New South Wales State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has proposed a drastic rule change in an attempt to stop teams conceding penalties on their own goal line.
Fittler, who will attempt to make NSW's first successful Origin title defence since 2005, says the game needs something more impactful than a penalty, but not as severe as a sin binning.
"What the game should be doing is looking at a way to stop teams giving away a penalty on their own line," he said on The Sunday Footy Show.
"I don't necessarily think sin binning is the way. I know a lot of people have tossed up setting a player out, behind the dead ball line, for a set of six, or until they get the ball back.
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"I think there is a way of stopping teams from wanting to give away penalties.
"Because it's the easiest place to defend.
"I think sitting someone behind for a set of six, or until you get the ball back.
"You can take the tap straight away - as soon as that person's behind the dead ball line, they're out of the way. They're gone.
"I feel that's not a bad way to do it. Keep sending them behind."
Under the current rules, Fittler says players will push the boundaries of what they're able to do with little danger of being sent to the bin.
"Players are smart - they challenge you all the time," he said.
"If they feel like you're not going to use the full extent of the whistle, they'll keep pushing you.
"I think there's a way where you can say 'righto, if there's two penalties in that 10m zone, go stand behind there.'
"And then you can take the tap straight away."
Fellow panelist Peter Sterling wasn't so sure, worrying that teams could end up "with six (players) sitting behind there," but Fittler said it's time for the game to start looking into a solution.
"People need to sit down and start talking about it," he said.
"Last year and the year before, it was epidemic levels."
Would it work?
