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SYDNEY - New Zealand playmaker Benji Marshall has credited a blast from Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens for helping him rediscover his rugby league form.
Sheens publicly criticised Marshall a few weeks ago for his poor start to the season, the crafty five-eighth responding by helping the Tigers to an upset win over the Bulldogs last week.
The Kiwis international said he is growing in confidence and is slowly improving each week since returning from shoulder surgery last year.
"I copped a bit in the last couple of weeks about my form but I'm fine with that," Marshall said.
"(Sheens) would know best, he knows my game inside out so I take into account what he says and he is good, pretty much the only one I look to.
"What he said was right that week, it put a little fire in my belly and made me want to come back and play a little bit stronger and I worked real hard at training and I feel like I'm getting back.
"I thought on the weekend I played a more patient game, a good all round game and nothing too fancy and I was pretty happy with it."
Marshall will need to be at his best this Saturday when the Tigers clash with unbeaten competition leaders Melbourne in Gosford.
Hype is already building around the Marshall versus Greg Inglis clash but the Kiwi half expected bigger things than their first encounter in round one when the Storm prevailed 18-16 in a game both would rather forget.
"I can't even remember back that far, I try to forget the games I don't play too well in," he said.
"I haven't really watched a lot of him. To be honest I think he is that good of a player that he could play anywhere."
Storm officials previously complained about the Tigers' rough tactics against Inglis, with halfback John Morris flattening the 20-year-old with a high shot.
But Tigers assistant coach Royce Simmons said his side would not be targeting Inglis illegally.
"I will be saying let's go out and tackle him and get him on the ground," Simmons said.
"He is a great talent and running on one side of the park he is a lot more dangerous than the other side and we'll just try and deal with that and get him on the ground the best we can.
"Whenever he's got the ball in his hand I move in my seat.
"We will be looking for some of the key tactics that we know Melbourne do and we'll be trying to handle them."
Simmons said he was also happy with the gradual improvement of Marshall and was keen for the entire Tigers outfit to keep their momentum rolling after winning their past two games.
"I just think he is starting to find some momentum," Simmons said.
"We are not looking for any super effort, we just want continued improvement.
"You don't find form in one week, it's a matter of getting better each week and continuing to improve.
"I've seen some definite improvements in the team and I think last week we saw some improvements in some of our key players as well and that's the start to finding some form."
- AAP
