After winning the Golden Boot, he is seen as the world’s best NRL player, but if you ask Benji Marshall who the best player in his family is, he will say the name of his brother.
That brother, is Jordon Marshall, and there are eerie similarities between the two with both products of the highly regarded Keebra Park High School, they both signed with the Wests Tigers, and they both have tattoos.
”The boys are maturing and playing some really good football,” Benji Marshall said.
”At the same age, Jordan is a better player than I was. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll get a chance to play together in the NRL. But the main thing at this stage is they just enjoy their footy.”
At jut 18 years old, Jordon has already represented his country, being a part of the Australian Under 20’s touch team that defeated New Zealand.
Whilst Marshall does not want to put any unwarranted pressure on Jordon, he knows that he has what it takes to succeed, a primary reason behind the Tigers signing him.
”If I get the chance [to play NRL] it would be amazing,” Jordan said.
”Watching my brother go through the ranks and killing it now is the best feeling in the world.
”I look up to him a lot and it gives me hope that if I work hard I can be as good as him or maybe even better. He has been such a big part of my life on and off the field, he’s been my idol.”
If you thought that Benji Marshall was the only person who thought that Jordon was the more talented teen, then you would be wrong. Their mother, Lydia Marshall, thought the exact same thing.
‘Absolutely. He’s not like Benj, he’s got his own style,” Lydia Marshall said.
”People always say to him, ‘Your brother is Benj, you have to do this’. I said to him, ‘You don’t have to do that’.
”He’s got a better step and he’s faster than Benj. He knows now just to be himself.”
With ambitions to represent New Zealand, the question remains: Will Jordon choose Australia or New Zealand?
”It has always been my dream to represent New Zealand,” Jordan said.
”But when I made the Australian touch team we were all asked to give one reason what it meant to us.
”I still remember saying how much of an honour it was to be selected to play in the green and gold, that it meant so much to me.”
One day, the family remain hopeful that the two of them might play on the field together.
”I’d be ecstatic,” Lydia said.
”As would Benj.”