Benji Marshall has thrown his hat into the ring for the vacant Wests Tigers coaching job, declaring he would jump at the opportunity to coach his former club.
The Tigers are on the bottom of the NRL ladder and on the hunt for a new head coach after Michael Maguire was sacked in June, with Brett Kimmorley stepping in until a replacement is found.
It has been reported Tim Sheens, who returned to the Tigers this year as head of football, is willing to take over the head coaching role for next year.
But Marshall, who retired last year after a stellar 346-game career played mostly at the Tigers, told NRL 360 on Tuesday night he would love to coach his old side.
"The dream for me would be to be a coach and at the Wests Tigers would be the ideal situation," he said, while conceding it's unlikely he'd be elevated to the top job "anytime soon".
Marshall said he hadn't yet been approached by the Tigers but said he would love to be mentored by Sheens, who coached him to the 2005 premiership, before eventually taking over as head coach.
"Obviously it's been reported that Tim's going to get the job and he's going to mentor someone," he said.
"If the opportunity for me to be mentored under him with a pathway to become a head coach, it's something I'd definitely consider.
"I love my job, what I do now (as a commentator at Fox League), but that's an opportunity I might never get again, the opportunity to try and become a head coach.
"If they did go down than path and ask me, I'd definitely be interested and consider that.
"If the view is a genuine pathway to become a head coach.
"For me, an NRL head coach is a dream job and to be mentored by someone like Tim and learn underneath him with a chance to get there, if that's the route they want to go down with me, it's something I'd be interested to explore, for sure."
Benji Marshall wants to coach the Wests Tigers. Photo / Photosport
NRL 360 Paul Kent pointed out Marshall has limited coaching experience and would have to deal with the Tigers' administration, which has been heavily criticised for its decision making in recent years.
But the 37-year-old responded: "Yeah, I am ready. The reason I am ready is you don't actually know until you hit that pressure gauge whether you are ready.
"The thing I've always done is I back myself. And if they do go down that path where they want me to do it, I'm all in.
"I love working here but if this is real and it's an opportunity and they come to me with that, then I'm in."
The Tigers effectively pushed Marshall out the door at the end of the 2020 season to end his second stint at the club, before he joined the Rabbitohs for one last campaign.
But Marshall said he wouldn't want to coach "anywhere else" and passionately outlined his desire to help the Tigers, who haven't made the NRL finals since 2011.
"I've been and gone a couple of times from the club but the one thing that's always remained is it's in there (his heart).
"There's a love for the club and I want to see the club succeed and I genuinely believe that Tim's the best option to come in and turn it around, whether that's two, three years, I don't know.
"Whatever it is, I'm happy to bide my time underneath and learn how to do it, if they go with me, to turn it around. I believe I can have a genuine impact there."
Marshall said he would instil "a belief among the side to make them better players" and his man management skills would put him in good stead to be a head coach.
"I've got an opinion that coaching isn't all about the footy," he said.
"It's about understanding people and giving them enough belief in themselves — teaching them how to be good people first and players second.
"If you can get the balance of that right first and create a good culture, that's the half the battle.
"I reckon the last five years of my career I probably did more coaching than playing. "Mentoring players, helping them deal with their off-field situations more than playing.
"I'm real positive. I love positivity and bringing good energy and if you have good energy and around the team and the environment's good for the players, I think that's important."
