Benji Marshall facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Benjamin Quentin Marshall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 February 1985 Whakatāne, New Zealand |
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| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 91 kg (201 lb; 14 st 5 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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Rugby league
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| Position | Five-eighth, Halfback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union
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| Position | Fly-half / Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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As of 6 April 2024
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| Relatives | Jeremy Marshall-King (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Benjamin Quentin Marshall CNZM (born 25 February 1985) is a famous New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Wests Tigers team in the NRL.
Benji played as a five-eighth or halfback for several teams. These included the Wests Tigers, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Brisbane Broncos, and South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He also played for the NRL All Stars and the New Zealand Kiwis.
For a short time, Marshall also played professional rugby union for the Blues in Super Rugby. He played for 14 seasons in the NRL for the Wests Tigers. With them, he won the 2005 NRL Premiership. Benji is known for his exciting style of play. This included amazing sidesteps, no-look passes, and flick-passes. In 2010, he won the Rugby League World Golden Boot Award for the best international player.
In 2022, Benji Marshall became an assistant coach for the Wests Tigers. He worked under Tim Sheens. Benji took over as Head Coach in 2023, earlier than planned.
Contents
- Early Life and School Years
- Benji Marshall's Rugby League Journey
- Playing Rugby Union
- Returning to Rugby League
- Coaching Career
- Hall of Fame
- Media Appearances
Early Life and School Years
Benji Marshall was born in Whakatāne, New Zealand. He is from the Māori community. He is the oldest of three brothers. His younger brother, Jeremy Marshall-King, also plays rugby league for the New Zealand Māori team.
When he was 16, Benji was offered a scholarship. This was to play for Keebra Park State High School in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. While living there, he played junior rugby league for the Nerang Roosters. During high school in Australia, Marshall played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2003. He also played for Australia in touch football that same year. Even though he could have played for Australia, Marshall chose to play for the New Zealand Kiwis early in his career.
Benji Marshall's Rugby League Journey
Playing for Wests Tigers (2003–2013)
Starting His Career (2003–2004)
Benji Marshall made his first NRL game for the Wests Tigers in 2003. He came on as a replacement player. The Wests Tigers won that game 52–12. Marshall continued to play for the Tigers when his school studies allowed. He scored his first NRL try in 2003.
In 2004, Marshall helped the Wests Tigers win the pre-season World Sevens competition. He started the season playing at centre. He later moved to the five-eighth position. This is a key play-making role. He showed great skill in setting up tries for his team.
Winning the Premiership (2005)
In 2005, Marshall played five-eighth for the Wests Tigers. He showed amazing passing, running, and kicking skills. He scored many tries himself and helped his teammates score. Marshall also played his first game for New Zealand in the 2005 ANZAC Test.
Marshall was a big part of the Wests Tigers team that won the 2005 NRL grand final. They beat the North Queensland Cowboys. In that game, he made a famous 90-meter pass to Pat Richards. This pass is still remembered as one of the best in Grand Final history. It was a special "flick pass" that showed his unique talent.
Dealing with Injuries (2006–2007)
Marshall returned from surgery in 2006. He played against St George Illawarra and helped set up the winning try. However, he faced more injuries that season. He dislocated his shoulder again and missed the rest of the year.
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In 2007, Marshall came back from injury once more. He had to take on new responsibilities for the team. This included goal kicking. He was selected to play for New Zealand in the 2007 ANZAC test. However, he suffered another shoulder injury and missed many games.
World Cup Champion (2008)
In 2008, Marshall's injury problems continued with a knee injury. He returned to play later in the season. The coach, Tim Sheens, planned to move Marshall to the halfback position for the 2009 season.
Marshall was part of the New Zealand team for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. He captained New Zealand for the first time against England. Marshall scored a try and kicked two goals in the World Cup final. New Zealand won against Australia, which was a huge surprise. It was the Kiwis' first ever World Cup victory.
