Wests Tigers would like to extend its congratulations to Life Member Benji Marshall, who has confirmed his retirement from the NRL after a stellar 19-year career.
Having played out the 2021 season with the Rabbitohs, the 36-year-old will retire from the game as the eighth most capped player of all time with 346 career appearances throughout his time with Wests Tigers, St George Illawarra, Brisbane and South Sydney.
A graduate of Keebra Park High School, Marshall first debuted for Wests Tigers in 2003 — soon guiding the club to its maiden Premiership victory in 2005.
At just 20 years of age, he would also make his international debut for New Zealand the ANZAC Test, while also featuring for the Kiwis in their end-of-season Tri Nations campaign.
His game would reach new heights over the next few years — first, named as captain of New Zealand in 2009, before also being named as the Five-Eighth of the Year by the Rugby League International Federation.
In 2010, Marshall won the Golden Boot Award for the best rugby league player in the world and remains the only Wests Tigers player to have ever won the award.
Having been inducted as an inaugural Life Member of the club in 2013, Marshall returned to rugby league in 2014 following a brief stint in rugby union — playing for St. George-Illawarra for two-and-a-half years before linking up Brisbane for the 2017 season.
He would return home to Wests Tigers in 2018, racking up his 300th NRL game in 2019 as well as his 250th game for the club in 2020 before moving on to the South Sydney Rabbitohs for his final NRL season in 2021.
As the second most-capped player in Wests Tigers history, Marshall holds numerous records for the club including most career points, goals, and tries scored by a five-eighth.
Wests Tigers would like to extend its congratulations to Benji on a magnificent career and his exceptional contributions to the club throughout his 14 seasons with Wests Tigers. The club wishes Benji, his wife Zoe and children Fox and Ever, all the best for the future.
