NRL 2022: Why Benji Marshall knocked back offer for swan song at Gold Coast Titans

Benji Marshall is at ease with his decision to retire from the NRL, but if one NRL club had their way, the veteran playmaker would still be running around in the big league.

Benji Marshall believes Adam Reynolds will lead the Broncos to the finals as the playmaking legend revealed he rejected the chance to follow his former Souths teammate and continue his NRL career in Queensland.

As Reynolds prepares for his Broncos debut in next week’s final trial against the Cowboys, Marshall told News Corp he fielded a shock offer to join the Titans this season under Gold Coast’s bold plan to bring a maiden premiership to Parkwood.

Marshall and Reynolds were key figures in South Sydney’s surge to last year’s grand final and the veteran playmakers both made critical calls on their futures in the Rabbitohs’ run to the NRL decider.

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While Reynolds opted to quit the Rabbitohs, inking a three-year, $2.4 million deal with the Broncos, Marshall had privately decided to pull the pin on his decorated 18-year career in the NRL.

But the one-time whiz-kid who inspired Wests Tigers’ 2005 premiership fairytale with his flick-pass heroics was taken by surprise after receiving an approach to play a farewell season with the Titans at age 37 this year.

The Titans were keen to sign Benji Marshall this season after the Souths wizard terrorised them on two occasions last year. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

The Gold Coast will field one of the youngest spines in the premiership this season and the Titans believed Marshall’s 346 games of NRL wisdom could help guide young guns AJ Brimson, Toby Sexton and Jayden Campbell.

The Titans were so keen they called a meeting with Marshall and his manager. The meeting included Titans football chief Anthony Laffranchi, who had played alongside Marshall in the Tigers’ 30-16 grand-final defeat of the Cowboys.

Under the salary cap, the Titans had space for a one-year deal worth around $150,000. It was also an opportunity for Marshall to finish his glittering career in the Gold Coast region where he was first spotted as a 17-year-old footballing prodigy at Keebra Park High.

But despite Marshall believing the Titans had the potential to play finals football again this season after last year’s heartbreaking playoffs loss to the Roosters, the former Kiwi Test skipper admits he had nothing left to give.

“The Titans actually tried to sign me at the end of last year,” Marshall said.

“I think the Titans will have a very good season. They should make the finals. I like the look of their squad.

“They have a young spine but if their halves get it together, anything can happen.

“They have some great young talent in Jayden Campbell and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, but a lot will depend on how Brimson and Sexton go in the halves.

“We had some chats (about a one-year cameo at the Titans) but, to be honest, it was time to retire. I gave it some thought — but you have to know when it’s time to go.”

Marshall was a revelation at Souths last season. Despite his advancing years, he often looked on autopilot, his 18 years of experience buying him extra time to make split-second decisions in the NRL nerve centre.

Last season, Souths wizard Marshall twice terrorised the Titans in 40-30 and 36-6 victories. That gave Gold Coast bosses a sense of what Benji could do for the NRL intelligence of their emerging halves, but Marshall says he has no regrets.

“I won’t miss the NRL,” he said. “The way I am feeling now, I really can’t be happier with my decision.

Benji mastered NRL playmaking in his twilight years but says he won’t miss playing this season.

“I didn’t get nervous at the end (playing NRL). I knew what I had to do out there. It was like clockwork.

“But you would be surprised at the mental toll of playing NRL. People don’t see what goes into turning up every day in pre-season, week in, week out feeling that pressure to perform and the times you try to pretend you’re not injured when you are.

“Your brain goes into overdrive and covers for you and protects you. But as soon as I retired and I woke up one day thinking I don’t have to train today, I felt this weight lift off my shoulders.

“Just the other day, we had a family BBQ on a Sunday and I didn’t have to worry about my body getting beaten up at training the next day. I’ve been taking the kids to school. It’s a new life for me. It’s a new world and I’m loving it.

“The worst expectation was the one I placed on myself ... I didn’t want to let myself down.”

Marshall will ramp-up his media commitments this season with Fox Sports and he is relishing the prospect of watching Reynolds’ impact at the Broncos.

Just as the Titans craved Marshall’s experience, the Broncos are banking on Reynolds to engineer a finals revival. Marshall marvelled at Reynolds at close range at Redfern last season. He knows better than most what Reynolds will do for Queensland’s flagship team.

“The Broncos should absolutely believe they can make the finals this year,” said Marshall, who had a one-season stint at Red Hill under Wayne Bennett in 2017. “Being with Adam at Souths, I came to appreciate him even more than when I played against him.

“The work I saw him do at South Sydney in terms of keeping everyone calm was first class.

“When I look at the Broncos’ play last year, at times they were quite frazzled and hectic with their playmaking structures.

Marshall (left) marvelled at Adam Reynolds’ class at Souths and says Brisbane’s halfback recruit will lead the Broncos back into finals contention. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Adam will bring a calmness to the Broncos scrumbase and everyone around him will suddenly feel that and relax themselves.

“When Adam gets his hands on the ball, the game feels slower to him and the team feels more in control. Then he will kick you into a good position and you can put pressure on the other team with your defence.

“Every last-play option with ‘Reyno’, there is thought to it, and every kick will land where he wants it.

“He is a massive signing for the Broncos. They will realise just how good he will be for the club if he stays fit. The Broncos have struggled to build pressure the last few years and that‘s what Adam will do for them.

“A guy like Kurt Capewell will be huge for them in the forwards, but to play finals, you just need someone to steer you in the right direction and kick you to the right spots and the other pieces fall into place.

“The Broncos have all the weapons to be a top-eight team with Kotoni Staggs and Payne Haas, they just need someone to control the ship and Adam will do that.”

Originally published as NRL 2022: Why Benji Marshall knocked back offer for swan song at Gold Coast Titans