The Kiwi five-eighth has faced his share of obstacles, but Benji Marshall is hitting his straps at the right time, writes Glenn Jackson.

They say with superstars that you'd love to bottle what they've got. Benji Marshall's no different. But what would a bottle of Benji be like?

You'd have to think it would be a fizzy drink, refreshing and effervescent. But certainly not sugar-free (more like sweet as).

And on the eve of this World Cup final, the bottle's been shaken; the pressure is well and truly on. You see, while Marshall is indeed a star, there is no doubting it has lost some of its brightness in recent times. After the highs of a 2005 premiership win with Wests Tigers came a procession of injuries and a recession in form.

But now, some hope. Marshall's got his mojo back, Benji's got his bounce. He's under pressure, yes, but much of it, tellingly, is coming from himself.

He is calling tomorrow night's final a "career-defining game".

Marshall doesn't usually speak like that, confident verging on cocky, unless he can walk the walk. But in the World Cup so far, he has shown signs that he is indeed a star on the rise for a second time.

"I've missed my fair share of Tests," said Marshall, who before the tournament had played for his country just three times. "This is the first time I've been available at the end of the year. To play for New Zealand in the year of a World Cup, it's exciting for me. I've doubled my amount of Tests already, in one series.

"But it means a lot. It's my first World Cup. Playing for my country means everything. You grow up wanting to play for your country, and there's a lot of emotion, a lot of stuff going through my head, where I've come from."

He's not talking about Whakatane, New Zealand, but where he has come from since he helped the Tigers to the premiership. He has suffered a Wiggles song of ailments (head, shoulders, knees and toes). Mostly shoulders and knees though. It restricted his game as much as it did his game time.

"My form wasn't the best, my confidence wasn't the best, but I feel like I'm starting to become the old me again," Marshall said. "A bit cocky, a bit confident, the 'do what I want' sort of style. The last couple of years, I've been holding a bit back, but it was a style I didn't want to play - all structured, do this, do that, instead of the flamboyant.

"There's always time for the structured plays, but if I don't play the way I want to play … it's just me, Benji Marshall, I suppose you could say.

"Maybe I was afraid, well not afraid, but I didn't want to make mistakes. I didn't want to try and force too many things. But that's the way I play, a bit on the edge. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't.

"I used to love taking the line on, but with the injuries … I was probably a bit tentative."

The turning point came, as they generally do, sitting on the floor of the shower. It was there, in his home, that he sat for half an hour, doing nothing for the water restrictions but a lot for his career. It was the day of the round-19 clash with South Sydney. The Tigers won 36-12, and Marshall won many admirers.

"It took a lot longer than I would have liked," he said. "But the last five or so rounds of the season, I started feeling more and more confident, getting my groove back."

Equally importantly, he is the fittest and strongest he has been. Defensively, he believes he is on the improve - doing special tackling drills with Ruben Wiki on a daily basis will do that. "I've played 17 games in a row now," he said. "That's a big deal for me."

The Kiwis have been building with the same sort of momentum, slow to start in the tournament but, like Marshall, at their strongest now.

"Everything seems like it's coming together," Marshall said. "We've got a lot of self-belief. It's a different team. We've grown a lot, and we've formed a few more combinations. Everyone's keen, everyone's ready to play.

"They're a great side. It's one of the greatest Australian teams in a while. But at the same time, we've got the belief that we can beat them."

Also bubbling away in this story is the prospect of Marshall leaving the Tigers. He has been the subject of interest from European rugby union clubs recently, however, he has maintained he would see out the remainder of his contract with the Tigers, which runs until the end of next year.

After that, there remains a strong chance Marshall will swagger his way out of the club, possibly to Britain, and possibly to rugby union.

But the 23-year-old is committed to his club for the moment, just like his mind is committed to his country.

"My main focus at the moment is the World Cup," he said. And it's a steely focus. "I always knew I could come back. It was only a matter of time. It took longer than I wanted, but I'm in a World Cup final.

"These are the games that define your career. Everyone remembers these games. If you play bad, or you choke, people will remember. But the same if you play good. I've got an opportunity to show what I can do."