Warriors not interested in Marshall

Benji Marshall will have to leave Auckland if he wants a place in the NRL, with the Warriors saying they’re not interested.

The former Kiwi Test skipper instructed his manager to open talks with NRL clubs after requesting an immediate release from his Super Rugby contract with the Blues.

A number of clubs have already ruled out approaching the former Wests Tigers playmaker, and New Zealand Warriors coach Andrew McFadden says his club hasn’t talked to Marshall.

The Warriors have made a poor start to the 2014 season but McFadden said Marshall wasn’t the man to fix their problems.

“He’s a high quality player, but he’s probably not what we need right now,” McFadden said on Tuesday.

“We’ve got our own things to work on and although it’s disappointing for Benji for sure, I think he’ll find somewhere to go, but at this stage we’ve got other things to focus on.”

Marshall found it hard to adjust to rugby union with the Blues, playing just 212 minutes of Super Rugby, though he wasn’t in peak form with the Tigers when he signed for the Blues.

However, McFadden said he was confident Marshall would be a handful for opponents if he returned to the NRL.

“I think he just needs to find his groove again, and rugby obviously wasn’t that,” he said.

“If he goes back to league, I’m sure he’ll find his form again.”

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