The Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter won't back down from his decision to bench playmaker Benji Marshall but says he hopes he never has to do it again and wants the under-pressure Kiwi international to be a Tiger for life.
Potter still doesn't feel comfortable revealing the reasons behind not starting Marshall in last week's loss to South Sydney only to say it wasn't about the New Zealand international.
Marshall returned to his favoured No.6 jersey for Friday night's clash with North Queensland at Leichhardt Oval, helping spark just their third win this season.
Marshall is in negotiations to extend and upgrade his current deal, which runs through until the end of 2015, into a new five-year contract that will potentially be the last of his career.
An apparent frosty relationship between the pair could lead to Marshall ending his career at a rival club but Potter insists he doesn't want Marshall to leave.
