League: Benji Marshall contemplates NRL retirement

He seems ageless, but Benji Marshall is contemplating retirement, admitting he will have some big decisions to make later this year.

The 33-year-old, in his 16th season in the NRL, has been one of the stories of the competition in 2018.

After a difficult end to his time at the Dragons in 2016, followed by a year as a bit part player in Brisbane, he has found his groove again, as part of the Tigers revivial.

He's regained the zip and verve that made him such a sensation earlier in his career, helping Ivan Cleary's team into the top eight.

His displays have meant that the recent talk about a Kiwis' recall is not based on sentiment — as it sometimes was in past years — but on pure form.

New Kiwis coach Michael Maguire admitted as much on Thursday, saying that Marshall would be at the forefront of his calculations.

"He's been great," Maguire told the Herald. "I will pick on form. The players that are available are the ones to pick. I am going to look at those with great respect. If Benji is one of those...he has done a lot for New Zealand rugby league and the way he is playing now is really enjoyable to watch."

Marshall echoes those thoughts, saying the fun has come back into the game for him.

"It's been enjoyable getting back to that form," Marshall said in an interview for Australian media organisation 20Four, "and regaining some respect for the way I am playing footy.

"I feel like that probably got lost in the last couple of years. I wasn't playing good enough, bit of confidence loss there and a few doubts and I was unsure if I could get that back. It's been a pretty remarkable turnaround from the last 24 months."

He's played every minute of every game this year, contributing three tries and three try assists as well as a higher defensive workload than in any year since 2004.

But he's also a realist about the miles on the clock, after 277 NRL games.

"I don't know if this is going to be my last year or not...but if it is, I want to go out giving it everything," said Marshall. "I don't want to say 'yeah I am playing next year', and not enjoy now for what it is. [I'll] make a decision somewhere nearer the end of the season. I don't want to play an extra year and regret it, but probably address that question later in the year."

As always, it's a complicated decision. Marshall says he feel fitter than he has for a few seasons, but the recovery process after games is getting more difficult. He also has to weigh up family considerations, as a new father.

In terms of life after football, Marshall, who has been working with the SG Ball and Harold Matthews teams at the Tigers, revealed he was interested in taking on the clipboard, though not as a head coach.

"I feel like I have a lot to offer coaching," said Marshall. "I could delve into that. But assistant coach is a lot easier, you don't have to cop the brunt. I feel like I have a lot to offer in terms of my knowledge and what I have learnt over my career."

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