G
Guest
Guest
Marshall just wants to be a nobody
* By Jessica Halloran
* From: The Sunday Telegraph
* March 28, 2010 12:01AM
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HE has been the Prince of Egypt. Quite often he is a Canadian snowboarding champion. Benji Marshall loves his life, but sometimes it's just easier pretending to be someone else.
The spotlight shines bright on Marshall - it was as strong as ever after another breathtaking performance against Parramatta on Friday night - but there are times when he would rather not be a superstar, would rather people know him without the "baggage".
He loves being an NRL player, but he doesn't want to be defined by it.
He dreams of a simple life, where being Benji Marshall is easy. Where no one tries to fight him. Women don't throw drinks at him.
Marshall is not ungrateful, the Tigers playmaker feels blessed to have this freakish talent, but there are occasions when Marshall has wished he was a "no-one".
"I'd much rather prefer that," he says quietly. "It probably sounds selfish … if I had my ideal life, that's what it would be.
"I would play footy, do what I do on the field and then when I get away from it, I'd live my own life.
"(But) don't think I'm hating my life. I love it."
Million-dollar contracts aside, there is also a beautiful, mystery girlfriend on his arm, jewellers give him diamonds for free and his wardrobe is supplied by Zanerobe.
"But there are a lot of things that come with it, a lot of baggage," he says.
People make assumptions when you're a footballer, so when Marshall met his current girlfriend he told her he was a soccer player.
"I don't say I'm a footballer," he says. "When I meet people who don't know me, I change it up. I've been the Canadian snowboarding champ a couple of times. I've been the Prince of Egypt.
"The girl I'm seeing, she would never have known what I was like if I'd told her the truth, that I was a footballer. She found out what I was really like. Who I really am.
"I don't think she still understands fully what I do and how big a deal it is in Sydney.
"She doesn't read the sports section, she doesn't watch TV ... and that's how I want it to be. I want to be with someone who knows me, not someone who thinks they know me because of what I do."
When he was single, he often employed his alter egos for two reasons - one because of the poor reputation footballers have (they are "dumb" and "mistreat women").
"For instance, when you meet a girl and you're single, and you tell them you play football, they'll go: 'Oh' and walk away," Marshall says.
The second reason was he didn't want a girl to be with him just because he was a star.
"It's hard ... you don't know what their intentions are, if they like you for who you are," he says.
"I'm lucky now. I'm seeing a girl, because she knew nothing about rugby league, I lied to her at the start and said I played soccer. But then I got comfortable with her and I told her I played footy.
"There's still a lot of attention from girls and it sounds stupid, but it's hard to deal with."
Marshall never says no to a photo, but he has been slapped and had drinks thrown at him when he wouldn't stick around and talk.
"I've had everything happen to me," he says. "I've had guys push me, punch me. I've had to walk away, and that's never been reported.
"It happens all the time. I start to wonder if it's worth putting myself in these situations."
To avoid "situations", he drinks at a nondescript local pub. If he heads out, it's always with a group of mates.
He seems mildly embarrassed having to reveal the extent he goes to for a normal life.
"I go out with my mates and expect nothing to happen," he says. "But in the back of my mind I know something is bound to be said, something will happen, that will put me a situation that I don't want to be in. That's difficult."
Away from the field Marshall is confident and charming, but when he he lays himself bare he seems much smaller than the 182cm, 89kg five-eighth who runs regularly rivals off their feet.
In many ways, he's a contradiction.
He barely watches a footy game and likes thinking about mathematical problems. He can solve a Rubik's Cube in two minutes and is obsessed by Sudoku puzzles.
He also loves music and writes his own songs. He taught himself to play the piano from YouTube videos and to play the drums on Guitar Hero.
His mother was 15 when he was born and Marshall grew up with little money. At times, he would go to school with no shoes and eat tomato sauce sandwiches for lunch.
This is the Benji fans don't grasp as they watch the flashing feet and sleight of hand. This leads everyone to believe that he is that person off the field, a star who is full of himself.
"The me on the field is cocky, arrogant - it's what I have to be to play good.
"Everyone thinks that," Marshall says with a sigh. "That's because I'm in the position I am, they think that I'm stuck up. A lot of people think the me they see on TV and the me they see in footy is the actual me. None of that is me.
"Everyone on the street thinks I am that; cocky and arrogant."
The truth is he is relaxed, generous, caring and easygoing. His mum has 15 brothers and sisters and they would quickly pull him into line if his ego got out of control.
"I had 10 uncles that would pull you down quick smart," he says. "I still go home and they make me do the dishes. That's why I like going home. I just like being treated as another person.
"I don't want anyone to think I'm better than anyone else. I don't want to be put on a pedestal.
"I want to be a role model to kids and that, but I want to be treated as a normal person. I know the reality of it; it's not going to happen but I just wish that it could."
