Benji Marshall makes a break to set up Pat Richards' try in the 2005 Grand FinalFairfax Media via Getty Images
Stadium Australia roared with a raucous wave of celebration as a 20-year-old Kiwi produced a stroke of genius, setting up one of the most famous tries in NRL history.
"Who does that?" The commentators cried in disbelief of Benji Marshall, who'd flown down the field and flicked the ball to Pat Richards as the Wests Tigers went on the claim the 2005 title.
Marshall's flamboyance, fancy footwork and flicks made him an NRL hero of the mid-2000s. Coach Tim Sheens told the teenage halfback he could do whatever he wanted on the field as long as he practiced it.
And that he did. The New Zealand talent inflicted damage with a brand and skills arsenal no one had seen before, and even his teammates learned to be on alert once he touched the ball.
1 Related
That's how it was for Richards as Marshall received the ball from fullback Brett Hodgson deep in their half, because that first touch was where the magic started.
The moment was not all about Marshall's famous flick - it was also his ability to read the play, roam from five-eighth to the wing, his trademark steps, and how he drew the Cowboys towards touch for Richards to finish off the feat with a big fend and four points.
"You'd just have to expect anything [from him]. We just read the play and I realised Benji was running cross-field into touch, so I just decided to come inside. I didn't even realise he had flicked the ball to be honest until a few days after," Richards tells ESPN.
"Everyone kept replaying it, talking about it and all that. It was just normal, it was the way we'd practiced that year. Tim always had us practicing that flick pass, doing all these basketball kind of skills and really promoting that.
"So it did come out on the big stage. It just sort of stuck. I put my hand out and luckily enough it stuck, and I ended up getting the try.
"It's amazing. I don't think that try would have been replayed as much if Benji wasn't involved in it. He had that sort of star power about him back then. It's grown to be the moment of that Grand Final, I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time."
As September comes to an end for another year, so does another NRL finals series with that highlight reel hit on repeat. Only this season it has more significance.
Marshall will feature in his second decider on Sunday as the South Sydney Rabbitohs clash with the Penrith Panthers for the 2021 title.
His 16-year wait between Grand Finals is the longest in NRL history, with the 36-year-old veteran outlasting former teammate Lote Tuqiri - who featured in the Broncos 2000 and the Rabbitohs 2014 sides.
"It's hard to comprehend at the moment. It's been so long I almost forgot about what Grand Final week was like," Marshall said to the media on Tuesday.
"I'm just really grateful to be in this position, to have this opportunity. There's been a couple of times, especially in the last five years, where it looked like my career was over.
"To be able to be here with a great club that has shown me a lot of support, especially from the players, to get me here. With Wayne [Bennett], the club and the fans... I'm really enjoying myself at the moment."
For the last five seasons Marshall has played on one-year contracts. He first linked with Bennett at the Broncos in 2017 before returning to Concord where he would remain with the Tigers for three seasons.
But he looked destined for retirement at the beginning of 2021 after the Tigers, where he's the highest point scorer and second-most capped player ever, shut the door on a new deal.
He was close to signing with the Bulldogs to unite with his brother Jeremy Marshall-King before the club went cold, so instead he called Bennett for a lifeline to end his career on a high note.
His arrival in Redfern was a shock as it was unclear where he'd fit in, with the Rabbitohs already boasting a strong-starting combination of Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker in the halves. But in effect it was a stroke of wizardry as Bennett turned the NRL's oldest player into the ultimate utility.
Marshall and the master coach have transformed the role of the No.14 as he came on for stints across the field this season, including at lock and hooker for the first time in his decorated 19-year career.
Although the razzle dazzle of his heyday has faded, Marshall has been as effective from a tactical and leadership perspective. The 2010 Golden Boot winner credits his longevity in the NRL to his resilience and ability to adapt his body and playing-style to suit the game's changes.
"I think one of the things a lot of people don't talk about when it comes to me is resilience," Marshall said.
"I had five shoulder reconstructions at a young age, missed out on like 70 games due to injury throughout my career. So to bounce back from that for me is one of the things I'm most proud of.
"To play 19 years in this competition is pretty special as well. I've had to change my body to try not to get so injured, especially with my shoulders. I've probably had to change my game as I've gotten older into playing a lot smarter and not so flashy and instinctive.
Love the NRL? Australian users can personalise their ESPN experience by downloading the App. Get live scores, news and videos ANYWHERE, ANYTIME.
Download ESPN from Google Play Store Download ESPN from iTunes App Store Get NRL news and more in your inbox Head to ESPN's Home of Rugby League Review: 2020 Rugby League season
DOWNLOAD
"I've really enjoyed the evolution of what I've had to do with my game... every year I've had something to work on and try to be better at.
"Because I've gotten older, everyone has a stigma about age. It doesn't matter how old you are, you've just got to keep on going and I feel like I've changed heaps of stuff over the last 12 years of my career, not just the last four to five. If you want to keep getting better, you have to change your game."
And so the Marshall who'll run onto Suncorp Stadium this weekend is far removed from the 20-year-old sensation who rocked the rugby league world in 2005.
