Benji Marshall admits Wests Tigers need to address slipping club standards, but has refuted reports of players vaping in the NRL club's gymnasium.
The Tigers coach on Wednesday fronted the media to affirm his "love" for Adam Doueihi, almost a week after the 27-year-old disagreed with a move out of halfback and walked out on the club.
Media suggestions had been that aside from the positional switch, Doueihi was dismayed by a lack of professionalism and accountability at the struggling joint venture, who have not played finals since 2011.
The Tigers enter round 22 in 16th place on the ladder, despite sitting third earlier in the year and most recently suffering a 46-point loss to Canberra with their season on the line.
Marshall conceded the Tigers had work to do to improve their standards, but denied the club had a culture problem that contributed to their on-field struggles.
"I don't feel like there's a culture problem," he said.
"(But) if we're talking about standards and that, there's probably a few things we might've walked past recently that we need to address."
Marshall refuted media reports of a culture of vaping during gym sessions.
"I can tell you now that no one's vaping in the gym. That's actually fabricated or misinformation," he said.
"Is there a vaping problem? Probably, with players, but with young men, you can't tell them whether they vape or smoke.
"I definitely can't control what they do 24/7. I'm not with them all the time."
Asked for the reasons behind his walkout, Doueihi pointed to "miscommunication" with Marshall over the positional switch, the club's on-field results, and an overwhelming week that included a judiciary visit.
He denied club culture had been a primary motivator, but conceded things needed to change at the Tigers.
"Standards at any organisation, whether it's a footy club, whether it's a business, when things aren't going good and you're losing and me being a key player and a leader at this club, we've got to change stuff," he said.
"I have to change stuff, I have to be a better leader. All of us at this club have to be better."
