Transfer window: Benji Marshall to sign with South Sydney Rabbitohs for the 2021 NRL season

Benji Marshall’s NRL career will stretch into an amazing 19th season after securing a lifeline at a premiership powerhouse.

Benji Marshall and Wayne Bennett will reunite at South Sydney.

Benji Marshall is expected to report for training with South Sydney as early as Friday with the veteran playmaker on the brink of securing an NRL lifeline to play under Wayne Bennett.

The one-season deal is still waiting on salary cap approval from the NRL, however it is anticipated there will be no late complications to stop the 35-year-old from joining the foundation club for what would be an historic send off.

It comes after the man rated the Wests Tigers’ greatest player was left without a club for the 2021 season.

Marshall has been on the lookout for a new club ever since the Tigers decided against re-signing the premiership-winning five-eighth.

Benji Marshall reached out to Wayne Bennett in recent weeks. Picture: Jono Searle

It is understood Marshall initiated contact with Bennett in recent weeks, and the supercoach seized on the opportunity to bring his experience to what is already shaping up as a premiership-ready roster.

Bennett has had a long association with Marshall, having previously handed him an earlier lifeline at Brisbane when he was struggling to find a club in 2017. They also forged a close bond during their time together with the New Zealand national team and NRL All Stars.

Marshall has a good working relationship with Rabbitohs assistant coaches Jason Demetriou and Ben Hornby from their time together at Brisbane and St George Illawarra respectively.

With Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds already firmly entrenched as the Rabbitohs’ starting halves pairing, Marshall will have to be content filling a Mr Fix-It-type role off the bench, but will offer valuable experience should there be a key injury to either of the halves.

The pair worked together in the New Zealand national team.

They also teamed up for the NRL All Stars team in 2012.

It’s expected Marshall will also be relied upon to use that experience to help develop young halves Dean Hawkins, Troy Dargan and Blake Taaffe.

It was speculated Marshall was close to securing a deal to join his brother, Jeremy Marshall-King, at Canterbury, but that fell through.

The NRL is yet to sign off on the deal, but Souths are hoping it will be done sooner rather than later so the 324-game veteran can come on board.

It sets up a potential fairy tale farewell for the Tigers’ 2005 grand final hero, given the huge support the Rabbitohs are receiving in premiership betting.

The Rabbitohs will be Marshall’s fourth NRL club after two stints at the Tigers and spells at the Dragons and Broncos.

Marshall knocked back a rich deal to switch to the UK Super League, preferring to remain in Australia in the hope of another NRL deal.

Marshall is the second veteran to belatedly sign with South Sydney, after the Rabbitohs secured former Penrith winger Josh Mansour on a two-year deal.

Marshall was unwanted at the Tigers following the 2020 season. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Mansour, 30, was told only days after Penrith’s grand final loss to Melbourne last year that his services were no longer required at the Panthers, as they looked for a way to get exciting young winger Charlie Staines into the starting line-up.

But the Panthers discard has found a home at the Rabbitohs, who Bennett said “got lucky” in landing the former Origin flyer.

“We just got lucky there, he became available and the opportunity came up to grab him so we’ve done that,” Bennett said.

The Rabbitohs locked in Mansour after releasing Queensland State of Origin back Corey Allan to Canterbury.

South Sydney football boss Mark Ellison said Allan’s move to the Bulldogs would allow him to play in his preferred spot at fullback – a position he concedes was not available at Souths with Latrell Mitchell set to claim the No.1 jersey for 2021.

“Corey has done a great job for our club over the past two seasons and he goes to his new club knowing he has the respect of everyone at Souths,” Ellison said.