Cronulla captain Cameron McInnes has called for greater consistency around the NRL's high contact crackdown, questioning whether players who stay down after contact above the shoulders should automatically be forced to undergo a head injury assessment.
The NRL has placed an increased emphasis on reducing high contact this season, with referees penalising more incidents involving contact to the head and neck area.
However, the stricter enforcement has also led to concerns from some players and coaches that opponents are staying down after minor contact in an attempt to earn penalties.
McInnes believes players should continue to show integrity and not attempt to influence referees, despite the Sharks' struggles in the penalty count this season.
“The penalties we give away that we can control, like offsides or hitting [opponents] in the face, things like that, you can't argue with, and we will keep working on our discipline,” McInnes said to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“In saying that, I believe that we get hit in the face just as much as other teams, but because we don't lie down, we don't get the penalties.
“But you know, as a member of this team and the captain, I'd much rather we play with that integrity than play for penalties.”
The Sharks skipper admitted that players staying down after high contact is not necessarily an issue, but questioned why the same standard is not always applied when it comes to HIA protocols.
“Guys do stay down after they get hit high or in the face. That's fine; that's cool. You can stay down if you get hit in the face, but I thought that if you stay down for longer than 5-10 seconds, you had to go off for a HIA,” he said.
“And that doesn't always happen, does it? So if you were that hurt to stay down, you probably should go off and get your head checked – that's the whole reason we're doing all this, isn't it?”
McInnes acknowledged the difficulty referees face in making split-second decisions during matches, but believes there needs to be a clearer process when players remain on the ground following contact.
“It's not easy for refs to be put on the spot when there's a lot going on in play for them,” he said.
“But if you go down grabbing your neck, looking for the cameras, well then okay, go off and get your HIA. That's the way I look at it.”
The comments come as the Sharks prepare for a crucial clash against the Newcastle Knights on Friday night, with both sides fighting to secure a top-four position.
