A REJUVENATED Benji Marshall is ready to lead St George Illawarra back to the promised land of finals football.
Marshall said he benefited from his first full off-season since before the 2008 World Cup and a change in attitude after leaving Wests Tigers in 2013 to play for New Zealand Super 15 club, Auckland Blues.
He said he had been pushing himself harder than he had since becoming one of the game's superstars and had regained his speed and sharpness.
"This is probably the fittest I have been in five or six years," Marshall said.
"There was a time when I was just happy being in the middle of the pack doing fitness and now I am out the front, so it is a big difference.
"At the Tigers I was just playing to be with my mates but now that I have come back I have to prove myself again.
"I want to be the best again and that is probably the difference.
"I was just happy playing with my mates at the Tigers and not trying to be the best, whereas all my life growing up I always wanted to be the ... best.
"I lost that for a couple of years but, going away and coming back, I have found that again and I have got a lot to prove."
Dragons coach Paul McGregor ran the former Wests Tiger through a brutal 12-week fitness program in pre-season, which Marshall credits with getting him back to his best playing weight since 2007.
"I haven't been 91 kilograms since 2007. It makes a big difference," Marshall said. "I feel young again to be honest."
Marshall, now, 30, said playing for the Dragons after 201 games with Wests Tigers had given him a new education into the club's culture and history.
"The Dragons are a club with a rich and deep history and when you do play for another club it gives you a new insight," he said.
The halfback said being a mentor to the younger players is another reason he felt energised.
"I like working with the younger players and mentoring them. We have a lot of good young halves coming through and I enjoy showing them some of the skills of the game," Marshall said.
"The fans here have been good and they have a lot of expectation and that's a good thing as it makes you want to achieve more."
Marshall said he had several personal and team goals for 2015.
"From a personal point of view, it is to play well and be a good person on and off the field," he said.
"A team goal it is to make the eight and win the competition."
The veteran of 27 Test matches for New Zealand and a proud former captain of his national team, said playing again for the Kiwis remained an ambition.
"Away from playing for your club, playing for your country is the pinnacle in any sport," Marshall said.
In his comeback season in rugby league, Benji Marshall played 15 games for St George Illawarra Dragons in 2014.
Marshall's return after his brief stint in the Super Rugby was against Parramatta on May 17 when the Eels belted the Dragons 36-0 at Parramatta Stadium. It was coach Steve Price's last game before he was sacked by management.
McGregor took over as interim coach until appointed full-time on August 21. His contract runs until the end of 2017.
Acknowledging the "frustration" of St George Illawarra fans over the loss of Brett Morris to Canterbury next season, Marshall said the squad "still feels really strong" and from what he had seen at training so far, the Dragons were "definitely a top-eight team".
However, Marshall said he was happy to leave recruitment to the club and just wanted to focus on preparing for a big season next year. "I have just got to do my job and I am feeling great," he said.
"I am feeling sharper than I have ever felt and I have got a bit of speed back."
The Dragons start the season against Melbourne Storm on Monday, March 9, at Kogarah Oval.
How will the Dragons go this season?
