St George Illawarra have suffered a significant blow ahead of Thursday night’s NRL match against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium with halfback Benji Marshall ruled out for the Dragons.

Marshall is still suffering from hamstring soreness sustained during last round’s 36-0 thrashing against North Queensland.

The playmaker had been under pressure in recent weeks after failing to fire the Dragons in attack, adding to speculation about his future beyond this season at the club.