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Liam Butterworth AAP
Wests Tigers star halfback Benji Marshall will be given until until the weekend to recover for Sunday's crunch clash with South Sydney after hurting his toe and thumb during a horror injury night for the Tigers in North Queensland.
Marshall was hobbling around and had a strapped hand on Tuesday and coach Tim Sheens confirmed he would give his star half the rest of the week off to ensure he was ready to face the third-placed Rabbitohs.
With starting five-eighth Curtis Sironen also ruled out with a shoulder injury, Sheens said he would be scraping to find Marshall a partner in the halves.
"I think so (Marshall will play against Souths), but he might not run until Saturday," Sheens said.
"It's always an issue then getting the team dynamic back and I'm going to have to find another half, five-eighth to pair with him which is the umpteenth we've used this year.
"People are thinking I'll play (Robbie) Farah there but I'm unlikely to because it's weakening the nine.
"Masada (Iosefa) went very well at nine but Robbie Farah's one of the dominant nines in the game so I don't want to take him out of there if I can help it.
"I need to try and find someone who will last the six weeks until the play-offs."
The halfback's injury took the Tigers' toll to six from the 29-16 loss to the Cowboys, with Tim Moltzen injuring his hamstring in the warm-up and four other players taken to hospital.
Sironen will visit a specialist on his return to Sydney to assess whether he has stretched the ligaments in the shoulder he had reconstructed in 2011.
"Whether we can rehab it and whether or not it's a six to eight-week rehab or whether he plays again this year will depend on how we go or whether or not we keep him for next season - that's going to be the decision," Sheens said.
Chris Lawrence (up to a month with a high ankle sprain), Ben Murdoch-Masila (up to two weeks with a rolled ankle) and Matt Groat (U20s, broken thumb) all ended the night in the casualty ward.
Sheens said Moltzen could also miss a fortnight with his ongoing hip flexor and hamstring problems.
The injuries come a fortnight after the Tigers lost dual-international winger Lote Tuqiri for the remainder of the season with a broken arm while the Tigers are also not expecting prop Keith Galloway to return until the round-23 clash with St George-Illawarra.
In addition to the injury concerns, the eighth-placed Tigers missed a golden opportunity to create some breathing space between themselves and the five finals contenders sitting one win behind them.
The Warriors, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra and the Dragons sit within touching distance of the top eight as the Tigers have won just one of their past five matches.
Wests Tigers star halfback Benji Marshall will be given until until the weekend to recover for Sunday's crunch clash with South Sydney after hurting his toe and thumb during a horror injury night for the Tigers in North Queensland.
Marshall was hobbling around and had a strapped hand on Tuesday and coach Tim Sheens confirmed he would give his star half the rest of the week off to ensure he was ready to face the third-placed Rabbitohs.
With starting five-eighth Curtis Sironen also ruled out with a shoulder injury, Sheens said he would be scraping to find Marshall a partner in the halves.
"I think so (Marshall will play against Souths), but he might not run until Saturday," Sheens said.
"It's always an issue then getting the team dynamic back and I'm going to have to find another half, five-eighth to pair with him which is the umpteenth we've used this year.
"People are thinking I'll play (Robbie) Farah there but I'm unlikely to because it's weakening the nine.
"Masada (Iosefa) went very well at nine but Robbie Farah's one of the dominant nines in the game so I don't want to take him out of there if I can help it.
"I need to try and find someone who will last the six weeks until the play-offs."
The halfback's injury took the Tigers' toll to six from the 29-16 loss to the Cowboys, with Tim Moltzen injuring his hamstring in the warm-up and four other players taken to hospital.
Sironen will visit a specialist on his return to Sydney to assess whether he has stretched the ligaments in the shoulder he had reconstructed in 2011.
"Whether we can rehab it and whether or not it's a six to eight-week rehab or whether he plays again this year will depend on how we go or whether or not we keep him for next season - that's going to be the decision," Sheens said.
Chris Lawrence (up to a month with a high ankle sprain), Ben Murdoch-Masila (up to two weeks with a rolled ankle) and Matt Groat (U20s, broken thumb) all ended the night in the casualty ward.
Sheens said Moltzen could also miss a fortnight with his ongoing hip flexor and hamstring problems.
The injuries come a fortnight after the Tigers lost dual-international winger Lote Tuqiri for the remainder of the season with a broken arm while the Tigers are also not expecting prop Keith Galloway to return until the round-23 clash with St George-Illawarra.
In addition to the injury concerns, the eighth-placed Tigers missed a golden opportunity to create some breathing space between themselves and the five finals contenders sitting one win behind them.
The Warriors, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra and the Dragons sit within touching distance of the top eight as the Tigers have won just one of their past five matches.
