Benji Marshall won his first - and so far only - NRL title with the Wests Tigers in 2005. Photo / Getty
Benji Marshall won his first - and so far only - NRL title with the Wests Tigers in 2005. Photo / Getty
OPINION:
When it comes to Benji Marshall, the latest generation of sports fans might be wondering what all the fuss is about.
Those who have started following the NRL recently may be surprised about the attention lavished on the 36-year-old, who is tipped to retire following Sunday's NRL grand finalbetween Penrith and South Sydney.
They might have read stories about the good old days, or seen YouTube highlights of Marshall in his Tigers heyday, but there are stars in every era, right?
The kid from Whakatane was one of a kind, and it's difficult to understand his impact in the 2000s without having access to a time machine.
Marshall was bigger than Texas – and for good reason. Within the highly structured NRL, there had been plenty of individual stars over the years, from Bob Fulton and Brett Kenny to Allan Langer and Darren Lockyer.
He had pace, ridiculous acceleration and incredible evasiveness, with rubber legs that could change direction on a dime. Marshall was the master of the unexpected, able to break rigid defensive lines with a dummy and a swerve, or a well-timed pass off either wing.
But most of all, he had panache. No one had seen sidesteps like his – as he jumped in the air, then seemed to be gone before he landed – and off both feet.
He pioneered the no-look pass, and all kinds of audacious flicks. And Marshall did it all with a cheeky grin, like he was playing in a local park.
At his peak, everyone wanted to be like Benji, whose freewheeling style captured the imagination on both sides of the Tasman.
He was manna from heaven for Australian broadcasters, after some dour years, and helped league gain a new audience here. Marshall emerged at a time when the All Blacks weren't the behemoth they are today, as the country yearned for another World Cup, and didn't have excitement machines like Beauden Barrett.
Marshall filled that vacuum.
In 2005 he scored 15 tries from five eighth, averaging nine over the next seven seasons. As defences encircled, Marshall became a playmaker extraordinaire, with a staggering 119 try assists between 2009-2012.
The Tigers lacked consistency after their epic 2005 premiership, but Marshall was unlucky not to reach another decider, after freakish losses to the Roosters (2010, Braith Anasta field goal) and Warriors (2011, Krisnan Inu try) derailed promising finals campaigns.
At test level, he was key to the 2008 World Cup victory then turned the 2010 Four Nations final, creating two tries in the last nine minutes.
Marshall's longevity has been remarkable, especially after numerous shoulder operations as a teenager.
He's also reinvented himself.
Benji Marshall has helped the Rabbitohs reach the NRL grand final. Photo / Getty
The Dragons cut him at the end of the 2016 season, but he took a budget deal at the Broncos, where he played only 13 matches, but rediscovered a love for the game playing in the Queensland Cup.
He was close to retirement in 2019, before opting for another campaign, then was cut by the Tigers last October. That looked like the end, before his fateful phone call to Wayne Bennett secured a Rabbitohs deal, where he has played 21 games, mainly in a hybrid role off the bench.
"I am just really grateful that I am still playing first grade," Marshall told the Herald last year. "I'm appreciating the job we have every day. I'm not on big money or anything but that is not the point. I'm playing to prove a point to myself and out of love."
Despite his ill-fated rugby dalliance with the Blues, and several campaigns ruined by injury, Marshall has clocked up 345 NRL games, across 19 seasons, with 96 tries, 129 line breaks and 291 try assists.
Whatever happens in Sunday's grand final, one thing is for sure.
We will never see another talent quite like Benjamin Quentin Marshall.
