Preparing for his final season in the NRL, North Queensland Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston wants a five-minute sin bin introduced to protect playmakers who have become a target for late tackles.
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Having missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, Thurston believes more can be done to ensure the welfare of vulnerable players.
Late hits have become a common sight in rugby league with playmakers regularly copping big contact long after the ball has left their boot and Thurston thinks the NRL needs to crackdown on it.
“(There could be) a five-minute sin bin for those type of offences,” Thurston said.
“The officials need to be better at identifying it.
"We’ve got two touch judges, we have two referees on the field, they need to be seeing what’s going on.
“I’m not talking about when you take the ball right in the line and you’re passing a metre off.
“I’m talking when you pass the ball, your body’s relaxed and you get whacked from behind, which gives you that whiplash effect of the neck.
"That’s what we need to get out of our game.”
Thurston wants the late hits to be eradicated from the game in the same way spear tackles, shoulder charges and punches have been.
He also noted that the hits could be turning parents and their children away from the game.
Thurston will make his NRL return next Saturday against Cronulla and bring up his 300th appearance in the process.
