The Wests Tigers’ early season woes have been compounded by a toe injury to star playmaker Benji Marshall.
Marshall was named in the Tigers side to face St George Illawarra at the SCG on Sunday but is unlikely to play having flown back to Sydney on Tuesday from Melbourne with his right foot in a moon boot.
Tigers officials are privately confident Marshall won’t be out for three months as had been speculated but a diagnosis will be made on Wednesday by club doctor Donald Kuah.
“He’ll have an MRI scan and then I’ll sit down with him tomorrow and will then know what the problem is,” Kuah told AAP.
Early reports said Marshall could be suffering from turf toe, a condition where the ligament behind the big toe is strained usually after a blow to the back of the calf.
However, Kuah said it was wrong to speculate before the extent of the injury is fully known.
“I don’t know how people can make claims about an injury before we have probably examined it,” he said.
“It could be turf toe, but it could be something else but until we know, it would be irresponsible of me to set a date for Benji’s return or what is wrong with him.”
The Tigers suffered a fourth defeat of the season at Melbourne on Monday, but were much improved from their insipid display against Manly and led the premiers for nearly an hour.
Marshall was blighted by shoulder injuries early in his career but has missed just two games since 2008 and this latest problem could end a run of 40 successive appearances for the Tigers.
The Kiwi star is also in huge doubt for the Test against Australia next Friday, but he will be a bigger loss to the Tigers who will have to find a five-eighth.
Braith Anasta played at halfback against the Storm, but has played most of his career in the No.6 shirt.
But he lacks the creative guile of Marshall and coach Mick Potter could turn to Curtis Sironen who’s back from a shoulder reconstruction.
Alternatively Tim Moltzen could switch from fullback into the halves with young James Tedesco moving to the custodian role.
In addition to losing Marshall, the Tigers could also be without Adam Blair and Bodene Thompson for the clash with the Dragons.
Blair was charged on Tuesday with dangerous contact for putting “unnecessary leg pressure” on the Storm’s Kevin Proctor.
And Thompson is charged with dangerous contact on a kicker for a tackle on five-eighth Gareth Widdop.
The points for Blair’s charge do not allow him to escape suspension with an early guilty plea while Thompson’s 80 carry-over points also prevent him escaping a ban unless cleared at a judiciary hearing.
A decision will be made on Wednesday by the club to accept the bans or fight the charges.
