Benji Marshall is reportedly set to become Wests Tigers coach in 2025 after penning a five-year deal with his former club.
Marshall will be an assistant to soon-to-be appointed coach Tim Sheens for the next two seasons before he takes over the main job, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The report adds former Tigers captain Robbie Farah will also be joining the coaching staff, with all three a viatl cog of the club's 2005 premiership success.
The Tigers sacked former coach Michael Maguire last month and Brett Kimmorely is in charge on an interim basis, with Sheens expected to be placed in charge in the coming days.
Marshall played 201 games for the Tigers between 2002 and 2013 and only retired last year after spending the 2021 campaign with South Sydney.
He brings only a modicum of coaching experience with him, having worked with the Tigers juniors since his retirement.
But Tigers half Adam Doueihi said having past players like Marshall and Farah back at the club was just what was needed.
"Both have played at the pinnacle of the game and are Tigers die-hards, they both love the club," he told reporters.
"It would give the younger boys coming through a lot of confidence, we've got a good young crop coming through over the next few years.
"If we can get them mentoring off people like Benji and Robbie, it'll only do the club good."
Fellow Tiger Jackson Hastings agreed, adding Sheens would be a great option to restore pride in the jumper.
"He knows the DNA of the club better than anyone, the fabric of the joint," he told reporters.
"It'd be great for us boys who haven't been here that long or kids coming through, to have someone to aspire to and look up to, who has that Tigers DNA and has built that over a number of years.
"He's proven that he can take a club to the pinnacle and that's what we all want to do as players."
Marshall, who has been working as an analyst this season, recently told Fox Sports an NRL head coaching role would be his "dream job".
"To be able to be mentored by someone like Tim Sheens and learn underneath him with a chance to get there ... if that's the route they want to go down with me, that is something I would be interested to explore," he said.
"The dream for me would be to be an NRL coach and at the Wests Tigers would be an ideal situation.
"I love my job that I do now, but that is an opportunity that I might never get again, the opportunity to try and become a head coach."
