WESTS Tigers could be without their biggest star for Sunday’s trip north to take on the Newcastle Knights.

And why doesn’t Jamie Soward want Bryce Cartwright to play Origin just yet?

Catch all the latest NRL news in Media Watch!

‘DON’T RUSH CARTY’, SAYS SOWARD

Round 19

Penrith veteran Jamie Soward isn’t buying into the hype surrounding young teammate Bryce Cartwright.

Many punters are floating Cartwright for an Origin debut this year but Soward isn’t so sure he’s ready to make the leap.

“Bryce is very young in his career and he’s still learning the game,” Soward told NRL Tonight.

“I think he wants to play well for the Panthers for a long stretch of time.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Carty, but you can’t rush him into an Origin side. With guys like Cordner and Scott, all the hardened players, you’ll find Laurie will go with them and Carty might be 18th man.”

DUGAN A LOCK FOR BLUES SIDE

Fox Sports chief rugby league reporter James Hooper has told NRL Tonight Josh Dugan is a lock for Laurie Daley’s NSW team.

Despite the Dragons failing to fire recently, Dugan has been in fine touch.

“I spoke to Laurie Daley last week and he told me Josh Dugan is definitely in the team,” Hooper said.

“The right centre experiment didn’t work out for the Dragons but he’s played there for NSW brilliantly before.”

TEDDY IN DOUBT FOR KNIGHTS CLASH

Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco could miss Sunday’s trip to Hunter Stadium as he battles to overcome a hip flexor injury.

Channel Seven is reporting Tedesco picked up the injury last week and will need to pass a fitness test at Saturday’s captain’s run to get on the bus.

NSW legend Anthony Minichello, meantime, says Tedesco is a lock for the Blues this year if he stays fit.

“If he can stay fit you can’t deny him of a spot this year,” Minichello told Channel Seven.

“I think he should be fullback, Josh Dugan needs to be in the side as well, so I’m not sure where Laurie Daley fits both those guys.”

VIDEO: Napa monsters shocked Rabbitohs

BENJI RECEIVES UPDATED OFFER

St George Illawarra has increased its offer to veteran halfback Benji Marshall but he’s yet to sign any new deal.

The embattled former Kiwi captain was offered a $300,000 one-year contract by the Dragons but knocked it back, and the club has since revised its offer.

“I can tell you on the Benji front the club obviously put an offer to him recently for $300,000, that offer has since been bumped up a bit,” James Hooper told NRL Tonight.

“It’s still sitting on the table and if I’m Benji I’m running to get a pen and signing that paperwork as soon as possible.”

BELLAMY CRIWS FOUL OVER MARKERS

Melbourne hooker Cameron Smith made his thoughts known last week on NRL referees’ controlling of markers, and now his coach has had his say.

Craig Bellamy told Fairfax Media he hopes to speak with referees boss Tony Archer about a number of incidents in which he believes Smith has been impeded by opposition markers not staying square.

“We can only go on the games we have seen which is basically our games but I’ve seen a few other games where markers are getting a little bit next to each other more than behind each other so we are not complaining that it’s a thing about Cameron, we think it’s happening against all good dummy halves,” Bellamy said.

“We don’t want our creative dummy halves (troubled), you want to give them a bit of room under the rules to do their stuff. I’m sure there will be other coaches saying the same thing.”