Benji Marshall enjoyed one of rugby league’s great modern careers.
He burst onto the scene as a young kid, became instantly famous and won an NRL premiership in only his third season.
He would go on to play 346 first-grade games before ending his journey with a grand final loss on Sunday, having announced his retirement this afternoon.
But for all the fanfare and glory, the 36-year-old says he is “most proud” of the trail he blazed for his family members, and thousands of young kids growing up in New Zealand and elsewhere around the world.
It was a text message from his cousin on Wednesday morning that made him properly reflect on what he has achieved.
“I got a message from my cousin this morning that really summed it up for me – I’ve done a lot of things in my career, I’ve had a lot of highlights, proud moments, but the thing I’m most proud of is what I got told this morning,” Marshall told media.
NRL Presser: Benji Marshall calls time on his NRL career
“That’s I set a pathway for our family to follow that was different from the norm back home. I gave them something to aspire to, something to chase.
“I made it possible for them that if I can live my dream they can live their dreams.
“That’s what I will be most proud of.”
Wayne Bennett – who brought an ageing Marshall to the Broncos and then to the Rabbitohs, twice salvaging his career – agreed the halfback’s greatest legacy will be the path he forged for others.
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“I love what his cousin wrote to him today, he’s right,” Bennett said.
“He influenced a whole generation of his family, but he also influenced a whole generation of rugby league people, particularly guys that played his position.”
Marshall has a simple message for the next young Benji growing up in his New Zealand hometown Whakatane.
“Especially for kids who grow up the way I grew up, there’s a pathway and an opportunity to make it, and live your dreams if you work hard enough,” he said.
Why Benji Marshall decided to retire
“I had five shoulder reconstructions in the first five seasons of my career and got told to retire. But just out of perseverance, resilience, and having good people around me I was able to get through that.
“One of the things I really wanted to stress today was no one has a perfect career. You are always going to have lots of ups and down, positives and negatives.
“It’s how you come out of those negatives and how you ride those positives. I’m really proud of how I fought back from all my setbacks, and I think that’s a testament to how I was raised, to the values that my family instilled in me at a young age.
“If you can bounce back and be proud of how you bounced back, there’s more important lessons in your life. That’s a very important lesson, people remember you for the way you bounce back.”
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