Leading the Kiwis (2009)
In 2009, Marshall started playing at halfback for the Wests Tigers. He quickly made a big impact in his new role. In March, Marshall signed a new contract to stay with the Wests Tigers. After the New Zealand captain retired, Marshall was named the new captain for the Kiwis. He was later named one of the top five-eighths in the world.
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Winning the Golden Boot (2010)
In 2010, Marshall signed another contract extension with the Tigers. He said he wanted to be a "one-club man." As captain of New Zealand, Marshall was automatically chosen for the NRL All Stars game.
In March 2010, Marshall scored two tries. This made him the highest try-scorer for the Wests Tigers. He broke the record of 43 tries. Later that year, Marshall kicked a 51-meter field goal. This is considered one of the longest in NRL history. 2010 was the first season Marshall played without missing a game due to injury. He played 34 games, more than any other NRL player.
Marshall led the Kiwis to win the 2010 Four Nations tournament. He set up two late tries in what was called "perhaps the finest game of his life." He then won the Rugby League World Golden Boot Award for the best international player of the year.
Top Scorer and Dally M Award (2011)
As New Zealand captain, Marshall was again chosen for the 2011 All Stars Match.
In 2011, Marshall scored two tries against the New Zealand Warriors. This meant he had scored a try against every team in the NRL. By the end of the season, he became the highest point scorer in Wests Tigers history. Marshall was the top point-scorer for the 2011 NRL season. He won the Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year award. He also came second in the Dally M Player of the Year voting.
After the season, Marshall traveled to England with the Kiwis for the 2011 Four Nations tournament. He was named stand-off halfback of the year at the annual RLIF Awards dinner.
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Leading the Team (2012)
Marshall captained the NRL All Stars team to victory in the first Arthur Beetson trophy game. He played in almost every Wests Tigers game that year. He led the NRL in try assists and line-break assists. The club tried different players at halfback. Marshall switched from five-eighth to halfback in May.
In one of the last games of the season, Marshall scored two goals. This made him the first Wests Tigers player to score one thousand points. He was nominated for the Dally M halfback of the year award. Marshall played his 20th game as New Zealand test captain. He broke the record for most games as captain for the Kiwis.
Leaving the Tigers (2013)
In 2013, Marshall was again chosen for the 2013 NRL All Stars game. However, New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney announced that Marshall was no longer the team's captain. Marshall said it was the "proudest moment" of his career to captain his country.
By May, the Wests Tigers were losing many games. Marshall was moved to the bench. He later admitted he was not playing well and lacked confidence. In July, Marshall decided to leave the Wests Tigers. He wanted to try playing rugby union. He finished the season and left the club as their all-time top try and point scorer.
Highlights of Benji Marshall's Rugby League Career
- First Game: 2003 – Round 20, Wests Tigers vs. Newcastle Knights, Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney, 27 July.
- Championships: 2005 – Wests Tigers beat North Queensland Cowboys 30–16 in the Grand Final, Stadium Australia, Sydney, 2 October.
- New Zealand Debut: 2005 – ANZAC Test, New Zealand vs. Australia, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 22 April.
- New Zealand Captain: 2008–2012.
- World Cups: 2008 – New Zealand beat Australia 34–20 in the Final, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 26 October.
- NRL All Stars Debut: 2010 – NRL All Stars vs. Indigenous All Stars, Skilled Park, Robina, Queensland, 13 February.
- NRL All Stars Captain: 2012–2013.
Playing Rugby Union
Auckland Blues (2014)
In August 2013, Marshall started talking with the Blues team. He wanted to play Super Rugby in New Zealand. He was keen to play for the Auckland team.
Marshall signed a two-year deal with the Blues. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Blues in February 2014. He came on as a substitute player. In his first game, he helped set up a try for his team.
On 15 March 2014, Marshall played his first full game at fullback for the Blues. He played against the Lions in South Africa. During the game, he scored his first Super Rugby try. He also made two try-assists. He had a strong performance in the game. However, on 23 April 2014, Marshall left his contract with the Blues. He had played only six games.
Returning to Rugby League
St. George Illawarra Dragons (2014–2016)
Back to Rugby League (2014)
On 9 May 2014, Marshall signed a 2.5-year contract with the St George Illawarra Dragons. He played in 15 games and scored 3 tries that year.
