NRL: Marshall sidesteps court appearance

Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwis captain Benji Marshall, the face of the National Rugby League (NRL), kept a low profile today as his assault case began in a Sydney court.

Marshall avoided a media scrum camped outside the entrance to the Downing Centre complex as he was not required to attend an early stage of court proceedings related to an altercation in the Sydney CBD early on March 4.

The Wests Tigers playmaker was charged with one count of assault after allegedly punching a man outside a fast food restaurant.

Marshall entered a not guilty plea through his lawyer John Byrnes.

Deputy registrar Peter Morgan scheduled his next court appearance for June 10.

It was originally claimed Marshall had been racially abused during the incident but those allegations - made by his agent Martin Tauber - were subsequently denied by the player and his alleged victim Soliman Naimey, a 24-year-old of Sri Lankan descent.

A witness last month claimed Marshall was defending his girlfriend Zoe Balbi after a group of males made derogatory comments about her.

The couple visited the restaurant with friends about 3am after starring at a black tie function to raise money for the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia.

Video taken outside the restaurant reportedly shows the group antagonising Marshall and Balbi, but does not capture the scuffle because the revolving camera had turned away from the group when tensions flared.

Meanwhile, league will be under the spotlight in court again here tomorrow when Sydney Roosters player Anthony Watts faces an assault charge following a dispute with his ex-girlfriend early on Sunday morning.

Watts was suspended indefinitely by the Roosters yesterday.

- NZPA