Benji Marshall’s career has come full circle.

Turning 34 before the start of the next season, the Wests Tigers legend has extended his career for another year in 2019, with the club he won a premiership with in 2005.

In this wide-ranging interview with foxsports.com.au, a relaxed Marshall opens up and what is driving him in his 18th season of NRL — what new coach Michael Maguire has brought to the club and why Tigers fans should be excited for 2019.

Marshall is stuffed. He has just finished a gruelling pre-season training session under new coach Maguire, who is notorious for his toughness. Marshall is no longer a spring chicken, but through his tired voice still beams the excitement he had when he burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old back in 2003.

“I’m tired, this is my 18th pre-season and it never gets any easier,” Marshall admits.

“But no way do I have regrets about playing on. There are so many other worse things that you could be doing and I’m still having fun.”

Marshall is playing on for the right reasons, not for a fat pay packet. Two seasons ago he was struggling to find a club after the Dragons let him go. It was thanks to Wayne Bennett and Ivan Cleary that he was able to revive his career.

Marshall says his younger teammates give him the inspiration to keep going. The legs may be older, but his spirit burns as bright as ever to test himself against the younger brigade.

“That is half the battle is competing with those younger boys,” Marshall says.

“When you get older you need the young guys challenging you, to push you and make you better.

“Especially after last season I just wanted to rip in again with all the boys and that’s how it has been.”

What Maguire will bring to the club
Marshall says the rumours are true about Maguire — he’s tough.

The premiership-winning mentor joined the club after Cleary reunited with the Panthers and has brought about quick changes.

“There are no easy sessions with Madge,” Marshall says.

“His whole philosophy is you have got to work hard to get success. The rumours are true about him, he is definitely a tough man when it comes to training.

“When you hear him talk you understand why we want to be one of the fittest teams and it drives you to want to be fitter and train harder and keep putting in more.

“His style has been a real eye opener.”

The Tigers came along in leaps and bounds in 2018, but they still missed the finals, finishing ninth.

The club haven’t made the finals since 2011 when Marshall at the peak of his powers, and he took them to a top four finish.

“Madge can bring consistency to the Tigers,” Marshall says.

“He is definitely a big advocate for leadership and standards of behaviour. He is big on the leaders driving the culture and not accepting anything that is below our standards.”

Wunderkind Kalyn Ponga
Marshall reserves high praise for Kalyn Ponga, calling him the ‘most freakish talent’ he’s ever seen.

Funnily enough, his early career somewhat mirrors that of the Knights’ superstar.

Both players burst onto the scene at a young age with brilliant footwork and Ponga is well-placed to have as big an impact on international rugby league as Marshall.

The pair met for the first time when they took part in the launch of the new Battle Royale mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Marshall was struck by how cool Ponga actually is.

“I’m a big Call of Duty fan from way back and I’ve been playing since the first one came out, so it was awesome to play with Kalyn and go head-to-head with him,” Marshall says.

“I just can’t get believe how much of a cool cat he is.

“He is just so cruisy and calm and it seems like nothing phases him. Whether its footy or gaming he is the same and he is so much better than me at both.”

Marshall represented his native New Zealand on 26 occasions and won a World Cup in 2008. Ponga has ties to New Zealand, but has pledged his allegiance to Australia and the Maroons, who he debuted for in 2018.

Marshall believes that Ponga’s attitude and drive will help him deal with the attention that comes with being one of the best players in the game.

“Kalyn is so humble,” Marshall says. “He is just the most freakish talent I have seen throughout my time playing first grade.

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“Being able to play against him at such a young age is a real honour. The thing that put things in perspective was his Origin debut and what he was able to achieve in that game.

“The way he defended in the front line and how freakish he is with the ball, I was actually in awe.

“If you want to look at what he can do for rugby league you just need to look at what he has already done at such a young age.

“To miss out on the Dally M Medal by two points is a massive achievement and if he didn’t get injured there he probably would have won it.”

Luke Brooks and a standing ovation
The Tigers have their own young superstar, Luke Brooks, who has committed to the club on a five-year-deal. He had some unfair comparisons to Andrew Johns early in his career, but the 23-year-old is starting to show the promise of his early talent.

Marshall believes the Tigers can now build the club around the reigning Dally M Halfback of the year.

“I’m really happy about that and seeing his development. There was a lot of pressure and expectation on him over the years,” Marshall says.

“I think for our club it is very exciting for the fans and the players. When it got announced the team all stood up and gave him a mad standing ovation.

“We were just pumped because there were rumours out there that clubs were chasing him and it was a massive moment for our club.”

The NRL has changed a lot since Marshall first started out 18 years ago.

“Professionalism has been the biggest change,” Marshall says.

“Defences are more structured now and the game is more professional on a whole.

“All the players seem to be bigger, faster, stronger. There are sports scientists in the game now. GPS measuring wasn’t there when I first started.

“But the fundamentals of the game are still the same. Who runs the hardest and tackles the hardest is going to win.”

The game has also changed a lot off the field. For better or worse the players are under so much more scrutiny these days. While Marshall concedes there are people that do the wrong thing and they need to be punished, he remains frustrated that all NRL players seemed to get tarred with the same brush.

“It does dampen the game when you hear all the disappointing off-field stuff,” Marshall says.

“We always seem to talk about the negative things that are happening.

“You only hear about the one per cent of players with indiscretions. I’m a big advocate for the positive things in the game, so I try and focus on that.

“But the bad things unfortunately are not a good look for the whole game and reflect badly on all the players.”

What’s in the future?
Marshall sits just 11 games short of the magic 300-game milestone. For a player who had five of his first six seasons cut short by injury, it is a remarkable feat.

However, he is reluctant to put an end date on his illustrious career.

“I don’t know if it is my last year,” Marshall says. “I think my body will probably tell me that.

“I could and I couldn’t play on and that decision might not be up to me, but I just want to enjoy it like it is my last year.

“That is what I did last year, so I am just going to run with that again and enjoy every moment of it.”

It also remains unclear what role he will play for the team in 2019.

Marshall was not expected to start last season but Josh Reynolds’ injury struggles gave him an opportunity to cement a spot in the halves.

The Tigers’ legend took the chance and ran with it, starting in 21 games, his most in a season since 2015.

For Marshall, getting that starting No.6 jersey in 2019 is a personal goal, but he just wants what is best for the Tigers.

“Madge has stressed that coming in we’ve all got a blank piece of paper, so no one is safe in any position,” Marshall explains.

“It is a battle of pre-season and trials and anything can happen, but it is the same as last year and whatever is going to be best for the team.

“If that means starting or on the bench or playing reserve grade, I’m prepared to do it.”

Whenever the end comes for Marshall, fans will be hopeful it is on his terms.

No Tiger has earned it more.