League: The master and the apprentice

Rugby league enthusiasts are drooling at the thought of the contest between New Zealand's master halfback Stacey Jones and the apprentice Benji Marshall.

Marshall, 20, will be playing just his 14th NRL game when the Wests Tigers run out against the Warriors at Jade Stadium in Christchurch today, while Jones will be making his 220th appearance for the Warriors.

Jones' unavailability for test football has left a gaping hole in the Kiwis structure and attack plan. Could Marshall be the heir apparent?

Marshall will play at five-eighth for the Tigers because they have Queensland State of Origin halfback Scott Prince in the seven jersey.

But whereas the experts see Jones and Prince as pure halfbacks, they view Marshall as a capable player in both roles.

He plays a different game - it's his kicking game he needs to work on, they reckon.

Jones has the vision and burst of acceleration for breaks off the ruck and scrum.

Marshall likes to play wider and take advantage of second-phase play created by forwards breaking holes in the defensive line, turning the ball inside to supports or cutting up the broken line himself.

He can step in mid-air, they reckon.

His coach, Tim Sheens, has rated Marshall a test player but suggested he be used off the bench in the Anzac game because he simply hasn't had enough football to be match-fit for 80 minutes of an international after dislocating his shoulder in pre-season and missing half the build-up and the first two games.

"I wouldn't stand in his way if they picked him," said Sheens.

"You wouldn't stop any young kid from getting picked. I think he would be a great player off the bench for them but he's still developing, he's still just starting to find his feet."

Sheens believes Marshall still has some way to go to catch up to his own hype and has advised the youngster to keep his head down and bum up.

Marshall, who came late to the game through the Keebra Park High School development programme after his family shifted from Whakatane to Australia, has declared his allegiance to New Zealand ever since his name was first mentioned as a potential star player, despite turning out for an Australian Schoolboys side against New Zealand.

That Aussie team included Karmichael Hunt. Marshall has since given Auckland-born Hunt a serve about his choice of chasing a State of Origin and Australian representation.

"I'm definitely a Kiwi and if I get selected I'd be one," he has said.

Jones has had both Jerome Ropati and Lance Hohaia as five-eighth as Ropati has filled in at fullback for an injured Brent Webb.

The Warriors backline clicked into gear well against Souths and with Hohaia having earned the start ahead of Ropati this weekend there should also be smooth operation from the "away" team in Christchurch.

Former Kiwis and Warriors coach Frank Endacott expects the winner of the Jones/Marshall game-breaking contest will be on the winning team.

"They are two contrasting halfbacks and I'm expecting a very good game. Benji has got a bigger step than Skippy the Kangaroo, he's got a very good knack of producing it at the right time - you can't do that too early and get away with it.

"Tim Sheens is doing a very good job of bringing him along and obviously he and Scott Prince are enjoying themselves, enjoying their football."

Another former Kiwis coach, Graham Lowe, expects each to bring the best out of the other tonight.

"It will be like the day Gary Freeman came over with Parramatta and they gave the Warriors with a young Stacey Jones a hiding.

"I think the same thing might happen [today]. I think there's some good signs that Stacey is returning to form, there's no doubt he's a major threat, though it might take him a while to regain the form he gained his reputation by."

Lowe said Jones and Marshall would be a good halves combination for the Anzac test.

Graham Rattray, who coached Auckland representative teams from the late 60s with Dennis Williams in the halves to the late 80s with Gene Ngamu, agrees the Jones-Marshall combination would work and also thinks the Kiwi selectors should talk Jones into reversing his decision to retire from rep football.

"Stacey has done everything, Benji is yet to do it," Rattray said. "I think Benji might learn a thing or two from Stacey on Saturday."

Kiwis coach Daniel Anderson doesn't see the game so much as Benji versus Jones as Benji versus Ropati and Hohaia, since Jones has made it clear he isn't in the frame for the selectors Daryl Halligan, Darrell Williams and Tony Iro.

"He made it pretty clear last year that he wanted to concentrate on the NRL, it would be unfair to start badgering him four games into the season," Anderson said.

"Look at Brad Fittler and Shane Webcke - when players of that representative stature say 'no' they don't do it lightly."

BENJI MARSHALL

* Born 25/2/85 at Whakatane

* 181cm 83kg halfback/five-eighth

* Junior league Keebra Park High School, Gold Coast

* Australian Schoolboys team

* NRL debut v Newcastle at Campbelltown R20 2003, 13 games. Three tries.

STACEY JONES

* Born 7/5/76 Auckland

* 171cm 72kg halfback

* Junior club City Pt Chev

* 34 tests 1995-2003, 15 tries.

* NRL debut R7 1995, 219 games for the Warriors. 72 tries, 120 goals, 11 field goals.

Jade Stadium, Christchurch 7.30 tonight

WESTS TIGERS
Brett Hodgson
Daniel Fitzhenry
John Wilson
Paul Whatuira
Pat Richards
Benji Marshall
Scott Prince

Todd Payten

Ben Galea
John Skandalis
Anthony Laffranchi
Mark O'Neill (c)
Liam Fulton

Reserves: Tevita Latu, Karl Temata, Louis Anderson, Jerome Ropati.

WARRIORS
Brent Webb
Todd Byrne
Sione Faumuina
Clinton Toopi
Francis Meli
Lance Hohaia
Stacey Jones
Iafeta Paleaaesina
Nathan Fien
Steve Price (c)
Awen Guttenbeil
Wairangi Koopu
Monty Betham

Reserves: Robbie Farah, Bryce Gibbs, Chris Heighington, Dene Halatau, Bronson Harrison (one to be omitted).