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Legendary playmaker Benji Marshall spoke for the first time since cancel a monster balance contract with Super League club Hull FC, declaring that “life is not just about money”.
Hopes of Marshall’s illustrious NRL career ending on a fairytale note at Wests Tigers were dashed when Coach Michael Maguire in August told him he would not be offered a 2021 contract.
And while the hero of the 2005 prime minister’s post was said to have been in talks to join the North Queensland Cowboys on a $ 150,000 contract, and later Hull on a successful contract of $ 722,000, no agreement was reached.
Marshall said he chose to put family first over money.
“Life isn’t all about the money and when I thought of the pros and cons, the pros were just about the money,” Marshall said. Triple M.
“If it was about the money, I probably would have retired five years ago. I haven’t played a lot in recent years.
“With COVID and some family issues, I’d rather just stay in Sydney.”
A move to north Queensland would have linked Marshall to former Tigers teammate and recently appointed Cowboys coach Todd Payten, while if he had accepted Hull FC’s offer he would have joined forces with former teammate of the Tigers and new Hull FC mentor Brett Hodgson.
Former skipper Kiwis played 324 NRL games in 18 years, in two stints with the Tigers and one with St George-Illawarra and Brisbane, while making a short stint at Super Rugby club the Aucklands Blues in August 2013.
While all clubs in the NRL have returned to pre-season training and Marshall is still club-less for 2021, the 35-year-old is not giving up hope.
“I really want to play soccer next year and right now nothing is going on,” said Marshall.
“I am in limbo.
“But at the same time, I feel very lucky to have played over 300 games for 18 years now.”
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