* By Jessica Halloran
* From: The Sunday Telegraph
* March 28, 2010 12:01AM
\
\
HE has been the Prince of Egypt. Quite often he is a Canadian snowboarding champion. Benji Marshall loves his life, but sometimes it's just easier pretending to be someone else.
The spotlight shines bright on Marshall - it was as strong as ever after another breathtaking performance against Parramatta on Friday night - but there are times when he would rather not be a superstar, would rather people know him without the "baggage".
He loves being an NRL player, but he doesn't want to be defined by it.
He dreams of a simple life, where being Benji Marshall is easy. Where no one tries to fight him. Women don't throw drinks at him.
Marshall is not ungrateful, the Tigers playmaker feels blessed to have this freakish talent, but there are occasions when Marshall has wished he was a "no-one".
"I'd much rather prefer that," he says quietly. "It probably sounds selfish … if I had my ideal life, that's what it would be.
"I would play footy, do what I do on the field and then when I get away from it, I'd live my own life.
"(But) don't think I'm hating my life. I love it."
Million-dollar contracts aside, there is also a beautiful, mystery girlfriend on his arm, jewellers give him diamonds for free and his wardrobe is supplied by Zanerobe.
"But there are a lot of things that come with it, a lot of baggage," he says.
People make assumptions when you're a footballer, so when Marshall met his current girlfriend he told her he was a soccer player.
"I don't say I'm a footballer," he says. "When I meet people who don't know me, I change it up. I've been the Canadian snowboarding champ a couple of times. I've been the Prince of Egypt.
"The girl I'm seeing, she would never have known what I was like if I'd told her the truth, that I was a footballer. She found out what I was really like. Who I really am.
"I don't think she still understands fully what I do and how big a deal it is in Sydney.
"She doesn't read the sports section, she doesn't watch TV ... and that's how I want it to be. I want to be with someone who knows me, not someone who thinks they know me because of what I do."
When he was single, he often employed his alter egos for two reasons - one because of the poor reputation footballers have (they are "dumb" and "mistreat women").
"For instance, when you meet a girl and you're single, and you tell them you play football, they'll go: 'Oh' and walk away," Marshall says.
The second reason was he didn't want a girl to be with him just because he was a star.
"It's hard ... you don't know what their intentions are, if they like you for who you are," he says.
"I'm lucky now. I'm seeing a girl, because she knew nothing about rugby league, I lied to her at the start and said I played soccer. But then I got comfortable with her and I told her I played footy.
"There's still a lot of attention from girls and it sounds stupid, but it's hard to deal with."
Marshall never says no to a photo, but he has been slapped and had drinks thrown at him when he wouldn't stick around and talk.
"I've had everything happen to me," he says. "I've had guys push me, punch me. I've had to walk away, and that's never been reported.
"It happens all the time. I start to wonder if it's worth putting myself in these situations."
To avoid "situations", he drinks at a nondescript local pub. If he heads out, it's always with a group of mates.
He seems mildly embarrassed having to reveal the extent he goes to for a normal life.
"I go out with my mates and expect nothing to happen," he says. "But in the back of my mind I know something is bound to be said, something will happen, that will put me a situation that I don't want to be in. That's difficult."
Away from the field Marshall is confident and charming, but when he he lays himself bare he seems much smaller than the 182cm, 89kg five-eighth who runs regularly rivals off their feet.
In many ways, he's a contradiction.
He barely watches a footy game and likes thinking about mathematical problems. He can solve a Rubik's Cube in two minutes and is obsessed by Sudoku puzzles.
He also loves music and writes his own songs. He taught himself to play the piano from YouTube videos and to play the drums on Guitar Hero.
His mother was 15 when he was born and Marshall grew up with little money. At times, he would go to school with no shoes and eat tomato sauce sandwiches for lunch.
This is the Benji fans don't grasp as they watch the flashing feet and sleight of hand. This leads everyone to believe that he is that person off the field, a star who is full of himself.
"The me on the field is cocky, arrogant - it's what I have to be to play good.
"Everyone thinks that," Marshall says with a sigh. "That's because I'm in the position I am, they think that I'm stuck up. A lot of people think the me they see on TV and the me they see in footy is the actual me. None of that is me.
"Everyone on the street thinks I am that; cocky and arrogant."
The truth is he is relaxed, generous, caring and easygoing. His mum has 15 brothers and sisters and they would quickly pull him into line if his ego got out of control.
"I had 10 uncles that would pull you down quick smart," he says. "I still go home and they make me do the dishes. That's why I like going home. I just like being treated as another person.
"I don't want anyone to think I'm better than anyone else. I don't want to be put on a pedestal.
"I want to be a role model to kids and that, but I want to be treated as a normal person. I know the reality of it; it's not going to happen but I just wish that it could."
