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Benji Marshall

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Benji Marshall
Marshall in 2009
Personal information
Full nameBenji Quentin Marshall
Height182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight92 kg (14 st 7 lb)
Playing information
PositionFive-eighth, Halfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003– Wests Tigers 107 46 144 1 473
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2005–2009 New Zealand 14 4 8 0 32
2010 NRL All Stars 1 1 0 0 4
As of 30 March 2010

Benji Marshall (born 25 February 1985 in Whakatane, New Zealand) is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League (NRL) competition.

He is in love with Nicole Z and they will have beautiful maori babies.

He primarily played at five-eighth before moving to halfback in 2009. He is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup. Marshall has spent his whole NRL career to date with the Tigers, with whom he won the 2005 Telstra Premiership.

Early life

Marshall was raised without his biological father, but has spoken of the influence of Michael Doherty, and other men within his extended family. He has said he had, "10 or 11 fathers … which is not a bad thing."[1] He went to school at Whakatane Intermediate.[2] The eldest of three brothers, he was offered a scholarship to play for a high school in the Gold Coast, Queensland when he was 16. While attending Keebra Park Secondary High School, Marshall played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2003.[3] He also represented Australia in touch football that year.[4]

NRL career

Marshall made his debut on the 27 July 2003, at age 18 against the Newcastle Knights, coming on as a replacement in the 14th minute as fullback. The Tigers won the game 52–12. Marshall continued to make appearances for Wests Tigers for the remainder of 2003, when his studies allowed, playing half back.

In 2004, Marshall starred in the pre-season World Sevens competition helping the Tigers to win the tournament. He began the NRL season playing centre until he dislocated his shoulder against the North Queensland Cowboys. During his time off the Tigers struggled in attack. When he returned after four weeks off he was moved to the play making position of five-eighth. From there, Marshall set the club on a record 3 match winning streak. He dislocated the same shoulder four weeks into his return and his 2004 season was ended as he had surgery.

In 2005, Marshall injured his other shoulder in the opening minutes of the first trial (practice) match. After missing the opening round match, Marshall played five-eighth for the club's second match of the year against defending premiers, the Bulldogs.

With an injury free run, Marshall demonstrated a passing, running, and kicking game to complement his stepping. He was able to score individual tries and set-up tries for his team-mates.[citation needed]

The Wests Tigers went on to win the 2005 premiership against the North Queensland Cowboys. Marshall then underwent surgery on his weak shoulder.

In 2006, Marshall made his comeback from surgery against St George Illawarra but broke his cheek bone.[5] He played the rest of the match and set up the winning try.

Making his comeback against the Cowboys Marshall set up many tries with a mixture of stepping and perceptiveness. In the 79th minute he was injured by Cowboy's prop Carl Webb.[5] He popped his shoulder out but recovered in three weeks, playing for New Zealand in the ANZAC test. With another injury-free run he began producing dominating performances for the Tigers but eight weeks into his come-back he dislocated the same shoulder that had been dislocated against North Queensland, and he missed the rest of the season.

In 2007, Marshall again made his comeback from injury against the Melbourne Storm in Round 1. Marshall had to adapt to changes within the team such as the departure of halfback, Scott Prince, and the added responsibility of goal kicking while fullback, Brett Hodgson, was recovering from a knee injury. In round 8, Marshall sustained a fractured shoulder in a tackle where his arm was jammed between Melbourne's Israel Falou and the Tiger's Taniela Tuiaki.

In February 2008, Marshall extended his contract with the Wests Tigers by one year to include the 2009 season.[6] Marshall's streak of injury continued in the first game of the 2008 season, injured in the third minute of the match with a knee ligament tear.[7] He returned in round 7.

In March, 2009, despite speculation that he might play rugby union in Japan, Marshall signed with the Wests Tigers for a further two seasons through to the end of 2011.[8] A year later he signed a further extension, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2015 season, saying, "I just can't see myself as anything other than a one-club man."[9]

In March 2010, Marshall scored two tries against the Parramatta Eels to become the highest try-scorer for the Wests Tigers, breaking the record of 43 previously held by Daniel Fitzhenry.[10]

Move to halfback

Halfway through 2008, coach Tim Sheens' announced his plan to move Marshall to the halfback position during the 2009 season,[11] going as far as encouraging New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney to play Marshall in this role during the 2008 World Cup.[12] The suggestion was declined.[12] In round one of the 2009 season, Marshall started at halfback alongside John Morris at five-eighth. By the third round of the season, Marshall began to make an impact in his new role, helping the team to a 40–24 win over the Sydney Roosters.[13]

Marshall returned to his old position of five-eighth from July, 2009[14], though both Marshall and coach Tim Sheens insisted that Marshall had been switching between first and second receiver throughout the entire season.[15] Marshall went on to be named at Stand-Off in the Team of the Year as chosen by the The Rugby League International Federation.[16]

International career

Although eligible to represent Australia, Marshall declared his allegiance to the New Zealand Kiwis early in his career[17]. In 2003 he was approached by the NZRL while he was playing with the Australian Schoolboys. Marshall made his New Zealand debut in the 2005 ANZAC Test.

Marshall was named as New Zealand five-eighth for the 2005 Tri Nations tour. However, surgery on his shoulder in June ruled him out.

In October 2008, Marshall was named in the final 24-man Kiwi squad.[18] Marshall captained New Zealand for the first time on 8 November 2008, in a World Cup match against England.[19] Marshall scored a try and kicked two conversions in the Kiwi's 2008 Rugby League World Cup final victory over the Kangaroos.[20]

Following Kiwis captain Nathan Cayless' retirement from international football in 2009, Marshall was named as captain in that year's ANZAC Test.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Man from uncle: How tough love turned Benji into a Tiger". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Prince's purple reign". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 September 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ "SportingPulse Homepage for Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League". SportingPulse. Retrieved 2008-10-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Fans turn Parra blue and gold". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax Digital. 2009-10-02. Retrieved 2010-04-11. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Benji blow for Kiwis". TV NZ. 8 April 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Marshall extends his contract". Fox Sports News (Australia). 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-02-08-. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ By Liam Fitzgibbon (2008-03-16). "Benji injury sours Tigers win". Fox Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Benji Marshall will stay at Wests Tigers until 2011 after re-signing with the club". Fox Sports News (Australia). 12 March 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Glenn Jackson (25 February 2010). "Who said loyalty was dead?". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "WESTS TIGERS BEAT PARRAMATTA 23–12 IN NRL". weststigers.com.au. Retrieved 2 April 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Liam Fitzgibbon (9 July 2008). "Benji Marshall to switch to halfback – permanently". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 27 March 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ a b "Move Benji to halfback says Sheens". stuff.co.nz. 29 October 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ Brad Walter (27 March 2009). "The best I've ever seen Benji: Sheens". Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 27 March 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "Marshall named at five-eighth". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 30 June 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Andrew Webster (23 October 2009). "Secret plot to sack Benji Marshall". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 13 November 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Andrew Webster (10 November 2009). "Hayne named Player of the Year". Daily Telegraph (Sydney) . Retrieved 13 November 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ NZRL approaches Karmichael Hunt | LEAGUE | SPORT | tvnz.co.nz
  18. ^ "Kiwis to wait on Webb and Matai". BBC. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  19. ^ "Benji Marshall to captain Kiwis in World Cup match with England". The Daily Telegraph. 7 Nov 2008. Retrieved 9 Nov 2008. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ "New Zealand humble Kangaroos in World Cup final in Brisbane". Fox Sports News (Australia). 22 Nov 2008. Retrieved 23 Nov 2008. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

References

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