The NRL must enforce the rule that requires any player who lies motionless following contact to the head to leave the field and undergo an HIA in order to stop the scourge of players ‘laying down’.
That is the opinion of NRL legends James Graham and Michael Ennis following two controversial moments in the Wests Tigers 26-6 victory over Penrith on Friday night.
The game's recent crackdown on high tackles has seen players penalised and sin-binned for any contact above the shoulders.
As a result, some players have bee accused of attempting to milk penalties by staying down after any high contact.
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Boom Tigers full-back Daine Laurie received a first-half penalty after he was hit high by Panthers winger Robert Jennings.
The contact appeared minor but the ex-Panther stayed down momentarily and got up laughing after referee Grant Atkins awarded the Tigers a penalty.
There was more controversy in the 66th minute when Michael Maguire’s men were awarded a penalty try after Jennings hit Luciano Leilua high attempting to stop a try.
Leilua, who dropped the ball over the tryline as a result of the contact, also buried his head into the Leichhardt Oval turf.
The Bunker reviewed the incident and awarded the hosts, who led 12-6 at the time, a penalty try in what was a pivotal moment in the match.
By the letter of the law, both Leilua and Laurie should have been taken from the field for an HIA, but both played on.
“Is the solution if you stay down, you’re removed from the field?” Graham told Fox League.
“It’s subjective whether someone is hurt, it’s obviously a delicate situation, it’s a serious situation dealing with potential brain injuries.
“So that’s my point, is the solution to players staying down, if you look like you’ve received a head injury or a brain injury and you stay down for any amount of time, you must be removed in order to take a full HIA, which is you are going to cost yourself a full 15 minutes on the field?
“Is that the solution to stop it?”
Ennis, also speaking on Fox League, added: “Well the one with Laurie, he copped a minor knock to the head.
“Now clearly it had no impact because he got up laughing but the fact of the matter is I think in the rules if you lay motionless then you do have to go and get checked.
“… They laid down so then they should have been taken off for an HIA.”
