The kiss that sunk Benji Marshall

It was the friendly kiss which forced a Benji Marshall to be sent home from training and quarantined over COVID-19 fears.

Benji Marshall leans in to kiss TV reporter Michelle Bishop on the cheek. Picture: Sky News

It was the friendly kiss that 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.

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 and Marshall was told to immediately isolate from teammates.

Bishop had sent Marshall a text message on Tuesday night after the Tigers champion was surprisingly dumped for his club’s match against Canberra on Saturday.

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Marshall had parked his car and was heading to the training field when he spotted Bishop, who was waiting with 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 Tigers veteran towards his teammates.

Bishop was tested for COVID-19 at 3pm on Wednesday and is expected to receive the results on Thursday morning. Marshall will not be permitted back at training until Bishop is cleared.

“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.

The kiss 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 Gold Coast.

Tigers halfback Luke Brooks said he was shocked to learn Marshall had been dropped.

“I thought Benji had been one of our best players,” he said. “It puts everyone on notice if someone like Benji can be dropped.”

Luke Garner, Robert Jennings, Billy Waters, Oliver Clark and Marshall were all dumped from the side by Maguire in a reaction to the 28-23 defeat to the Titans in Brisbane on Sunday.

The Daily Telegraph