Marshall left out again as Lawrence latest to face axe

Benji Marshall has been left out of Michael Maguire's starting 17 for a second week running, with fellow Wests Tigers veteran Chris Lawrence joining him on the sidelines.

Lawrence and Marshall have been named in Maguire's extended reserves list for Saturday's clash with North Queensland despite injury and suspension forcing changes elsewhere to the Tigers line-up.

Josh Reynolds has retained the No.6 jumper after returning to the halves in a tense loss to Canberra last week, leaving Marshall on the outer for another week.

Lawrence, meanwhile, has been dropped after starting in the back-row against the Raiders, with he and Marshall boasting a combined 490 games for the joint-venture when they watch from the stands of Campbelltown Stadium.

While winger Tommy Talau (hamstring) and Russell Packer (suspension) are replaced by Robert Jennings and Matt Eisenhuth, Luke Garner comes in to replace Lawrence against the Cowboys.

It is the first match Lawrence has missed for the club since returning from a facial fracture last year that was likened to a car accident by surgeons.

Lawrence played 63 minutes against the Raiders but only saw a combined 29 minutes off the bench in rounds three and four.

Marshall's continued absence from the side comes with the 35-year-old still yet to decide whether he plays on again in 2021, while Lawrence (31) is also off-contract after signing a one-year-deal during the summer.

Super League clubs have enquired about Marshall's interest in a move to the UK next season, though the veteran Tiger has a burgeoning media career calling here in Australia if he does hang up the boots.

The Tigers currently sit ninth on the ladder, a position all too familiar to the club's fanbase, with a 2-3 record.

Saturday's opponents North Queensland have had another setback with Michael Morgan's return from shoulder surgery still another "four to six weeks away" according to coach Paul Green.

With Valentine Holmes out he has handed the Cowboys No.1 jumper to speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow after making an impressive NRL debut last week.

Elsewhere, Ben Hunt has officially made the move to the Dragons bench, named in No.14 for Saturday's trip to Queensland where they face the Titans.

New Gold Coast signing Corey Thompson slots straight into their side at fullback, while fellow mid-season movers Bryson Goodwin (Cronulla) and Issac Luke (Brisbane) have been named on their new clubs' extended benches.

Broncos captain Alex Glenn (laceration) and Tevita Pangai jnr (suspension) return in the back-row, with pressure mounting on the Queensland powerhouse leading into Thursday's clash with Newcastle and former hooker Andrew McCullough.

Rookie winger Herbie Farnworth shifts to centre following Kotoni Staggs' hamstring injury at training while Corey Oates returns to his flank.

Sunday's mouthwatering Canberra-Manly stoush sees Hudson Young back in the Raiders line-up after serving a lengthy suspension for eye-gouging last year.

Corey Horsburgh is also back from a stomach bug that ruled him out last week, which sees Dunamis Lui miss his first game for the club since 2017 under Ricky Stuart's planned rotation policy.

The Sea Eagles are also short up front with Marty Taupau (dislocated thumb) unavailable, while South Sydney's James Roberts and Cronulla's Matt Moylan have only been included on extended benches for round six.