Lote Tuqiri believes Benji Marshall's move to rugby will prove to be a success © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Super Rugby to consider expansion

News: Timani's loss may be McKenzie's gain

Teams: Blues

Dual international Lote Tuqiri believes team-mate Benji Marshall will excel at rugby union but has warned code-hopper Israel Folau to get used to being starved of possession in the 15-man code.

Marshall's decision to switch codes and join the Blues on a two-year deal from next season has polarised opinion on both sides of the Tasman. But Tuqiri, who played 67 Tests for the Wallabies, expects 28-year-old Marshall to prove his critics wrong.

"I think he'll go really well," said Tuqiri, who will play his 150th NRL game against South Sydney on Friday night. "I think he's really pumped to get over there and do something but he's got two games for us to play really good footy and I think he did that on the weekend. We'll have a few chats over the next couple of weeks but we're all excited for him, it's a new chapter in his life but he's got two weeks to play well for us."

Folau has been a revelation for the New South Wales Waratahs and Wallabies since switching from AFL this season.

He burst onto the international scene with two tries in his Test debut against the British & Irish Lions in June but has been starved of possession in the first two Bledisloe Cup Tests against New Zealand. The 24-year-old scored a 70-metre intercept try in Saturday's 27-16 loss to the Kiwis but hardly touched the ball in attack.

Asked what Folau can do to get more involved, Tuqiri said: "Yeah I don't know, I don't know. I probably had the same problem at times ... but as a winger in rugby you've actually got to hold your shape and stay out there as much as you can because anything can happen. It's an unlimited tackle count and everything else so you can't sort of just come in for the sake of it. I think there's a lot of things he can do and (Wallabies coach) Ewen (McKenzie) is there and they've got a good coaching staff at the Wallabies to help him with that."

Tuqiri says it took him a full season of Test rugby to learn how to get his hands on the ball more frequently and admits he felt frustrated at times when he first made the switch in 2002.

"At times I did (get frustrated) because sometimes you just don't get your hands on the ball," he said. "Sometimes it'll be a forward-orientated game and there are a lot of kicks and there's rucks and mauls and then there's scrums and lineouts. And when the ball does come it sort of stops at 12 or 13 and gets recycled so it's just things you've got to get used to. It's not to say he's not playing well because sometimes that's just how the game goes."

Asked if he has spoken to Folau recently, Tuqiri replied: "I haven't, not for a bit, no. But he's going well; I don't think he needs my advice."