The Fairytale Deal That Would Have Defined This Era Of The Wests Tigers
This is massive!
In what would have been one of the big headlines of the year, Benji Marshall was apparently almost a done deal to make a shock return to the Tigers mid-season.
Yes, the man who delivered the 2005 premiership and became a part of Wests Tigers folklore was set to return home!
The whole situation hinged on Tui Lolohea's deal with the club, with smh.com.au reporting that Marshall was the back-up - and eager to make the move back to Leichhardt.
Lolohea ended up linking up with the Tigers to fill Mitch Moses' place, leaving Marshall at the Broncos for now.
Apparently, Marshall even approached Broncos coach Wayne Bennett about getting a release. However, it wasn't meant to be.
"As a club we reached out to Benji at a period when we were looking for someone to fill a role for the rest of the season," Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe said.
"His name is synonymous with the Wests Tigers and would have been great for our brand as well as for our team. First and foremost we are always making decisions that we believe will put the club first.
"Acquiring Tui Lolohea meant that a position for Benji was not available and both Benji and the club were comfortable with that. He is a quality person and player and he will provide great service for the Broncos."