Benji Marshall’s signature at the Blues looks increasingly imminent after All Blacks fringe fly-half Beauden Barrett ruled out signing with the Super Rugby team.

Hurricanes pivot Barrett, whose brother Kane plays for the Blues, had been weighing up a shift north but coach Sir John Kirwan says talks have ended.

“For reasons of loyalty, Beauden has told us he will be staying with the Hurricanes,” Kirwan told The New Zealand Herald.

“It would have been great to have him here, but I understand his reasons.”

That outcome clears the way for Kiwis and Wests Tigers rugby league playmaker Marshall to complete a move that has been signposted over the past week.

Media outlets are reporting that Marshall has verbally agreed to join the Blues and that an announcement will be made on Saturday, a day after the Tigers play the Parramatta Eels in an NRL match in Sydney.

Most reports say Marshall has been offered a two-year contract, in the vicinity of $NZ500,000 ($A444,500) per season.