Benji Marshall seeking a return to rugby league

Benji

Marshall is seeking a return to the NRL, negotiating for an immediate release

from Super Rugby’s Blues after struggling to adapt in his code switch.

The

former New Zealand rugby league Test skipper has failed to make much impression

in limited opportunities for the Auckland-based Blues in their eight Super

Rugby games since his move from the NRL’s Wests Tigers.

The

29-year-old has instructed his manager Martin Tauber to begin talks with NRL

clubs who may be interested in signing him. The move comes after a weekend

meeting with Sir John Kirwan in which the Blues coach suggested he either play

the rest of the season in the lower tiers to help prepare him for the 2015

Super Rugby competition or return to rugby league.

“It

just hasn’t worked out, it is disappointing,” Tauber told News Corp. “He’s

not had the game time he’d like. This has all happened over the last 36

hours.”

Asked

if Marshall would be moving back to Sydney, Tauber said they had not spoken to

any NRL clubs yet.

“It

might be Queensland or it might be NSW, it depends who is interested in

him,” Tauber said.

Cronulla,

St George Illawarra, Parramatta, Melbourne and Brisbane have been suggested as

club who could be interested in Marshall. A mercurial playmaker, Marshall

played 11 seasons and 201 matches for Wests Tigers after joining them as a

schoolboy in 2003, and won a premiership there in 2005.

Marshall

has played only one full game of Super Rugby for the 11th-placed Blues – at

fullback against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein – while making five reserve bench

appearances and being unused twice.

Recently,

he’s looked uncertain, including during a 43-minute stint at five-eighth in the

39-20 loss to the Hurricanes on Friday after first choice Chris Noakes was

forced off with a head injury.

Kirwan

on Monday praised the progress made in the performances of his two starting

five eighths this season – Noakes and 20-year-old rookie Simon Hickey – but

wasn’t so effusive about Marshall.

“Our

10 [five eighth] issue is a problem,” said Kirwan told reporters in

Auckland on Monday. “With Chris getting a bit dinged before halftime, we

saw that. Benji and I have had an honest conversation and spoken about where

we’re at. He’s an incredibly good team man and an incredibly honest man so

we’re having those discussions and moving forward.”

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2014/rugby/story/218035.html

Benji Marshall seeking a return to rugby league