Tigers loss to the Cowboys, Round 22, Justin Olam send off, Benji Marshall press conference, Stefano Utoikamanu

Benji Marshall has taken a veiled swipe at officials after Justin Olam was sent off as the Tigers fell 48-30 to the Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night.

Marshall’s troops put in a spirited performance after playing with 12 men for 30 minutes following Olam’s high shot on Cowboys backrower Heilum Luki.

The scoreline is deceptive with the Tigers staying in the fight until the end despite losing Olam as well as halfback Latu Fainu who was ruled out with a Category One HIA after he was knocked out copping a hip to the head from Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes.

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“That shows there’s so much heart and pride in our team and how much they want to play for each other,” Marshall said.

“To be able to compete until the end there with 12 men with the send off and still be fighting to the death shows how much the jersey means to these blokes.

“As a coaching staff we asked for 80 minutes tonight and they gave it. Some things were out of our hands but as a coach I’m just really proud.”

The Tigers were well in the game and trailing 20-14 before Olam’s 50th minute send off which cruelled any real hope of victory.

“I have a group of guys in there who are feeling pretty down about it and the easy thing for me to do would be to come out and say that it was a bad decision and that he got it wrong and a sin bin probably would have sufficed and we’ve seen plenty of them this season, but I’m not going to say that,” Marshall said.

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“What more can you ask for as a coach to fight back to 16-10. At 14-10 they get a penalty goal and they go to 16-10 and the result is taken out of our hands.

“But the fightback showed just pride. We want to win for sure but that performance from these guys, even though we didn’t win, showed me a lot.

“Although we might not be getting the results I feel there’s been a lot of promise about where we are going in the future.

“I think we had under 40 per cent of our salary playing tonight so it’s pretty tough at the moment but they’re fighting everyday – at training – every time they take the field – you can’t ask for much more.”

Marshall said his side may have won had a few of the decisions went the Tigers’ way.

“Yeah probably (we could have won) but again I think there was a few things,” he said.

“The line break could have been a sin bin to them – he gets taken out but we just don’t seem to be on the right side of those calls at the moment and we weren’t given the chance.

“When they’re fighting like they are and they’re not giving up, that makes you proud as a coach for sure.”

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Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu announced this week he will be leaving the club at season’s end, with the Bulldogs and Storm reportedly in a race for the emerging star’s signature.

Marshall praised the young prop’s performance in his post-game press conference, before insisting the club would survive following his departure.

“(Utoikamanu was) pretty good. I thought he had a lot of intent with his carries,” Marshall said.

“This is rugby league and players choose what’s best for them. Players come and go but the club always remains.

“And with Stefano we respect his decision as a club and because it’s a decision that he thinks is best for himself.

“But we have to keep moving forward with what we’re doing and as a club we will keep building.”