Benji Marshall sent home from training after a coronavirus kiss scare one day after shock axing
Benji Marshall’s week has gone from bad to worse with the star playmaker sent home from training due to a COVID breach - and Wests Tigers will pay the price for the axed star’s actions.
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It was the friendly kiss which forced a rugby league champion to be sent home from training and quarantined over COVID-19 fears.
Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall kissed Channel 7 reporter Michelle Bishop – who was on location filing a story - at the club’s St Luke’s Park training facility in Concord on Wednesday.
And on Thursday ARLC chairman Peter V’landys confirmed the Tigers would be punished over the incident, with the club given a suspended penalty.
“We need to have deterrence in place for the clubs to obey the biosecurity measures,” V’landys told 2GB.
“The government’s been kind enough to allow us to conduct our competition under strict biosecurity measures and we have to honour our part of the deal.”
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The pair are acquaintances with Marshall – wearing a black beanie - giving Bishop a peck on the left cheek. It breached the NRL’s strict biosecurity protocols with Marshall told to immediately isolate from teammates.
Bishop returned a negative test on Thursday, meaning Marshall is free to re-join the playing group.
The journalist tweeted: “I’m in the clear. Negative to coronavirus. Massive thanks to the @WestsTigers and the @NRL but mostly to @Benji_Marshall6 who continues to be a great role model to my three sons on and off the field #letsplayfootytonight”.
Bishop had sent Marshall a text message on Tuesday night after the Tigers champion was surprisingly dumped for his club’s match against Canberra this weekend.
Marshall had parked his car and was heading to the training field when he spotted Bishop, who was waiting alongside other media. He walked over and kissed her.
Bishop immediately realised Marshall had made a mistake that was caught on camera and gently pushed the Tiger towards his teammates.
I’m in the clear. Negative to coronavirus. Massive thanks to the @WestsTigers and the @NRL but mostly to @Benji_Marshall6 who continues to be a great role model to my three sons on and off the field #letsplayfootytonight
— Michelle Bishop (@7michellebishop) June 10, 2020
“Just goes to show you, we can all get caught up in life and forget what kind of world we are living in at the moment. Off to be tested. #innocent #awkward #apologies,” Bishop tweeted.
With Marshall having been in the club’s biosecurity bubble, officials believe he is COVID free.
Channel 7 news director Jason Morrison said Tigers coach Michael Maguire had called Bishop to apologise.
“It was very decent of him to be concerned about her,” Morrison said.
“She has gone to have a test as a precaution so that Benji can return to training.”
Wests Tigers are facing a breach notice and possible fine from the NRL.
It comes just a week after Canterbury great Terry Lamb was sanctioned for shaking the hands of players during a Bulldogs training session at Belmore.
Canterbury was issued a $25,000 suspended fine.
Marshall’s axing was a major surprise on Tuesday but came after a shattering loss to the Gold Coast.
Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks was shocked when Marshall was dropped.
“I thought Benji had been one of our best players. It was a shock and it puts everyone on notice if someone like Benji can be dropped,” Brooks said.
“No one is safe. We have to play our best footy week-in and week-out or there will be someone else coming in.”
Brooks also admitted he was lucky to survive the axe after five players were dropped in a mass culling.
Revealing the entire team had been put on notice following the Tigers shock loss to the Titans, Brooks declared “no one is safe’’ before admitting he could have suffered the same fate as Marshall.
Luke Garner, Robert Jennings, Billy Waters, Oliver Clark and Marshall were all dumped from the NRL by Michael Maguire in an iron fisted reaction to the 28-23 defeat.
“In a way (I feel lucky),” Brooks said.
Set to partner Josh Reynolds in the halves following Marshall’s demotion, Brooks claimed a poor attitude was to blame for the loss to the Gold Coast.
“We didn’t do the things we needed to win the game,” Brooks said.
“For me it was kicking to the corners. I didn’t do that enough. In turn that put pressure on us and there were a few seven tackle sets.
“It put a lot of pressure on our defence and cost us.”
Brooks is confident Reynolds will provide some much-needed spark heading into the clash against the Raiders.
“He has been training the house down,’’ Brooks said. “And he has been rewarded for that. He is a great player and definitely first grade material. I am looking forward to playing with him.’’
Brooks also backed Marshall to force his way back into the first grade side.
