NRL: Benji injured as Storm beat Tigers

The Storm moved to the top of the NRL with a victory over the Wests Tigers. Photo / Getty Images

Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall faces scans on a knee injury but early indications are he could play in his side's crucial NRL clash with Canterbury next weekend.

Marshall suffered the injury in the 59th minute of Sunday's 12-4 loss to Melbourne at Leichhardt Oval.

The Kiwi captain attempted to play on after hurting his left knee in a tackle by Storm centre Justin O'Neill but left the field moments later.

"It's a medial strain, it's only going to be a low grading," Tigers assistant coach Peter Gentle said.

"He may miss a week, he may not.

"We'll get scans done tomorrow."

Tigers captain Robbie Farah conceded the loss of Marshall was a big factor as the home side attempted to come back from a 12-4 halftime deficit in a scoreless second half, willed on by a sell-out crowd of 20,486.

"We just seem to be panicking when we get down attacking the opposition tryline," Farah said.

"Instead of sticking to our structure we're just playing a bit too much ad lib.

"Against a team like Melbourne, they just eat that up.

"Losing Benji didn't help but he might not be there next week so that's something we've got to work on."

The Storm leapfrogged St George Illawarra to the top of the table, scoring tries through Ryan Hinchcliffe and Kevin Proctor, both laid on by man of the match Cooper Cronk.

Matt Duffie and Queensland hooker Cameron Smith, who started from the bench after Wednesday night's Origin II, booted goals.

The Tigers could only respond through a four-pointer from winger Beau Ryan after a brilliant Marshall cut-out pass as their attack failed to fire, twice being held-up over the line.

The Storm, who also had fullback Billy Slater and Cronk backing up from Origin, have now won four straight and will sit outright top if Parramatta upset Manly on Monday night.

Marshall's injury wasn't the only drama at Leichhardt, with Storm enforcer Sika Manu placed on report for a nasty looking "crusher" tackle on Tigers fullback Wade McKinnon.

That tackle was just one Storm tactic that infuriated Farah.

"(Manu) dropped his knee into (Gareth) Ellis' calf," the Tigers captain said of another incident.

"I've seen him do that a thousand times. I hope they have a good look at it.

"(Melbourne) all over the play-the-ball and get away with it.

"I think refs hate giving me a penalty for markers being not square, I can't get one any more."

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy paid tribute to his Origin contingent, with only centre Dane Nielsen unable to back up.

"I was really proud of their effort," Bellamy said.

"We put ourselves under a lot of pressure in the second half but I thought the guys did a really good job.

"It's hard backing up."

- AAP