A Strong Season (2015)
In 2015, Marshall helped the Dragons reach the NRL finals for the first time since 2011. The Dragons lost in extra time in their first finals game. Marshall had to leave the field due to an ankle injury.
Marshall finished second in the 2015 Dally M Awards. This award is for the best player in the NRL.
Milestone Game (2016)
On 24 July 2016, Marshall played his 250th NRL game. He played against his old team, the Wests Tigers. It was a special moment for him to reach this milestone against the club where he played most of his career.
Brisbane Broncos (2017)
Joining the Broncos (2017)
Marshall decided to join the Brisbane Broncos on a one-year deal. He reunited with his former coach, Wayne Bennett. Marshall said Bennett helped him "enjoy the game again." He played in 13 games for the Broncos. He often played as a utility player, coming off the bench.
Back to Wests Tigers (2018–2020)
Coming Home (2018)
In August 2017, Marshall signed a deal to return to his first club, the Wests Tigers. He was named one of five co-captains for the team. Marshall made his return as on-field captain in Round 3.
He played five-eighth in his first game back. He played a key role in a surprise win. Marshall said he was "just enjoying being back." He made 21 appearances that season.
Veteran Player and Kiwis Return (2019)
Marshall signed to play for the Tigers again in 2019. His long-time teammate Robbie Farah was happy he stayed.
Marshall was chosen to play for the New Zealand Kiwis again. This was his first game for the Kiwis in seven years. He also returned to captain the team. They won the game 34–14. Marshall played 19 games for the Wests Tigers in the 2019 NRL season. The team finished ninth.
By the end of the season, Marshall captained New Zealand in two more games. He broke the record for most matches as captain for the Kiwis, with 22 games.
Final Season at the Tigers (2020)
In 2020, Marshall continued to play strongly. He scored a try and made two try assists in the first game. He also returned to goal-kicking. On 8 August, Marshall played his 250th game for the Tigers. His teammate Chris Lawrence also played his 250th game.
Towards the end of the season, Marshall was told he would not be part of the Tigers' plans for 2021. He played his final game for the club in Round 20.
South Sydney Rabbitohs (2021)
Farewell Season (2021)
On 29 January 2021, Marshall signed a one-year contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He made his debut for them in Round 1.
In Round 5, he scored his first try for South Sydney. In Round 7, he scored two tries playing at centre. Marshall played 22 games for South Sydney in the 2021 NRL season. This included the club's 2021 NRL Grand Final loss against Penrith. After the Grand Final, Marshall announced his retirement on 6 October 2021. He then signed a two-year contract with Fox Sports to work as a rugby league analyst.
In 2022, Marshall was honored with the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for his great contributions to rugby league.
Coaching Career
In 2022, it was announced that Marshall would become an assistant coach for the Wests Tigers. He worked under head coach Tim Sheens. The original plan was for Marshall to take over as head coach in the 2025 season.
However, the Tigers had a tough 2023 season. The club and Sheens decided to part ways in August 2023. Marshall then became the head coach a year earlier than expected. Marshall took on the role for the Tigers' Round 25 match. The Tigers broke a 10-game losing streak, beating the Dolphins 24–22. The final three games of the 2023 season did not officially count towards Marshall's coaching record. This is because Tim Sheens was still technically the head coach until the season ended.
Wests Tigers Head Coach (2024–Present)
Marshall officially became the new head coach for the Wests Tigers starting in 2024. He earned his first win as head coach in Round 3 of the 2024 NRL season against Cronulla. In Marshall's first full season as head coach, the team finished with the Wooden Spoon. They won six games all year.
Hall of Fame
In August 2024, the National Rugby League announced that Benji Marshall was inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame. Marshall was given Hall of Fame number 123. He was one of eleven male players in the 2024 group.
Media Appearances
In 2022, Marshall was a contestant on the sixth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia. On June 21, he was announced as the winner of the show. He raised over $487,000 for his chosen charity, Souths Cares.
