NRL: Tigers on top as Marshall wins battle of superstars

Tigers 23 Eels 12

SYDNEY: Benji Marshall prevailed in the keenly-awaited showdown with fellow superstar Jarryd Hayne, brilliantly dismantling Parramatta to lead the Wests Tigers to an impressive NRL victory over the Eels at the Sydney Football Stadium last night.

Marshall was everywhere for the Tigers, scoring two superb second-half tries as well as creating one of Lote Tuqiri's two four-pointers, and even potting a first-half field goal.

Had his kicking been more on target - he managed only one from five - the Tigers' victory would have been even more impressive.

The match was billed as a face-off between Marshall and Hayne, but it was the Tigers playmaker who shone brightest, reaping the benefit of a physical effort from his pack.

The Tigers scored five tries to two - three from grubbers - to record only their second win in nine games against Parramatta and overwrite the memory of the Roosters putting 44 points past them last Sunday.

Powerhouse winger Tuqiri has now scored four tries in the first three matches of his return to rugby league after seven years playing union.

Parramatta's slow starts continued, and the Tigers took total control of the first half, leading 9-0 at halftime.

A Parramatta fightback began when Joel Reddy outleapt Tuqiri to grab a Jeff Robson kick in the 49th minute and Krisnan Inu's conversion made it 15-6.

But when Tuqiri stayed several blades of grass inside the touch-in-goal line to ground a Robbie Farah grubber for his second try, the home side was back in control, and stayed that way.

* In last night's late game, the Dragon had a comfortable 33-8 win over the Cowboys in Wollongong.

- AAP