Wests Tigers doctor Donald Kuah is perplexed by talk Benji Marshall is battling the effects of concussion as the Tigers declared the star five-eighth a certainty to face South Sydney in Sunday’s NRL clash.
Betting markets for the match at Allianz Stadium were suspended this week following speculation the playmaker was set to sit out the match after suffering heavy head knocks in successive weeks against St George Illawarra and Canberra.
But the playmaker trained with the side this week and Kuah said he was unaware of any concussion-type symptoms hindering Marshall’s preparation.
“Unless something has changed in the last 24 hours that I’m not aware of … I’m a bit perplexed by this talk,” Kuah told AAP.
“I haven’t been approached and I know my offsider Kevin Bell hasn’t been approached about any problems with Benji.”
Kuah wasn’t present for the Raiders clash, where Marshall was collected high in an awkward tackle by Canberra winger Jack Wighton, but said the post-match medical check revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
“I wasn’t at the (Canberra) game but Kevin was and on our weekly medical report there was nothing about concussion or anything like that,” Kuah said.
“Benji was seen (by officials) as routine in the after-match clinic but nothing came of that.”
Returning winger Lote Tuqiri was also puzzled when questioned on Thursday about Marshall’s availability.
“He trained yesterday and he trained again today … I don’t know where you get that from,” said Tuqiri.
“From my point of view and the team’s point of view … he trained really well and we think he’s playing.”
Tuqiri is playing his first game of the season after having a wrist reconstruction in December and admits it’s been frustrating sitting on the sidelines while the Tigers claimed victory in just one of four games.
“We haven’t won as many games as we would have liked but hopefully I can make a bit of a difference. I’ll just go out there on Sunday and do my job and hopefully that helps,” he said.
“It’s a bit early to make conclusions but we’re getting into a time when we have to start putting some wins together.
“It’s not a position that we haven’t been in before. We know how to get out of it. We’re all sticking tight and going about our jobs and doing the little things.”
Speculation about Marshall comes a day after captain Robbie Farah had a heated clash with co-host of TV show NRL On Fox, Matthew Johns, who labelled the Tigers’ efforts in recent weeks as soft.
The hooker was also asked by Johns if his relationship with Marshall was so bad the pair didn’t talk.
“These rumours always come up year in, year out, when we’ve lost a couple of games and it’s absolute bulls..t and it p….s me off and it p….s Benji off,” Farah said.
