Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall says Heamasi Makasini's week off will aid recovery from foot bruising and boost confidence.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall says a week off will do a world of good for rising star Heamasi Makasini, who limped into training on Wednesday morning in a moon boot a day after he was left out of the team to face the Raiders.
There had been speculation that the 18-year-old had been dropped after a tough night against Brisbane on the weekend, but bone bruising in his foot emerged as the reason he wasn't picked.
Even if Makasini was fully fit, Marshall may have given the towering outside back a week away from the NRL spotlight after what's been a meteoric rise in the space of a few months.
"He's got a bit of bone bruising in his foot, so he wouldn't have been available this week anyway," Marshall said on Wednesday morning ahead of his side's captain's run at Leichhardt Oval.
"But it was probably timely because I think he was ready for a rest. But one thing I will say about Heamasi is he's such a bright talent and he's got a great future ahead of him, and he'll just get some confidence back and come back into the team.