A rejuvenated Benji Marshall has been leading the way at pre-season training with the Dragons and believes he can get back to his brilliant best next year.
Marshall, who has put his hand up to play in the Auckland Nines, said he was benefiting from his first full off-season since before the 2008 World Cup and a change in attitude after leaving Wests Tigers last year to play rugby union with the Blues.
The 29-year-old said he had been pushing himself harder than he had since becoming one of the game's superstars and had regained his speed and sharpness.
"This is probably the fittest I have been in five or six years," Marshall said. "There was a time when I was just happy being in the middle of the pack doing fitness and now I am out the front so it is a big difference.
"At the Tigers I was just playing to be with my mates but now that I have come back I have to prove myself again. I want to be the best again and that is probably the difference.
"I was just happy playing with my mates at the Tigers and not trying to be the best, whereas all my life growing up I always wanted to be the best.
"I lost that for a couple of years but going away and coming back I have found that again and I have got a lot to prove."
The St George Illawarra playmaker also admits he became too involved in issues such as player retention and recruitment at the Tigers, and because of his standing at the club, his standards were allowed to slip.
However, he was grateful to Dragons coach Paul McGregor for telling him some home truths after taking over the reigns from Steve Price just a week after Marshall joined the club last May.
"I just felt like I didn't have that honesty at the Tigers to challenge me and tell me that I was too overweight or being too lazy," Marshall said. "I just didn't get that in the last few years at the Tigers, whereas now Mary tells me the truth and I think it has helped me.
"I didn't know any different and when I was at the Tigers I just got too comfortable in that position but when you have to go to another club and prove yourself again, you feel like you have to step up."
After changing his body shape and trying to learn new skills for rugby union, Marshall admits he was "confused" when he returned to the NRL and had started "shakily" with the Dragons but his form and combination with England five-eighth Gareth Widdop improved as the season went on.
He has regained his speed and while the former New Zealand captain admits he can no longer do the same things as when he led the Tigers to the 2005 premiership, Marshall said he had not lost his skills and was now more experienced.
"When I made my debut [in 2003], I was 76kg and I was stepping from one side of the field to the other. Those movements are different now, obviously with my body changing shape and size, but it doesn't mean I can't do no-look passes or anything like that because there were a few games last year where there was nothing to lose and I pulled a few things off," he said.
"I am the halfback, so I need to be in control of the game and lead by example but if I see something I am still going to do it."
Acknowledging the "frustration" of St George Illawarra fans over the loss of Brett Morris to Canterbury next season, Marshall said the squad "still feels really strong" and from what he had seen at training so far the Dragons were "definitely a top-eight team".
However, Marshall said he was happy to leave the recruitment issues to the club and just wanted to focus on preparing as well as he could for a big season next year.
"I got a little bit too worried when I was at the Tigers about who was coming and going. Now I am here, I have just got to do my job and I am feeling great," he said.
"I am feeling sharper than I have ever felt and I have got a bit of speed back. [Dragons head of strength and conditioning] Ciriaco Mescia has come on board and he has relayed a lot of training to footy-specific fitness and speed, and I feel like I have got it back a bit."
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Where does this guy get off?
Marshall, who has put his hand up to play in the Auckland Nines, said he was benefiting from his first full off-season since before the 2008 World Cup and a change in attitude after leaving Wests Tigers last year to play rugby union with the Blues.
The 29-year-old said he had been pushing himself harder than he had since becoming one of the game's superstars and had regained his speed and sharpness.
"This is probably the fittest I have been in five or six years," Marshall said. "There was a time when I was just happy being in the middle of the pack doing fitness and now I am out the front so it is a big difference.
"At the Tigers I was just playing to be with my mates but now that I have come back I have to prove myself again. I want to be the best again and that is probably the difference.
"I was just happy playing with my mates at the Tigers and not trying to be the best, whereas all my life growing up I always wanted to be the best.
"I lost that for a couple of years but going away and coming back I have found that again and I have got a lot to prove."
The St George Illawarra playmaker also admits he became too involved in issues such as player retention and recruitment at the Tigers, and because of his standing at the club, his standards were allowed to slip.
However, he was grateful to Dragons coach Paul McGregor for telling him some home truths after taking over the reigns from Steve Price just a week after Marshall joined the club last May.
"I just felt like I didn't have that honesty at the Tigers to challenge me and tell me that I was too overweight or being too lazy," Marshall said. "I just didn't get that in the last few years at the Tigers, whereas now Mary tells me the truth and I think it has helped me.
"I didn't know any different and when I was at the Tigers I just got too comfortable in that position but when you have to go to another club and prove yourself again, you feel like you have to step up."
After changing his body shape and trying to learn new skills for rugby union, Marshall admits he was "confused" when he returned to the NRL and had started "shakily" with the Dragons but his form and combination with England five-eighth Gareth Widdop improved as the season went on.
He has regained his speed and while the former New Zealand captain admits he can no longer do the same things as when he led the Tigers to the 2005 premiership, Marshall said he had not lost his skills and was now more experienced.
"When I made my debut [in 2003], I was 76kg and I was stepping from one side of the field to the other. Those movements are different now, obviously with my body changing shape and size, but it doesn't mean I can't do no-look passes or anything like that because there were a few games last year where there was nothing to lose and I pulled a few things off," he said.
"I am the halfback, so I need to be in control of the game and lead by example but if I see something I am still going to do it."
Acknowledging the "frustration" of St George Illawarra fans over the loss of Brett Morris to Canterbury next season, Marshall said the squad "still feels really strong" and from what he had seen at training so far the Dragons were "definitely a top-eight team".
However, Marshall said he was happy to leave the recruitment issues to the club and just wanted to focus on preparing as well as he could for a big season next year.
"I got a little bit too worried when I was at the Tigers about who was coming and going. Now I am here, I have just got to do my job and I am feeling great," he said.
"I am feeling sharper than I have ever felt and I have got a bit of speed back. [Dragons head of strength and conditioning] Ciriaco Mescia has come on board and he has relayed a lot of training to footy-specific fitness and speed, and I feel like I have got it back a bit."
******************************************************************************************************
Where does this guy get off?
