Benji Marshall Voices Concerns Over ‘Dangerous Precedent’ Following Luke Laulilii’s Suspension: ‘What Are We Crafting?’

Benji Marshall has raised concerns that the NRL has established a “perilous precedent” following the sin binning and subsequent suspension of young Wests Tigers winger Luke Laulilii for a tackle that resulted in Eels star Bailey Simonsson enduring a season-ending leg injury.

Laulilii was sent off in the second half of a chaotic Easter Monday match after a mid-air tackle ended painfully for Simonsson.

The 19-year-old has since been handed a one-game suspension, while Simonsson is facing a lengthy rehabilitation period due to a dislocated and fractured ankle.

In the moments after the incident, it was evident that the Parramatta winger had sustained a serious injury, prompting referees to make the decision to sin bin Laulilii.

Marshall expressed his sympathies for Simonsson but conceded that a troubling scenario has emerged where other players might feign injuries to gain an upper hand.

“We received clarification from the NRL and the referees – the sin binning was a result of the injury. If he hadn’t been injured, it wouldn’t have happened that way,” he commented on Friday.

“That’s a tough pill to swallow. It sets quite a dangerous precedent. The referees aren’t doctors, so if someone stays down and pretends to be injured, resulting in a player getting sin binned while they’re actually fine, what are we creating here?

Watch the 2026 NRL season live and free on Nine and 9Now.

“That said, I’m not trying to undermine Bailey’s injury, because I really admire him and feel for him given how well he’s been performing.”

“From Luke’s standpoint, it was an accident—there was no malintent. However, what’s done is done; we can’t change the past and now someone else gets a chance.”

Jeral Skelton is set to fill in on the wing for the Tigers in round six during a significant top-four encounter against a revitalised Newcastle Knights side.

Another key player absent on Sunday will be co-captain Jarome Luai, who is still in recovery mode following a knee injury.

When queried about Luai’s potential return, Marshall quipped before clarifying that there’s no rush to bring the Samoan international back too soon.

“Who? Jarome? Oh, I completely forgot about him,” the coach joked.

“He was keen to play, but that’s Jarome – he’ll insist he’s fit even when he’s not. From our standpoint, he isn’t ready yet and hasn’t undergone sufficient training. He might be available next week, but I can’t be certain … I will make those decisions as the week progresses.”