‘I could play next year’: Benji Marshall not ready to call time on legendary NRL career just yet

Benji Marshall has shot down the rumour rolling through the NRL world that this Sunday’s grand final would be his last go-around, win or lose for the Rabbitohs, suggesting he “could well play on next year” — it all depends on his body.

Put away the retirement video: Benji Marshall isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.

Buzz from the Rabbitohs camp all week has been that Marshall, now 36, had settled on NRL retirement. Wayne Bennett even suggested as much heading into the media scrums on the weekend, dubbing it a “special moment” for the departing rugby league superstar.

On the NRL front, the game has been taking a deep breath to wave him out the door, highlights packages, special memorabilia, flashbacks to his Tigers exploits, 2005 premiership, and all the best bits of his 344-game career. Benji left such an impact on the game, and the game was ready to give it all back — win or lose — during the grand final weekend.

Only, it looks like nobody told Benji Marshall he only has 80 minutes left in the tank.

The 36-year-old has confirmed he’s yet to make up his mind, and even if the Bunnies walk away with the trophy on Sunday night, he may lace up the boots again in 2022.

“I think I have done a really good job in the last couple of years just playing each game as if it is my last and then at the end of the season making a decision about what I want to do,” Marshall said.

“It is not going to be any different at the end of this year. Put it this way, the way my body feels right now I could play next year for sure. I will weigh all those things up at the end of the season, probably give after this week a bit of time to sink in, and then make a decision after that.

“For me, it is more about if you have still got the passion and the desire to play then why not.”

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“It’s not hard [to put my future aside during the finals],” Marshall said last week.

“I don’t want to make it about me but when I do make a decision you’ll be the first to know. It would mean a lot [to win it]. To be fair I’m going to focus on winning this week. It’s what you play for, to make a grand final and win the competition.”

Marshall will finish his NRL career with nearly 100 tries, 260 try assists, 344 first grade games (and counting!) as well as 31 Test appearances for New Zealand, and a World Cup victory in 2008.

He will go down as a true legend of the game, but Marshall is still humble about it all. The star laughs: “I can see it, people say it, but sometimes I get a bit embarrassed that I’m still playing with that stuff.”

“Growing up as a kid all I wanted to do was play for my country and to play sport for a living, so to be able to do that and then along the way I supposed inspire kids or make people believe they can achieve their goal.

“For me, that’s special.

He continued: “Especially being a young kid from Whakatane in New Zealand, a little town, probably no hope in making it, to show people from anywhere that they can make it, that’s pretty special.”

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