Benji Marshall Moves to Rugby - Look Back at 13 Rugby League Converts

So Benji Marshall has joined a growing list of converts going from rugby league to rugby union. It remains to be seen if the Wests Tigers and Kiwis captain can be as successful in union as he has been in league.

Here's a look at 13 other rugby league converts who have made the switch to the 15 man game.

Wendell Sailor - the first real big name to move from the NRL to rugby union. Sailor moved across the road from the Brisbane Broncos to the Queensland Reds in 2002 and made his Wallabies debut the following season. Never quite made the impact that everyone thought he would and his career was curtailed by a positive drug test for cocaine. Made a successful return to league after his ban had finished with St George-Illawarra Dragons. Now a TV pundit.

Jason Robinson - probably the most successful league convert ever until SBW came along. Moved from UK league powerhouses, Wigan Warriors to Sale Sharks where he led them to the their first English Premiership title in 2006. And let's not forget a Rugby World Cup win for England in 2003. Made a brief return to rugby in 2010. Now a coach and father of six.

Lote Tuqiri - probably the best Australian rugby league convert so far. Like Sailor, Tuqiri moved to union from the Brisbane Broncos - although he moved to Sydney to play for the NSW Waratahs. He made his Wallabies debut in 2003 and really emerged at the Rugby World Cup. Tuqiri was a regular selection for the Wallabies until his contract was terminated suddenly in mysterious circumstances in 2009. He played for Leicester Tigers before returning to league where he is currently signed with the Wests Tigers.

Mat Rogers - The other NRL big name to make the switch to union in 2002-03. Rogers joined Tuqiri at the Waratahs and like Tuqiri made a huge impression on Australian rugby, even making the Rugby World Cup squad in 2003 and playing in the Final. Injury and a battle with depression curtailed Rogers' rugby career after that and disillusioned with rugby, Rogers returned to league with the Gold Coast Titans in 2007 where he played until his retirement in 2011.

Tasesa Lavea - Bounced between both codes throughout his career, Lavea was part of the Melbourne Storm's 1999 winning NRL Grand Final team before he returned to New Zealand to play rugby for Auckland and the Blues. A mercurial player at best who was very unlucky with injury. Lavea played for Clermont Auvergne in France before hanging up his boots to become coach at the prestigious Kings College in Auckland.

Andy Farrell - Another Wigan legend who made the switch to union at the right old age of 30. His switch to union was messy with Saracens struggling to find Farrell's best position - he played flanker, fly half, and both centre positions during his time in union. He did make England's 2007 Rugby World Cup squad but was never quite the success his former Wigan teammate, Jason Robinson was. Andy Farrell is now part of the England rugby team's coaching panel and his son, Owen has also earned caps with England and the British & Irish Lions.

Lesley Vainikolo - One of three rugby league Kiwis who have played for England in rugby union, Vainikolo was the first to make the switch, moving from the Bradford Bulls to Gloucester. He made his debut for England in 2008 but never established himself as an international rugby player. Is now playing in France for La Rochelle.

Shontayne Hape - Played a big role for the Kiwis in their shock Tri Nations triumph in 2005. Hape moved to Bath in 2008 and earned his first cap for England in 2010 - he chose to play for England having fulfilled his residency requirements. Hape has fallen off the England selection radar since the 2011 Rugby World Cup and is now playing in Montpellier.

Henry Paul - The third and probably least successful of the Kiwis to play for England. Henry Paul will probably be remembered for being taken off 20 minutes into the test against Australia in 2004. He was far more successful playing for Gloucester. Paul returned to rugby league with Harlequins (now London Broncos) before returning to union with Leeds, helping them gain promotion to the Premiership. Now involved as coach of Russia.

Berrick Barnes - It could be said that Berrick Barnes may be Australia's most successful rugby league convert - he did start his career with the Brisbane Broncos but only played two seasons for them in the lower grades before moving south to play union for the Waratahs. He is still very much in the Wallabies frame - and one wonders if he deserves to be employed more frequently given his smarter playmaking options compared to the likes of Quade Cooper and James O'Connor, although he has been hampered by Footballer's Migraine.

Sonny Bill Williams - Could SBW be the greatest successful all-round athlete New Zealand has ever produced? He is definitely New Zealand's most successful league/union convert having won titles with the Bulldogs in league and Chiefs in rugby, as well as the Rugby World Cup in 2011. Only moved to league because he felt disillusioned with rugby in 2012 but is expected to return in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2015. Oh yes, he's a boxer too - whether he deserves to be New Zealand heavyweight champion, that's up to you to decide.

Karmichael Hunt - Made a brief conversion from league to union before his conversion to Aussie rules. Former Broncos and Maroon, Karmichael Hunt, played briefly for Biarritz before embarking on his Aussie rules career with expansion club, Gold Coast Suns. Appears to have been more successful with the three-code conversion than fellow convertee, Israel Folau.

Israel Folau - The other three-code converter. Folau appears to have finally rediscovered the success with the Waratahs that he had in rugby league with the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos. Folau scored two tries on his Wallabies debut against the British & Irish Lions and was probably one of their better players in their series defeat even if his most enduring memory will be being piggy-backed by big George North in Melbourne.

But the greatest rugby league convert of them all?

Brad Thorn - World Cup winner in both rugby union and rugby league, multiple Premiership winner with the Brisbane Broncos and Crusaders. At the age of 38, Mosgiel born Brad Thorn is still going strong with the Highlanders - not surprising given that Brad Thorn is the king of comebacks and has defied the odds so many times in his illustrious career. Legend is a name that Brad Thorn deserves to wear.