As Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma has refused to turn up to training, Benji Marshall has faced his first test as the club's new head coach.
The Heraldย has reported that Nofoaluma, the greatest try-scorer in Tigers' history, has not turned up to training since last Wednesday after claims of poor treatment from the football department at the club.
The publication reported that the winger struggled physically during the opening days of pre-season training last month, and his fitness levels were nowhere near what they should have been. This saw him become one of the team's least impressive performers in the time trial.
It is understood that a meeting between Nofoaluma, the Tigers and the RLPA was held on Thursday evening (after the player lodged a complaint), and the main issue discussed was how he had been treated at training.
"Sources with knowledge of the situation talking under the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of discussions told this masthead that Nofoaluma's gripe with the Tigers relates to how he has been treated at training," an article from theย Heraldย read.
Currently on $500,000 a season for the next two years, the club have continually tried to offload Nofoaluma to rival clubs.
Continually rumoured to be leaving the club, the winger was lent to the Melbourne Storm via a loan deal at the end of the 2022 season - a time that Nofoaluma previously stated was one of the best times of his career.
The refusal by Nofoaluma to train presents the first real test of Benji Marshall's coaching career.
As Marshall and the club aim to set new standards, it will be interesting to see if he makes a statement and drops him for their opening game against the Canberra Raiders in Round 2.