Marshall has been credited as one of the most influential players in rugby league history, with his fancy footwork and flick passes inspiring a generation of kids on both sides of the Tasman.
His vintage moves have come through with those who made it to the NRL, with the likes of Kalyn Ponga and Shaun Johnson incorporating his big steps with the same flash and flair.
"He's inspired so many young kids. To be someone like that out there doing that, it's incredible you know," Richards said.
"People always come up to me and one of the first things they bring up is the [Grand Final] try and talk about Benji. Everyone is so fascinated by him because he was one of the first to do that [flick pass] in our game. He was a bit of a pioneer and he has definitely inspired so many.
"What I loved about him was that attacking footy, and that's what people paid money to come watch, to see you excite the crowd and all that. Benji was a huge part of that."
Although the Kiwi international has replaced his flicks and tricks with a more measured approach to the game, he still captures the imagination of fans by his constant evolution into what Richards describes as "the complete player."
"I think at the start of his career he basically just played footy. Whatever was in front of him, he attacked with a confidence about him," Richards said.
"Now he's much more calculated and understands the game so much more. He's been a student of the game as well and has control of certain situations now, he's a completely different player from when he first started. His game has evolved so much.
"I got to play with that young, exciting, brash sort of young kid, and now he's pretty much the complete player. The transition has been unreal and he's still as effective, but in a different way now than what was at the start of his career. But at the start when he was that young, exciting player - I love those days, you know."
And so Marshall's career will come full circle with a fairytale finish to the season in Brisbane. Although it would be fitting to bow out on the NRL's biggest stage, he has no intention of retiring just yet.
"If you've still got the desire and passion to play and you want to play, why not?" Marshall said.
But should Marshall opt not to crack the NRL's record and continue for a 20th season, he would finish as one of rugby league's greatest showmen with 96 tries and 260 try assists across 344 NRL matches - as well as 31 Tests for New Zealand and a World Cup win in 2008.
"I think someone of his stature deserves the big stage and I think it's ironic that if it is his last game, it's a Grand Final because that's where Benji has made his name - on that big stage. Even at the World Cup final and all that, he always delivers in those big moments," Richards said.
"If he does hang up, who knows? Every year I think it could have been [his last] but let's just enjoy him as he is and if he goes again, then he does and it just proves how competitive he is.
"He still wants to do it and is contributing out there, when he comes on for Souths he's playing a perfect role where he could be in the middle - he could be anywhere. He's really making an impact in the team as well."
View original post here:
NRL Benji Marshall's 16-year evolution between Grand Finals - ESPN
- Days of our Lives' Suzanne Rogers on the Evolution of Maggie: "She Knows Who She Is Now, and She's Not Relying ... - Michael Fairman TV - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Kylie Jenner Talks About Her Style Evolution - The Cut - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Equator Coffees Unveils New Packaging Design, Reflecting Brand Evolution & Vision For The Future - Sprudge - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Rosewood Hotel Group Accelerates Growth And Evolution Across Its Four Distinctive Brands - Hospitality Net - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Thomson Reuters Unveils New Brand Evolution - Adweek - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Is It Becoming Acceptable to Speak of Design? - Discovery Institute - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Did Charles Darwin Convert to Christianity and Discredit Evolution on His Deathbed? - Snopes.com - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Milk, it's not just for mammals: An amphibian makes it too - NPR - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Discover Puerto Rico Debuts Evolution of Its Successful 'Live Boricua' Brand Campaign Aimed at Engaging Visitors ... - Yahoo Finance - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- A Journey Through Time: The Evolution of Ras Al Khaimah Art - Business Wire - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Empowering Women: The Evolution and Innovation of coto Social Platform - CXOToday.com - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- The Evolution of Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Root - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Study on mating behaviors offers clues into the evolution of attraction - Phys.org - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Dragonball Evolutions live-action Goku says goodbye to Toriyama: Sorry we messed up - AS USA - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Investec, evolution of SMEs in the materials handling sector - Leasing Life - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- Pride & Prejudice and the evolution of the female gaze on screen - Yahoo News UK - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Joe Wong's Musical Evolution - Shepherd Express - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- A global survey of prokaryotic genomes reveals the eco-evolutionary pressures driving horizontal gene transfer - Nature.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Redefining Intelligence: Chimpanzees Break Through the Cultural Evolution Barrier - Medriva - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Mollusk Eyes Reveal How Future Evolution Depends on the Past - Quanta Magazine - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Levy Delves Into the Evolution of ADCs in NSCLC - OncLive - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The Snake Is The Spearhead of Reptile Evolution, But Why? - ScienceAlert - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- 'A very special day: Birds linked to Darwins theory of evolution reintroduced to Galapagos Islands - Euronews - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Why the Powerhouses of Cells Evolve Differently in Plants - College of Natural Sciences - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Driving the DevOps Evolution: ArgoCD, Tekton and Seamless Migrations - DevOps.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Finding the Balance: The Evolution of Public Health Guidance Amidst Controversy - Medriva - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Insider Podcast: Paolini dishes on her Polish roots and hard-court evolution - WTA Tennis - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Interview: Sara Gruen and Rick Elice Talk About the Inspiration and Evolution of the New Musical Water for Elephants - TheaterMania.