Benji Marshall's family can't be in Queensland for the NRL Grand Final, but they'll watch from afar and cheer him on.
They've supported the NRL and NZ Kiwis legend from his days as a promising league player in Whakatane to his 2005 NRL title and everything in between, but mum Lydia says his career would be nothing without his scholarship to Sydney nearly two decades ago.
"If it wasn't for that scholarship, I think he'd still be in Whakatane doing God knows what," Lydia Marshall tells Newshub.
That's something she's never had to worry about, admitting it was the right call, even if it was hard at the time.
"As soon as the van left, I just broke down in a heap, but it was all for him," Lydia Marshall says.
Since then, she's dedicated her life to her eldest son, moving her whanau across the ditch, when he needed her.
"When I heard he was getting homesick, I just rang him up and said, 'me and your brothers are coming over'," says Lydia.
"He's grounded, he just loves his fans. He's matured, he's everything a mother could ask for, really.
"Even when he was younger, he was a great brother and he still is. He keeps in contact with them, gives them advice still."
Youngest brother Jeremy Marshall-King has followed Benji's footsteps into the NRL, revealing his older brother has been a huge mentor.
"He's just shown me the way, what to do right, just leading the way," Marshall-King tells Newshub. "Whatever I need to work on, he will always help me."
Benji's trademark step and passing has left every kid in awe, wanting to be like Benji - and Jeremy was no different.
Jeremy was a fresh-faced 10-year-old, when Marshall etched his name into rugby league folklore back in 2005, with one flick pass.
"I remember walking around the field with him and my other brother Jordan," he says. "It was a great moment.
"It's been a long career for him, lots of ups and downs and setbacks, and he really deserves it."
Benji Marshall's family says his career has transcended the sport.
"You go to a lot of kids around NZ or the world, and there's Benji's flick pass or Benji step," says Marshall-King. "Everyone still does it to this day."
Says Lydia Marshall: "I think he's done a helluva lot for the game, whether it be here or in NZ, he's just changed the whole outlook on the game."
Join us at 9:30pm Sunday for live updates of the NRL Grand Final between Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs
