear the black jersey - you just never know in life and sport.

If I were Marshall I would play the Tri-Nations games in Australasia. Game 1 is on October 15 against the Aussies at Telstra Stadium and the following week we host the Aussies at Ericsson Stadium.

The English-based games I would make myself unavailable for given the travel involved and the fact that the final Kiwis match is on November 12 against Great Britain at Huddersfield, unless we make the final on November 26 at Elland Road, Leeds. That is a great compromise and will ensure that Marshall honours the black jersey with the silver fern and does not take this opportunity for granted.

His availability for the Wests Tigers has been unquestioned so I doubt a club medical report that says he needs to have corrective surgery on his right shoulder as soon as possible. I am sure it could wait a few more weeks.

There will be minimal delay in his rehabilitation under this scenario and given Marshall had a full shoulder reconstruction last year and recovered, he obviously heals well and there has been minimal impact on his performance.

He is a fantastic ambassador for New Zealand and the game. He seems to be loving life and loving playing football and what a wonderful role-model he is for his brothers and his whanau and many aspiring kids who now want to play like Benji Marshall, and I am certain the Wests Tigers franchise has benefited greatly.

He doesn't want to be a flash in the pan player but to stick around for more than 10 years.

It is interesting to note that he wanted to be an All Black and he started playing league only three years ago.

I hope the fairytale season continues for coach Tim Sheens and the Wests Tigers family. Let's hope this level of enthusiasm is transferred to the international game and this can be achieved only with the very best players representing their countries.

* Louisa Wall is a former New Zealand rugby and netball representative