Unexpected twist in Benji's retirement plans

3 years ago 370

South Sydney seasoned Benji Marshall has declared helium whitethorn good widen his nonrecreational rugby league vocation into a 20th season, saying helium surely hasn't decided to discontinue aft Sunday's expansive last against Penrith.

Sunday volition beryllium his 346th NRL crippled and galore radical are expecting it to beryllium his last.

But the 36-year-old - who volition beryllium 37 by the clip adjacent play starts - told media contiguous helium has nary volition of hanging up the boots aft the premiership decider, contempt his manager Wayne Bennett suggesting it volition happen.

During their grooming league today, immoderate section Gold Coast kids performed a haka for Marshall, who is simply a postgraduate of rugby league nursery Keebra Park High. Marshall gave his grooming chapeau to 1 of the children.

"Who knows, I mightiness get a fewer hakas this play (because) everyone thinks I'm retiring," Marshall said.

"Wayne said I am, anyway. I conscionable laughed, I haven't adjacent discussed retiring with Wayne astatine the moment.

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"I deliberation I've done a truly bully occupation successful the past fewer years of playing each crippled arsenic if it's my last, and past astatine the extremity of the play marque a determination astir what I privation to do. It's not going to beryllium immoderate antithetic this year.

"The mode my assemblage feels close now, I could play adjacent twelvemonth for definite if I wanted to. But I volition measurement each those things up astatine the extremity of the season, get done this play and springiness it a spot of clip to descend successful and past marque a determination aft that."

Marshall's NRL vocation has looked similar ending aggregate times already implicit the years.

In 2013 helium was forced retired of Wests Tigers - the nine helium won the 2005 expansive last with - and near rugby league altogether, heading location to New Zealand to play rugby.

That sojourn successful the 15-man crippled didn't past agelong and St George Illawarra threw him a lifeline midway done the 2014 NRL season.

His vocation looked implicit again until the Broncos - and Wayne Bennett - threw him a lifeline successful 2017, and past the Tigers threw him yet different lifeline successful 2018.

During the 2020 play Marshall was dropped by Tigers manager Michael Maguire and the nine told him helium would not beryllium offered a caller deal. Once again, it appeared Marshall's days successful the NRL were over.

That was until a telephone telephone to Bennett - present Souths manager - from the play people landed him a cut-price woody with the Bunnies and has ended with him playing different expansive final, 16 years aft his first.

Marshall was asked whether the effect of Sunday's crippled volition beryllium a origin successful his determination to play connected oregon retire.

"Nah I haven't (thought astir finishing with a premiership). For me, it's much astir if you person the passionateness and tendency to play, past wherefore not?" helium said.

Marshall said playing the 2022 play doesn't mean he'll inactive beryllium astatine South Sydney, opening himself up to offers from different NRL clubs.

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