Benji Marshall

Marshall returned for Broncos' feeder side Redcliffe last week, his first competitive match since breaking his wrist earlier in the season.

The 32-year-old is set to make his first start for Brisbane in Saturday's clash against the Warriors in Auckland, alongside Hunt who has been sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Marshall's selection has been prompted by Anthony Milford's call up to Queensland's State of Origin team and hooker Andrew McCullough's serious concussion. 

Marshall suffered the injury after impressing in Redcliffe's 28-20 win over Ipswich, having scored one try and had a hand in three others.

"It is really unlucky for it to happen like this but that is football," Marshall told broncos.com.au

Troubled by an achilles tendinitis injury that he picked up at the Downer NRL Auckland Nines, Marshall trained strongly at Brisbane's captain's run on Thursday morning but has not been able to force his way into Brisbane's best 17.

Alex Glenn has one more appointment with the doctor before he is cleared from the concussion he suffered against the Sharks last week but Broncos officials are very confident that he will be passed fit to meet the Cowboys. 

New signing Benji Marshall will feature up in the backline alongside other star names including Anthony Milford, James Roberts and Darius Boyd.

With the likes of Adam Blair, Andrew McCullogh and Matt Gillett also selected it's hard to see the side struggling this year.

The Broncos will fancy their chances in a group with the Melbourne Storm, Newcastle Knights and Wests Tigers.

BRONCOS’ NRL AUCKLAND NINES SQUAD

Alex Barr

Adam Blair

Darius Boyd

Gerome Burns

Mitch Cronin

Matt Gillett

With just three weeks until the two-day tournament that will signal the start of a 2017 season spanning 301 days, how Marshall fits into the Broncos 17 for Round 1 remains a mystery to the man himself but even at 31 years of age the format of the Nines will suit the former Dragon perfectly having kept fit in the off-season by playing A Grade touch football in Sydney.

Regarded as Brisbane's greatest centre, Renouf believes using Benji out of position will have no benefit for the club.

“It (signing Marshall) is a deadset joke. I honestly don’t know what Wayne is doing there,” Renouf told The Courier Mail.

“I can’t understand Wayne’s decisions and where the club is going.

“Benji is a six (five-eighth) or seven (halfback) and Wayne is talking about playing him as a centre. I don’t see any benefit to playing Benji Marshall at centre.

Marshall’s manager Martin Tauber revealed how a heart-to-heart with Bennett saved his NRL career, with the veteran playmaker telling the super coach: “I don’t want to retire.”

Bennett’s lifeline to Marshall is genuine with Brisbane’s recruitment-and-retention committee to rubberstamp a contract offer by Friday.

Bennett is in discussions with Marshall about the prospect of the former Kiwi Test star joining the Broncos for a one-year swan song.

The revelations fuelled rumours Hunt could be squeezed out of Red Hill to link with ex-Broncos five-eighth Corey Norman at Parramatta.

In England preparing for the upcoming Four Nations tournament, Bennett has quashed speculation Hunt could be forced out of Brisbane.

“If Benji comes to the Broncos, and that is still an if, he will not be replacing Ben Hunt or Anthony Milford,” Bennett told The Courier-Mail.

Marshall has been limited to just six games in 2016 due to a hamstring strain that flared up either side of the Round 5 clash in North Queensland, but appeared unencumbered in the return clash against the Cowboys before last week's bye.