6th of March 2011
Wests Tiger’s star playmaker Benji Marshall was charged with assault on Sunday afternoon. Marshall will appear in court on April 20. The charge comes after Marshall was involved in an incident on the weekend where it is alleged he struck another man in the face.
Marshall had recently been made the face of the NRL’s new marketing campaign. In 2008 the NRL chose to suspend Brett Stewart, the face of that particular marketing campaign, when he was charged with sexual assault. Stewart was later found not guilty and cleared.
Tigers and NRL fans alike are now waiting to see how NRL CEO David Gallop will react to this latest incident.
Benji Marshall has made no comments regarding the incident thus far.
-Mike Wilson
From the SMH: “Wests Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall has been cleared to play in the opening rounds of the NRL season after league officials decided against imposing an immediate penalty over his assault charge.”
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/benji-marshall-cleared-to-play-in-opening-round-20110307-1bkir.html