KEY POINTS:
Police want to speak to injured Kiwi league star Benji Marshall after he was assaulted in a Sydney hotel.
According to Australia's The Daily Telegraph newspaper, the West Tigers stand-off was socialising at The Eastern Hotel in Bondi with Kiwis players who had returned from Europe and Tigers teammates when trouble struck.
According to the newspaper, Marshall was pushed and then slapped with an open hand by a club patron at a Bondi Hotel.
But the altercation on Wednesday night became more serious when Parramatta NRL star Mark Riddell, who was also with Marshall, was hit in the head with a glass while coming to Marshall's aid.
Detective Inspector Jason Smith of the Eastern Suburbs police told nzherald.co.nz they only became aware of the incident after reading about it in the media.
"It certainly doesn't assist us if we find out about an incident 24 hours after it has happened. It's a major setback for us," Mr Smith said.
He said no players have come forward with any formal complaint.
"It's not clear what caused the incident but there's often a myriad of motivations behind people assaulting one another. There's no excuse for people to use violence to the point of shoving glass in a person's face."
Riddell was taken to Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital, and eventually required six stitches for a 6cm cut.
He told The Daily Telegraph the incident happened because patrons were giving Marshall a hard time.
"They were terrorising Benji," Riddell said.
"They slapped him in the face with a open hand. It was hard - it wasn't a pussy slap and they also pushed him.
"Toddy Payten tried to break it up and then I tried to do the same before another bloke came over the top and glassed me. Then it was on.
"I started throwing a few punches but couldn't see because of the blood I was losing.
"I made it down the side steps and saw security, who cleaned me up."
"The ambos couldn't believe the amount of blood I was losing," Riddell said.
Wests Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce told the newspaper he had spoken to his players, who claimed they were innocent and provoked by the group of drinkers.
Witnesses who rang The Daily Telegraph supported the footballers' claims.
"I spoke to a couple of the boys and they said they were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Noyce said.
"There was some pushing and shoving. Unfortunately some people at the pub were looking for trouble. Attempts were made to calm the situation but there was trouble.
"But the players, including Benji, left the establishment."
-NZ HERALD STAFF