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The Evolution of the Laravel Welcome Page - Laravel News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- A Serpentine 'Explosion' 125 Million Years Ago Primed Snakes for Rapid, Diverse Evolution - Smithsonian Magazine - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The Evolution of Modern Technologies in Car Development - FinSMEs - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Milwaukee Transformed: From Bronzeville to Veterans Park, Aerial Timelapses Reveal City's Evolution - BNN Breaking - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The eyes are a gateway to evolution of daddy longlegs at least. - University of Wisconsin-Madison - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Adrian Newey: RB20 is the next step in Red Bull's design evolution - PlanetSport - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- LiveScore releases its 'Evolution of Fan' report - Gambling Insider - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The loyalty program evolution makes its way to the full-service restaurant category - Nation's Restaurant News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution #1 spoiler-free review: goes hard on the action, but ... - Gamesradar - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Exploring U.S. Financial Evolution: DAR Hosts Talk on Federal Reserve History in Thomasville - BNN Breaking - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Why cloud evolution needs a cohesive approach to succeed - CIO - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Gilead Sciences CEO on Company's Evolution and Commitment to the Bay Area - BioSpace - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Navigating the AI Quandary: Human Supremacy vs Machine Intelligence Evolution - BNN Breaking - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Denis Villeneuve breaks down the evolution of sandworms in 'Dune: Part Two' - Mashable - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Continued evolution of law improves governing capacity - Chinadaily.com.cn - China Daily - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The Evolution of the DEX Space with dYdX's CEO Antonio Juliano - Blockster - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Quick Commerce Evolution: 3PL Firms Aim for Same Day Delivery, Chasing Blinkit and Zepto's Lead - BNN Breaking - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- What If...? Star Jeffrey Wright Addreses the Watcher's Evolution and 'Epic' Season 2 Finale - CBR - Comic Book Resources - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Evolution of the Connected Autonomous Vehicle - Ward's Auto - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- A project to capture the evolution of human culture. - Psychology Today - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- The Evolution of a Digital Soul. Beyond Code: A Journey of Heart and | by Mark Randall Havens | Dec, 2023 - Medium - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- 4 Clues That Reid Is Finally Returning In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 - Screen Rant - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Evolution of Samoyed and Kitten's Friendship Delights Internet: 'Wholesome' - Newsweek - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Crypto Evolution: Pullix (PLX) vs OKB (OKB) & KuCoin (KCS) - Crypto Reporter - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Alfa Romeos mediocre F1 season heralded its era of evolution: Prime Tire - The Athletic - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Beyond The Uniform: 10 Years of Evolution in SYNC Performance's Custom Program - SkiRacing.com - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Why SZA's evolution into a popstar has earned her recognition as artist of the year - Salon - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- AI in 2023 Rises, Falls and Evolution - Finance Magnates - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Indonesia's Indosat pursues evolution from telecom to tech company - Nikkei Asia - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- EdTech Evolution: 3 Stocks Educating the Next Generation - InvestorPlace - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Informa Tech Interview with Huawei about voice evolution and innovations at 5G Core Summit 2023 - Informa Tech ... - Light Reading - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Looking ahead: What will the DeFi evolution look like in 2024? - Ledger Insights - Ledger Insights - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Why Cat Bohannon wrote 'Eve, How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution' | India News ... - IndiaTimes - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- The smart-design evolution of the laboratory space - pharmaphorum - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- The WILD Evolution of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TMNT (VIDEO) - FandomWire - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- The supernatural invades American museums via indigenous artifacts - Why Evolution Is True - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Baleen Whales First Evolved Large Body Size in Cold Southern Waters, New Fossil Shows - Sci.News - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- The Evolution of Identity in Taiwan The Diplomat - The Diplomat - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- From the Archive: The Evolution Of Hockey Pools - The Hockey News - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- 'X-Men: Evolution' Is Better Than 'X-Men: The Animated Series' - Collider - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Unveiling the Silver Screen: The Evolution of Celebrity Nudity in Cinema - The Hype Magazine - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Are Humans Still Evolving? 'Maybe More Rapidly Than Ever,' Says Scientist - Newsweek - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- The Intersection of Real Estate and Fintech: Evolution, Impact of Policies, and Global Dynamics - CXOToday.com - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Kyle Richards' Style Evolution: Her Best Looks - Us Weekly - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2's "Deeper Secrets" Teased By Aisha Tyler - Screen Rant - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Saturday: Hili dialogue Why Evolution Is True - Why Evolution Is True - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- NBA 2K24 MyTEAM New Year Resolution Adds 14 Evolution Cards - ClutchPoints - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- dive into the history of NASA's logo evolution from the space ... - Designboom - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Resolving the puzzle of same-sex sexual interactions - Nature.com - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- The History and Evolution of Black Friday And How It Got Its Name - Yahoo Life - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Evolution of Terran R, with Tim Ellis (Relativity Space) - Payload - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Brownell Raves About Breakout Junior's Evolution - The Clemson Insider - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]