Benji Marshall on Father Figures, Dad Jokes, Gift Ideas & Baby Poo Blowouts

The realities of #DadLife.

A master of side steps, no-look passes and try-scoring speed, former National Rugby League player, 2005 Premiership winner and newly appointed Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has proven he can tackle anything life throws at him. Off the field, as a father of two adorable kids and husband to Zoe Marshall, Benji handles the ups and downs of parenthood like a pro. For Father’s Day 2022, we sat down with the footy legend and his family to chat about the realities of being a dad.

What does #DadLife mean to you?
”I love being a dad. For me, it is the greatest privilege you could ever have. Becoming a parent and being a dad is something that I always dreamt of. I grew up not knowing my father – Dad Life for me was uncles and brothers. My mum was the youngest of 15, and I had nine uncles that were like dads to me. And at some stage of my life, well most stages of my life, they’ve all played a part of being like a dad figure to me, so the more family and the more people, and positive male influences you have around your life, the better.”

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What’s the last #DadLife moment that made you LOL?
“Ha! I took my son to the cafe, and when I took him out of the car, I was wearing a white jumper. I pulled him out of his car seat, and I was holding him, and I looked at all the people at the cafe and noticed they were looking at me laughing. I didn’t know why they were laughing, but when I put him down in the pram, that’s when I realised he’d done the biggest poo, all over my white jumper, in front of the whole cafe on the street! I just couldn’t believe it. It was embarrassing, but at the same time, looking back it was funny.”

What’s your number one #DadLife advice (other than avoid wearing white!)?
“If I could give advice to myself when I was younger it would just be that it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, if you’ve got a good attitude and you want to work hard, and just enjoy what you’re doing… that’s what it’s about.”

What’s the best straight-to-the-trophy-room Father’s Day gift?
“Every Father’s Day or every Christmas I always get a coffee mug with the photos of my kids on it. It might seem like it’s not much, but for me I get to wake up every morning and have a coffee, holding a mug that they bought for me, and it’s them on the cup. So it's those sorts of presents that mean more to me than anything.”

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