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Marshall to decide future at season's end

3 minute read

Benji Marshall won't decide if he'll play on until the end of the NRL season and says he'll have no issue foregoing a farewell if he decides to retire.

BENJI MARSHALL of the Broncos in action during the NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Brisbane Broncos at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Australia.
BENJI MARSHALL of the Broncos in action during the NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Brisbane Broncos at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Australia. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images

Benji Marshall will wait until the end of the NRL season to decide whether he'll play on for Wests Tigers in 2020.

Widely tipped to go an extra year as he enjoys a late-career renaissance, Marshall insists he hasn't yet made up his mind.

With the five-eighth out of contract, taking his career into an 18th season will mean signing an extension.

"I haven't (decided) yet. I sort of wanted to just wait and let the focus be about making the semis first," he said.

"(The club) have harassed me a little bit; everyone is. But I just don't want to make the wrong decision.

"My body feels fine. I feel the best I have in years but there is a lot more that goes on than just feeling good."

Asked if that meant he could forego a proper farewell and opt to call it quits after playing his last match, Marshall said: "Yeah, I don't mind.

"I will make the decision soon but I reckon in the next couple of weeks."

The 34-year-old found himself at a similar juncture last season and resorted to poring over footage of himself from 2018 to help decide.

If the Kiwi half does likewise this summer, he will see every indication he should play on.

He has put more players through for tries and linebreaks this year than in any other since 2015 at St George Illawarra, while he also regained his Test jersey.

Saturday's 46-4 flogging of Newcastle was statistically his best attacking display in seven years, setting up four tries and throwing the last pass for another.

It even came after starting the game at hooker before reverting to five-eighth, a role he is likely to play for the rest of the year unless Robbie Farah makes a miracle return from a fractured leg.

"I'm probably getting a bit more trust back in the body that I haven't had for a few years. I'm feeling good," Marshall said.

"There's no secret (to that). I feel like this year having a big pre-season with Madge (coach Michael Maguire) helped me provide a base for where I'm going.

"And I'm just feeling fit. The medical staff are doing a lot of work and I'm doing a lot of extra work away from footy to recover. That's taking up most my time."

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