League: Warriors boosted by Tigers' ructions

Benji Marshall's recent grumpiness reflects some deep-seated discontent in the Tigers camp. Photo / Getty Images

If looks could kill, the Tigers would be struggling to field a team against the Warriors tomorrow. Benji Marshall's withering glare after a poor kick chase would have wiped out their entire right side on Monday night.

Marshall clearly wasn't in great spirits during his side's golden-point victory over the Knights. Shortly after bollocking his teammates he ended a weaving run by picking a fight with a Knights tackler.

Marshall's excuse that he was hit in the tackle was swallowed by the referee, who awarded him a penalty, but didn't go down so well with Knights captain Kurt Gidley.

"Everyone gets hit in every tackle," Gidley could be heard saying through the officials' mics. Gidley couldn't see anything wrong with the tackle. What he saw was the reaction of a player in a bad mood.

Marshall is hardly the only Tiger seemingly struggling to love life just now. Before kicking the winning field goal, mercurial hooker Robbie Farah had spent much of his Monday evening committing schoolboy errors and berating himself with adult phrases.

An indifferent campaign of six wins from 12 matches so far would explain some of the Tigers' angst, but their discontent probably runs deeper than the odd unexpected loss.

Sydney media reports say the deck-clearing to make room for Adam Blair and his huge salary next season hasn't gone down well.

Stalwart forwards Liam Fulton and Bryce Gibbs have been told to look for work elsewhere even though they are still under contract; Wade McKinnon is leaving for England; and boom forward Andrew Fifita has been linked to a switch to Cronulla.

The break-up isn't due until next season, but it looks very much as if the Tigers are splintering already.

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary couldn't comment on what was happening with the Tigers, but he has seen a similar thing before - at the Warriors during their doomed 2009 campaign.

"Team harmony is huge," Cleary said. "It is a really difficult time of the year for every club. You are talking about re-signing guys, signing new guys, guys leaving - all that type of thing. It is something in our sport that is probably a bit different to others where this goes on. How you handle it and how you manage it I actually think is vital to how your season can go. It is certainly an issue.

"A couple of years ago we had a few issues there and we learned a lot out of that year I think."

Those issues, of course, were the messy departures of a clutch of key players including Nathan Fien, Grant Rovelli and Michael Witt, and the end of the Steve Price captaincy era.

Played out against the background of Sonny Fai's unfortunate death, it made for a particularly grim and utterly unsuccessful campaign.

This season, the Warriors are again navigating some of the same issues. A fortnight ago the club announced nine re-signings and extensions, with Jacob Lillyman heading a list of the favoured that included Alehana Mara, Ukuma Ta'ai and young playmakers Pita Godinet and Issac John.

There were also some notable absentees from the list. Hooker Aaron Heremaia has already announced his departure to Super League after the recruitment of Nathan Friend left him surplus to requirements, while senior halfback Brett Seymour and centre Joel Moon also appear on the outer.

Cleary, though, believes his side's morale has been largely unaffected.

"I feel like it is pretty good. There are obviously a lot of disappointments and that sort of thing, guys playing for their futures and not knowing where they are going to be.

"That pressure goes into their households ... it is hard. All you can do is be honest with people and I feel like the harmony here is pretty good at the moment. It is something we work really hard at."

Winning, it must be said, tends to be a fairly powerful antidote to disaffection.

Having had the momentum of a five-match winning run halted by a bye and a narrow defeat by the Roosters in Sydney last Saturday, the Warriors need a win a win against the Tigers to get their season moving in the right direction again.

They are without injured hooker Aaron Heremaia but welcome back Lance Hohaia to the bench utility role. Back rower Steve Rapira, who impressed on his club debut last week, is expected to play after being cleared of a serious arm injury.

Lote Tuqiri is out of the Tigers' line-up after spraining his ankle in his comeback match from a broken arm.

Warriors v Tigers

Mt Smart Stadium, 4pm tomorrow Kevin Locke

Krisnan Inu
Lewis Brown
S. Mannering (c)
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Shaun Johnson
Russell Packer
Shaun Berrigan
Jacob Lillyman
Feleti Mateo
Elijah Taylor
Micheal Luck

Interchange: Lance Hohaia, Jeremy Latimore, Sione Lousi, Ben Matulino, Steve Rapira.

Wade McKinnon
Lote Tuqiri
Blake Ayshford
Tim Moltzen
Mitch Brown
Benji Marshall
Robert Lui
Bryce Gibbs (c)
Robbie Farah
Keith Galloway
Simon Dwyer
Gareth Ellis
Chris Heighington

Interchange: Beau Ryan, Liam Fulton, Aaron Woods, Andrew Fifita, Alan Schirnack (one to be omitted).

* steve.deane@nzherald.co.nz