Tigers forced me out, says Marshall

Benji Marshall says a contract ultimatum from the Wests Tigers pushed him out the door of the NRL club.

Marshall claimed on Thursday, three days after declaring his shock intention to leave the joint venture, he was given a `stay or go' deadline on Monday.

It had previously been reported that Marshall asked to be released from the remaining two years of his contract after his manager Martin Tauber and Tigers interim chief executive Grant Mayer could not agree to the terms of an upgrade.

But according to the 2005 premiership winner he was forced out after returning on Sunday from a holiday with his wife Zoe in Bali.

"I didn't meet with my manager until about 4pm until Monday and when I did he told me we had a deadline of 7pm to stay or go ... to accept the offer they gave me or walk away," Marshall told the Nine Network.

Benji Marshal. Getty Images

"I didn't accept the offer and chose what I thought was best for myself and my family."

Marshall again denied he was motivated by money, saying he had turned down a number of big money offers from rival clubs to stay with the Tigers and had even taken a series of pay cuts to ensure the Tigers were able to remain under the salary cap.

"It's not about money. If it was about money I wouldn't even be here (at the Tigers)," he said.

"I could have left maybe five or six years ago when I was offered big money from other clubs and made the decision to stay.

"Over the last six years I have taken four pay cuts to keep the club under the salary cap.

"I'm about integrity. I'm about loyalty and that hasn't been reciprocated.

"I don't have any financial security within this at all. That's pretty scary.

"I'm going to take less money to play rugby union but I'm willing to do that to get a fresh start.

"To prove I can do it."

Marshall also revealed that phone calls from NRL boss David Smith attempting to keep him in rugby league came only after he had made the decision to switch codes.

And the Tigers cult hero fears he will be booed by his own fans when the Tigers host the Warriors at their spiritual home Leichhardt Oval on Friday night.

"It will be pretty emotional. It's going to be hard no doubt about it (to leave the Tigers at season's end)," he said.

"I hope the next eight weeks the fans respect and appreciate my decision and they cheer me on and don't boo me because I have always appreciated their support."

AAP