Just like Jarryd, Benji happy not to be 'the man' in homecoming
Benji Marshall, a favourite son back at his home club, concedes he is no longer the man. Sound familiar?
“I feel the same way as Jarryd,” Marshall said of fellow prodigal son Jarryd Hayne’s return to Parramatta.
Benji Marshall concedes he is no longer 'the man' at Wests Tigers.
“The pressure isn’t on him as much as it was back when he was the main man. They have such a talented team that he just needs to do his job. It’s no different for me here.
“It’s nice to be back here. I feel really relaxed, there’s no expectation on me to do anything.
“Everyone else wants to see how I go back here, but from my point of view, I’m not signed as a marquee player. I’m not on big money.
“I’m here to be home and really enjoy it. So far I’m enjoying training, and it’s a great group to be around.
“Obviously I’m older, but age is just a number. I’ve got an opportunity to prove that on the field, hopefully.”
Here’s another number. When Marshall runs onto ANZ Stadium on Saturday in the No.14 jersey, it will mark his first appearance for the Tigers in 1644 days. It has been assumed that, at the age of 33, this is Marshall’s farewell season. The man himself is not so sure.
“It depends on how the body feels,” Marshall told Fairfax Media.
“I haven’t ruled out playing next year. It’s all relevant to how I go on the field. If I feel I’m not up to it and can’t contribute on the field, I’ll stop. If I feel I can contribute, I’ll keep going.”
Marshall will enter the Roosters clash from the interchange bench, allowing the new halves pairing of Luke Brooks and Josh Reynolds to start the season. The form of all parties will determine where they finish it.
“From the first meeting we had, it was obvious he felt he had so much more to give,” said Tigers coach Ivan Cleary.
“His football last year showed that was the case, and he finished the year playing semi-final football.
“Then there’s all the spin-offs. A mentor, leadership, commercially, the fans, the link to the past - so many good things. But the main thing is playing, and I think he’ll have a really big role for us on the field this year.
“That may vary from time to time as to what that is, but I’m confident about that."
It’s a big weekend for the Marshall family. Younger brother Jeremy Marshall-King will make his Bulldogs debut more than 4000km away in Perth on Saturday. The younger sibling could well have been challenging Marshall for the utility spot but chose to leave the Tigers in the off season. Instead of fulfilling a life-long dream of playing together, they could well mark up on each other later in the year.
“He’s happy for me to do my own thing and not worry about what he does,” Marshall-King said.
“He wants what is best for me. I’ve looked up to him for a while now, he inspires me. But it’s time to make my own footsteps now.”
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