Benji Marshall is expected to decide within days whether he’ll join the Blues and try to become an All Black after meeting with the Auckland-based Super Rugby franchise on Friday.
The Wests Tigers NRL playmaker appears set to cross codes following a flying visit to New Zealand to meet with Blues coach Sir John Kirwan, chief executive Andy Dalton and new stakeholder Murray Bolton.
There was no comment from the franchise afterwards but Marshall’s manager, Martin Tauber, said the meeting went well and indicated the Kiwis league captain would make his call “in the next few days”.
Tauber said part of Marshall’s attraction in the Blues was learning under a coaching staff that includes All Blacks great Kirwan and World Cup-winning mentor Sir Graham Henry.
“And, of course, the possibility that he makes the All Blacks,” Tauber told journalists.
But 28-year-old Marshall, who it seems is being viewed as a fullback rather than five-eighth by the Blues, would have a major fight to be starting player in Auckland ahead of rising star Charles Piutau.
Piutau was the leading ball-runner in Super Rugby this season, making the most clean breaks (24) and beating most defenders (60), and has been elevated to the All Blacks squad.
New Zealander Marshall has not played the 15-man code since he was 16.
Tauber said Marshall was not so much motivated by the sevens game and the possibility of becoming an Olympian in Rio in 2016.
“It’s more the 15-game, and [from] what John (Kirwan) said to us, we’re very confident and hopeful he will make the All Black squad.”
The Melbourne Rebels and NSW Waratahs have both been linked to Marshall but he has been adamant he won’t play the Wallabies.
While Marshall immediately headed back across the Tasman to prepare for Sunday’s NRL match against Gold Coast, Tauber was staying on for the weekend for meetings including discussion of third-party arrangements.
After a decade with the Tigers, the 2005 NRL premiership winner is leaving the Sydney club at the end of the season following a contract dispute.
Tauber said Marshall didn’t want to consider rugby union options in France or Japan until later in his career.