Benji Marshall's immediate playing future is under a serious injury cloud after dislocating his suspect right shoulder in Wests Tigers' amazing 30-12 win over NRL ladder leaders Melbourne at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford.

Five-eighth Marshall dislocated his right shoulder for the third time in the past two years after making a fifth minute cover-tackle on towering Storm winger Israel Folau.

Yet even without their chief playmaker and the late withdrawal of skipper Brett Hodgson (virus), the Tigers somehow beat the previously undefeated Storm, with 18-year-old Chris Lawrence scoring two tries in just his sixth NRL game.

It was only Marshall's seventh NRL game, plus one Test, since returning from a reconstruction of the same shoulder last year when he played just 11 NRL games before missing the rest of the season.

The Kiwi international ran immediately to the bench following the tackle on Folau after his own team-mate, winger Taniela Tuiaki, crashed into his shoulder with his hip and popped it out of position.

Marshall will have scans on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, but given his recent history it doesn't look good for the 22-year-old and the young superstar could be facing another lengthy stint on the sidelines.

Despite Marshall's injury, the Tigers clearly outplayed the Storm, bolting out to an unlikely 22-0 half-time lead before holding tight in a tense final stanza to claim their third successive victory.

Young winger Lawrence, in his first NRL game this season, scored two tries as the Tigers sent the Storm crashing to their first defeat of 2007.

Lawrence picked up a loose Melbourne pass with his first touch in the eighth minute to run 30m and score next to the posts, with Dean Collis converting for a 6-0 lead.

Collis landed a penalty midway through the half to extend their lead to 8-0.

Hooker Robbie Farah added to the Tigers lead on the half hour, running from dummy-half and then stepping inside Greg Inglis to score out wide - Collis again successful with his conversion.

Another penalty goal to Collis a few minutes prior to half-time gave the Tigers a 16-0 lead.

Lawrence then produced a brilliant individual play, picking up a wild ball which spilled out of a scrum and breaking five tackles to run 30m and score with Collis converting.

The Storm finally hit back after the break with Inglis setting up a slick movement for Matt King to score in the 45th minute.

Cooper Cronk's cross-field bomb led to the Storm's second try, with Folau flicking the ball back to Cronk, who also flicked it blindly backwards for Dallas Johnson to score.

But Cameron Smith - who nailed both Melbourne's try conversions - handed the Tigers an easy two points when his drop out flew out on the full to give Collis another simple conversion for a 24-12 lead.

Second-rower Ben Galea, returning from first-half concussion, sealed the result five minutes from full-time when halfback John Morris put him into a small gap to run to the line and score.

However, his brother Danny Galea faces an anxious wait after his ugly lifting tackle on Ben Cross was put on report in the 35th minute.

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