After entertaining the thought of hanging up his boots for good, modern day great Benji Marshall has signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, begging the question - will he play in this year's Charity Shield?
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The 35-year-old sealed the one-year deal on January 29, and in an interview with Rabbitohs.com.au featuring Mark Ellison, Head of Football for Souths, Marshall admitted he was on the verge of retirement but couldn't turn down the opportunity.
"To get the opportunity to represent this great club and play under Wayne [Bennett], like I have before, it was something too good to refuse," Marshall said.
"It was a little bit tough being in the unknown, not knowing if I was going to play again. But to be honest, I have been retiring for seven years so it wasn't different to many of the other years, but not knowing was the hardest part.
"Last week I was about to hang them up, I'm grateful to be able to play again."
The Rabbitohs will take on the St George Illawarra Dragons at Glen Willow Stadium on February 27 in the fourth Charity Shield derby to be hosted at Mudgee.
The red and green outfit have won the past seven rounds, much to the joy of the 'passionate' Rabbitohs supporters.
"One thing I know from the bottom of my heart, how passionate the South Sydney fans are for the club, and that's something I want to be a part of," Marshall said.
The roster for the pre-season derby is yet to be determined.
Marshall has played a total of 324 NRL games, respectively, with the West Tigers, Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra Dragons, with 2021 being his 19th season.
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
