League: Marshall keen to regain test spot

Benji Marshall
Benji Marshall
A return to Eden Park may once have been the last thing on Benji Marshall's mind.

But the rejuvenated Dragons playmaker not only "begged" to play at this weekend's Auckland Nines host venue, he believed it could lead to burying another hatchet with a New Zealand test recall.

Marshall insisted there were no mixed feelings before leading St George Illawarra's Nines charge at the Blues' home ground barely nine months after ending his ill-fated stint at the Super Rugby club.

"No, it is good to be home. I felt I left on pretty good terms with the Blues," he told AAP.

"I was begging the Dragons coach (Paul McGregor) to play the Nines but I don't think he was that keen for me to play to be honest (due to injury potential) but I got my way in the end."

And by exorcising his Blues demons, Marshall hopes to mend fences on another front at the Nines.

Marshall played the last of his 27 tests for the Kiwis in 2012.

And that unwanted streak did not look like ending any time soon after Marshall failed to even make New Zealand's extended Four Nations squad last year.

But the stage is set for the 29-year-old to give a not so subtle reminder to national coach Stephen Kearney, who will be holding the clipboard in Auckland as Broncos assistant coach.

Asked if he felt the door had been closed on his New Zealand rep days, Marshall said: "I don't - I don't know how everyone else feels.

"But that's going to be one of my goals this year, playing consistently every week for the Dragons and trying to be the best player on the field to hopefully earn a recall in that squad."

While Marshall wished that he was "18 again", he still felt he had something up his sleeve to wow what loomed as a packed Eden Park Nines crowd this weekend.

"With my background in touch footy and having a lot more space on the field I'm looking forward to maybe pulling out a few old tricks that might have happened 10 or so years ago with me," he laughed.

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