Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire refused to say if Benji Marshall would return to the team after their 14-6 defeat to the Canberra Raiders at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday night.
Despite being equal-second in Dally M voting after the opening four rounds, Marshall was one of five Tigers players axed by Maguire from the team beaten 28-23 by Gold Coast Titans last weekend.
Then a day after being dropped, he was sent home from Tigers training after kissing rugby league reporter Michelle Bishop on the cheek, breaking the NRL's biosecurity rules.
The Kiwis captain was replaced by Josh Reynolds in the side.
When asked if Marshall will return next week, Magure said: "I'll review the game and decide which adjustments we'll go with. If I need to make adjustments I will.
"I thought Josh was good and I thought the team played well, we have just got to do it for longer periods. If we put that same effort in last week maybe it would have been a different result.
"That is what I spoke about after the game, the inconsistencies of where we are as a club, and we now need to build on that today. That is the expectation this week, we need to drive our standards higher. I have seen that at clubs prior to coming to Wests Tigers."
While one Kiwi was ruled out, it marketed the return of another as Russell Packer played his first NRL match in 14 months, although it didn't go to plan.
With the Tigers trailing 6-4 Packer was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul, and the Raiders took advantage and scored their second try of the game.
Not long after returning to the field Packer gave away a penalty, and the Raiders slotted a goal to make it an eight-point game.
"It could have swung either way and unfortunately Russ got sent off and it put a bit more pressure on us there, but I saw the effort of the players and if we do that continually, that is where we want to take the club," Maguire added.
For the Raiders, the win was extra special for Ricky Stuart who was celebrating his 400th NRL match as coach, adding to the 243 he played as a player.
The win lifts last year's finalists to second, just behind the Parramatta Eels.
