Forget independent doctors, they already are, Canberra Raiders legend Mal Meninga wants referees to sin-bin players guilty of foul play that leads to a concussion.
The Australia coach also thinks an 18th man also had merit to ensure teams aren't disadvantaged.
Meninga, who was at Canberra Stadium ahead of the final Anzac Test between Australia and New Zealand on May 5, wants officials to start sending players to the bin for fouls that lead to opponents going off due to concussion.
Otherwise, he felt the offending teams were at an advantage while the potentially concussed player was off the field getting checked.
The fix was simple - an 18th man to replace concussed players, ensuring their team wasn't deprived of a player on their bench, as well as ramping up the penalties for foul play that results in a player needing treatment for concussion.
"If you come off because of foul play I think that's where the game needs to make some considerations around not being disadvantaged by that," Meninga told Fairfax Media on Thursday.
"Whether it's an extra player on the bench, I also think if it's foul play then the player that's committed the foul needs to be off the field as well.
"It's foul play regardless of intention. If you're going down in a tackle and you get hit in the head and it's a penalty against and if the concussed player has to go off the field I'm thinking the guy that committed the foul ... he's got to sit 5-10 minutes off the field.
"The non-offending team has that extra player so it's 13 on 12 so that's the disadvantage."
But Meninga didn't think independent doctors were necessary.
He felt they already were with the decisions over player welfare already with the club doctors and out of the coach's hands.
The issue was thrown into the spotlight when the NRL issued three clubs - Gold Coast, St George Illawarra and Newcastle - with $350,000 in fines for alleged breaches of the concussion guidelines.
Meninga was happy with the current set-up where club doctors have the power to order players from the field for assessment if they believe they could be concussed.
"People don't realise that it is independent. It's away from everybody. The coach doesn't make that decision so it is independent," he said.
"It's the doctors that actually make those decisions off the field so it's got to the stage where if you get a knock you come off, that's fair."
ANZAC TEST
May 5: Australia v New Zealand at Canberra Stadium, 8pm. Tickets available at Ticketek.
NRL ROUND FIVE
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels at Canberra Stadium, 5.30pm. Tickets from Ticketek.
Raiders squad: 1. Jack Wighton, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (C), 4. Joey Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Junior Paulo, 9. Josh Hodgson , 10. Shannon Boyd, 11. Josh Papalii, 12. Sia Soliola, 13. Clay Priest. Interchange: 14. Adam Clydsdale, 15. Luke Bateman, 16. Dave Taylor, 17. Joe Tapine. Reserves: 18. Jordan Turner, 19. Scott Sorensen, 20. Dunamis Lui, 21. Zac Santo.
Eels squad: 1. Bevan French, 2. Semi Radradra, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Brad Takairangi, 5. Josh Hoffman, 6. Clint Gutherson, 7. Corey Norman, 8. Suaia Matagi, 9. Kaysa Pritchard, 10. Tim Mannah (c), 11. Manu Ma'u, 12. Tepai Moeroa, 13. Beau Scott (c). Interchange: 14. Nathan Brown, 15. Daniel Alvaro, 16. Frank Pritchard, 17. Siosaia Vave. Reserves: 18. David Gower, 19. Peni Terepo, 20. Jeff Robson, 21. George Jennings.
