Benji at ‘home’ in colours of Tigers

BENJI Marshall has brushed off retirement talk as he revealed he was twice knocked back by the Wests Tigers before being granted a fairytale return for the 2018 NRL season.

Four years since his unceremonious exit from Concord, the veteran playmaker’s career has come full circle and the 32-year-old has begun his pre-season preparation with the Tigers.

There are few more players closely associated with the joint venture and he said he felt like he was “home” as soon as he walked back in the door. Marshall said that he twice attempted to return to the Tigers – following his stint with the Auckland Blues in 2014 and after his two-and-a-half season tenure at St George Illawarra in 2016 – but was declined.

“Half the reason that I rang Ivan to come back was because I’ve always had the feeling I wanted to come back, I’ve just never had the opportunity,” he said. “When I came back from union, I tried to come back and they shut it down pretty quick. I tried again after the Dragons and it got shut down again.”

Marshall has been given few guarantees by Cleary and shapes as a likely bench utility.