Rugby league Immortal, Andrew Johns, has weighed in on the high-tackle controversy, claiming "we need to find the middle ground".
Following a recent crackdown on head-high contact that has seen a myriad of players spend time in the sin-bin, the star half called for an alleviation of the ambiguity.
"I’m all for protection from head highs and eliminating as many concussions as we can," Johns wrote in his Sydney Morning Herald column.
"But we need to find the middle ground. Somewhere between where we were and this extreme situation we now find ourselves in".
Johns is one of a number of ex-footballers who have bemoaned the new interpretation of the rule since Magic Round.
"What’s happened in the past three weeks is too much. We’ve gone from zero to 100 in an email leading up to Magic Round".
The former Knights halfback is also concerned about how the new interpretation will affect the upcoming State of Origin series.
"I’m worried about Origin. Heaven forbid it determines the outcome of a match or, even worse, a series," the 47-year-old said.
STATE OF ORIGIN: New South Wales - Origin Watch
STATE OF ORIGIN: Queensland - Origin Watch
"The big question for me is this: what do the people who run the game want rugby league to look like? Because, at the moment, it’s not much fun to watch".
However, Johns lauded the six-to-go rule that was introduced in 2020.
"The six-to-go rule introduced last year was a great innovation."
"It sped up the play and created more open footy. There was more fatigue, regardless of whatever spin the NRL wants to put out.
"Importantly, there was less structure. We were no longer watching boring 'wrestlemania' that was holding back creative play".
But Johns' stance on the high-tackle rule is firm and unwavering.
"We’ve seen numerous examples of [the KFC Bunker] getting in the referee’s ear, going back four of five tackles and penalising or sin binning someone for incidental contact with the head.
"This is madness."
