By Nick Wright
Jeremy Marshall-King has spurned interest from the open market to remain in Dolphins colours, with attention now turning to securing the club’s spine for the long term.
The Kiwi hooker will remain at Redcliffe until at least the end of the 2028 season, having battled a troublesome shoulder injury last year to cement his reputation as his side’s unheralded hero.
Jeremy Marshall-King will remain with the Dolphins for the next four years.Credit: NRL Photos
Amid the glamour of fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, the star power of Herbie Farnworth and the rise of rookie halfback Isaiya Katoa, Marshall-King’s exploits perhaps have not garnered the same attention on the highlight reels.
But they have proved pivotal in the NRL’s newest franchise’s presence in the top four, their shock triumph of Cronulla on the road last week the greatest indication that they are the real deal.
Marshall-King was expected to demand plenty of suitors had he remained a free agent from November 1, with Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett’s imminent move to South Sydney igniting speculation the former Sydneysider could embark on a return south of the border.
Reports suggesting Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook could be linking with the St George-Illawarra Dragons fuelled the fire, but the 28-year-old was adamant he never harboured any interest in leaving.
“No, I always wanted to stay here,” Marshall-King said.
“This is home for me now, and I’m 28, so I’m just glad I could get that deal done and focus on my footy. It’s a great club, and I’m excited about what we can do this year, and in the years coming too.
“There are a lot of young boys coming through, and I’m just excited about the club, but also my main reason is my family. They love it up here, and we couldn’t see us anywhere else.
“Wayne’s helped me a lot in what I do, and you can see he does it with other players as well. It’s his aura, and the stuff he says is not s*** information – sorry about the language – but you take on what he says, and it’s definitely helped me as a player.
“I started pretty late in my journey, but I never gave up on my dream, and I’m so happy to play here.”
Marshall-King will join Katoa as key figures who will ply their trade out of Kayo Stadium until the end of 2028, with Tabuai-Fidow also locked in until the end of 2027.
Now the Dolphins will move to keep five-eighth Kodi Nikorima on their books, with the off-contract Test star enjoying a career renaissance in the No.6 jumper.
For so long, the 30-year-old had been a victim of his own versatility, shuffled around the side in his stints with Brisbane, New Zealand, South Sydney – and now the Dolphins – as a genuine utility.
Kodi Nikorima has enjoyed a career renaissance at the Dolphins.Credit: Getty
But since taking a stranglehold of the play-making duties alongside Katoa, Nikorima has hit career-best form, sitting second in the competition for linebreak assists (15), while his 12 try assists are equal third in the NRL.
The Dolphins are believed to be relaxed about how negotiations with the 15-Test veteran are progressing to extend his tenure beyond the end of this year in a bid to keep his blossoming combination with Katoa and the rest of the spine together.
“It’s massive, you just want to stick with the guys that you’ve got, and we love playing with each other as a spine,” Marshall-King said. “I hope he does sign with us, but that’s up to him now.
“He’s definitely getting better, and everyone sees what he does as a player. He’s definitely crafty and a big-moment player.
“He takes you on at training, and hopefully, he can get it done and we’ll have the same spine as we have now. It’s just up to him now.”