‘Shocked, disappointed’ Marshall reacts to Tigers axing
By Matt Logue
Benji Marshall has vowed to fight his way back into first grade following his shock axing at the Wests Tigers, which has opened the door for Josh Reynolds to revive his NRL career following 12 months of off-field drama and injuries.
Co-captain Marshall will headline six team changes for the Tigers’ clash against Canberra at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday following the club’s substandard loss to the Titans.
The Kiwi star kicked what looked to be the winning field goal against the Gold Coast before the Tigers conceded a late try to lose.
Marshall’s demotion is a surprise, but he hasn’t had a falling out with coach Maguire.
Instead, the Tigers mentor was disappointed with the five-eighth’s game management and defence against the Gold Coast.
Marshall only missed three tackles, but it wasn’t good enough according to his coach.
The axing isn’t ideal for the veteran playmaker, but it is understood that he could return to the NRL as soon as next week.
He is also off-contract at season’s end and weighing up whether to continue his career in 2021.
Marshall declared he was determined to earn back his position in the Tigers’ top 17 when asked if he deserved to be dropped on NRL 360 on Tuesday night.
“Yeah, it was a tough one. He (Madge) called me into his office this morning and I was a little bit shocked and disappointed that I got dropped,” Marshall told NRL360.
“Any player would be in that position if you are competitive and want to be part of a team, of course you are going to be disappointed.
“But Madge is the coach and he talked about making a change.
“If you look at last week’s game against Cronulla I probably led us home when we got a lead and game managed us to get home, but against the Titans we got to the same lead and I failed to do that with a couple of seven tackle kicks and an error.
“I just need to be better. I understand where he (Madge) is coming from and I’ve just got to train hard again and show them what I’ve got to get back in the team.”
Asked if Maguire selected Reynolds, a noted ball runner, to be the game manager, Marshall said: “I don’t know. From my point of view, I know the expectations and the standards that Madge has on the way I play.
“He was upfront and honest with me this morning that I wasn’t at the level that he wanted, which I really appreciate.
“He just thought the inclusion of Josh was the best thing for our side.
“I guess the coach has put everyone on notice that we are looking for consistency, so my challenge is to find that consistency, have a bit more energy on the ball and defensively I have a few things to work on.”
Marshall is devastated with his demotion, but it didn’t stop him from being pleased for Reynolds to return to the NRL arena after months of drama.
He said the former Bulldog has reacted positively following a tough few months in his personal life, including being pulled up by police on Monday morning.
Reynolds said he’d returned a ‘false positive’ to cocaine and methamphetamine in the initial roadside drug test.
The second test came back negative and that one has been sent for further examination.
“Deep down, I was very, very confident because I know I’d done nothing,” Reynolds said.
“But it still put a shock through me, I’m not going to lie.”
Now Reynolds will finally get a chance to impress on the NRL stage when he partners Luke Brooks in the halves against the Raiders, and Marshall couldn’t be happier.
“He has had a lot of things go not well for him and as a mate and a teammate you feel really sorry for him,” Marshall said.
“No one deserves the opportunity more than Josh does. He is such a team guy.
“He is due for some good luck and this is his opportunity to prove what he can do.”
Reynolds will face a tough task against a strong Canberra side who will be desperate to make amends after last weekend’s disappointing loss to Newcastle.
Winger Robert Jennings has also been dropped and replaced by rookie flyer Tommy Talau, who will play his second NRL game after debuting in 2019.
Prop Russell Packer will play his first games of the year, while Zane Musgrove also returns to the starting side with Thomas Mikaele shifting back to the bench.
Michael Chee Kam joins the side for his first game since Round 2 while veteran forward Chris Lawrence moves into the run-on side in place of Luke Garner.
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For Maguire, though, the bigger picture is setting standards at the Tigers.
He was bitterly disappointed with the loss to the struggling Gold Coast, declaring the club can no longer accept poor results.
The ex-South Sydney premiership winning mentor is desperate to ensure the Tigers produce consistent football to become a premiership contender.
In the past the Tigers would cop a substandard performance like Sunday’s loss to the Titans, but Maguire wants to change that culture of mediocrity.
It’s why he has made the hard decisions by dropping quality players like Marshall to send a clear message to his team that inconsistency won’t be tolerated.