Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall says his team showed no fight in 64-0 smashing

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall says his team showed no fight in 64-0 smashing in Melbourne with some soul-searching on the way.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 11: Jarome Luai of the Tigers looks dejected after Ryan Papenhuyzen of the Storm scores a try during the round 10 NRL match between Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers at AAMI Park, on May 11, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

After being “embarrassed” in Melbourne, Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall conceded he can only hope the 64-0 smashing doesn’t hit the confidence his side was building but said they would all need to “look in the mirror” as part of a hard review of what went wrong.

Marshall knows he’ll have to pick his troops up after conceding a staggering 11-tries, including three in the opening 20 minutes, all the momentum his team had made in five wins this season crashing in to a Storm brick wall.

The rookie coach said all his players failed to meet the standards “that we want to live by” and he didn’t see the “fight” he’d witnessed from his group so far this season.

“Everyone’s disappointed, embarrassed. Probably a few other words you could use, but it’s not good enough,” he said in the wake of the horror loss.

“There’s losing the game, and then there’s been beaten, and we got actually beat today.

Alex Twal of the Tigers (C) looks dejected alongside teammates during the round 10 NRL match between Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers at AAMI Park, on May 11, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

“We’ve got a team that usually fights for everything, and I just didn’t see the same fight today, you know.

“So in the balance of our season, we’re five, and five now reflect where we are, and we gotta learn from it, and we gotta get back up for next week.

“We can’t dwell on that. You can hurt from it. Take the hurt into next week and improve.

“I don’t make any excuses like we just got to be better.”

Marshall said it was a “couple of steps forward and then a few steps back” in his team’s ongoing learning which would include a “hard review”.

“They got on a roll, and we just couldn’t get anything back, you know,” he said.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona of the Storm celebrates after scoring a try during the round 10 NRL match between Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers at AAMI Park, on May 11, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

“So it’s going to be a hard review and a hard watch.

“We’ve set expectation now where we expected to be better than that, and we are better than that.”

Deflated Tigers co-captain, Api Koroisau said the defeat could “light a fire” before his team takes on South Sydney next week.

“I think if anything, it lights a fire inside you,” he said.

“You’re never as good as you think you are. So for us, it’s a great look in the mirror from where we want to be. So I think it’ll be a good thing for us.”

Originally published as Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall says his team showed no fight in 64-0 smashing