BROS UNITE & IT’S ... TEARS OF JOY
TEARS of pride were replaced with ear-to-ear smiles for Benji Marshall and Jeremy Marshall-king at a picturesque Leichhardt Oval yesterday.
Marshall could not contain his emotions when he heard the news that younger brother Jeremy had been selected in the New Zealand World Cup Nines squad.
The veteran Wests Tigers playmaker broke down in tears earlier this year during the New Zealand national anthem after earning a Test recall following a seven-year international hiatus.
For Benji, learning about Jeremy’s debut for the Kiwis invoked a similar reaction.
“It’s a very similar feeling, it’s up there,” Benji said. “It sounds funny, but I’m more proud of his achievement in making this than any other things I’ve done.
“He’s my little brother and the youngest in the family. I think I cried more than he did when he made it, which is pretty big.”
Jeremy wasn’t surprised Benji was so emotional considering his older brother knew first-hand how hard he had had to work to even play in the NRL, let alone on the international stage.
“He told me he cried and I reckon he did,” Jeremy said. “I have come a long way from where I started to be where I am today.
“I couldn’t even make any school sides and I was playing in division three. So it’s a really big achievement for me and my family.
Benji is most proud of the persistence Jeremy has displayed in pursuing his ambition to play in the NRL.
“All the hard work he has put in over the years and not expected to make it ... he was always smaller and played a lot of touch, so the expectation was never there,” Benji said.
“He paved his own way and made his own path. That is what I was most proud of, he’s done it his own way.
Yesterday afternoon’s training session at Leichhardt Oval was a surreal moment for the brothers.
Despite Benji having played 201 games for the Tigers between 2003-13 and Jeremy coming through the junior ranks at the club, the two had never trained together in the same side.
“It’s the first time we’ve been [in camp] together. We’ve never really even trained together,” Benji said.
“We didn’t even train together at the Tigers way back in the day. But we’ve played a lot of touch footy together.”
While the brothers are in the same squad, it’s unlikely they will play a full Test together, at least not this year.
But it’s one dream Canterbury hooker Jeremy is hoping can still come true given Benji, 35, has re-signed to play one more season with the Tigers.
“It’s something you dream of, training alongside your brother … especially when it’s for the country you are from,” Jeremy said. “My next goal is hopefully to play with him soon. Hopefully it comes before he retires.”