In the wake of the NRL handing a Penrith Panthers trainer a hefty fine and suspension for an incident during their golden point victory over the Titans on the weekend, former Bulldogs and NSW Origin five-eighth Josh Reynolds insists that the punishment needs to happen during the game.
Speaking on the second episode of ESPN's Boom Rookies with Grub podcast, Reynolds said he believed the trainer deliberately ran across Jayden Campbell's line of sight as he prepared to kick a conversion.
"He definitely knew what he was doing, the Penrith trainers don't have the best track record, do they? It is hard to send the messages on, and I think they got something wrong with the interchange, so he might have been thinking of a thousand things and just literally forgot, but I don't believe that," Reynolds said.
"With the actual penalty, big fine, $50,000, really man? The only way to fix this, something has got to happen on the field. There will be no trainer that does it ever again, if they sin bin a player, or give them another kick or give them two kicks to win the game. Gold Coast win that game on two kicks. There has to be consequences in the game, that is the only way to actually fix it. Because who is not saying in a big game, that it's only going to be a $50,000 fine?"
The NRL has said it does not intend to review the rules on trainer behaviour in response to this incident.
Reynolds also discussed Wests Tigers' big victory over the Bulldogs on the weekend and gave credit to Benji Marshall for the late switch of Adam Doueihi to the halfback role.
"When the Tigers are at their best they are just in a very attacking mindset, they play a free and open style of footy, that is hard to stop. But, you need to defend your errors and that is the first time in a very, very long time that I've seen a Tigers defence on their try line, it was like a brick wall. When you play an open style of footy like that, as a Tigers team, you need to be ready to defend and they did that," Reynolds said.
"One thing I am going to say, and I don't know if a lot of Tigers fans are going to agree with me right now, but just hear me out; Adam Doueihi needs to stay at the club, he needs to stay.
"And a masterstroke by Benji Marshall, I reckon he felt that [Latu] Fainu was going okay, he comes in out of games, as young guys always do. It is so hard in the NRL to be a young half because you don't get to dip the toe in, you are expected to be great straight way. Everyone is expected to be like [Isaiya] Katoa and it's not going to happen.
"So a masterstroke by Benji putting Adam Doueihi there, in a big game, that meant a lot, and probably just pulling Fainu back and saying 'mate there is nothing wrong with you, but I just think Doueihi suits this game', and didn't he what? His kicking game, kicking early in that game, his speed."
"All I am going to say is; 'Fainu, don't get upset with that, you are still a great half, you are going to be a great half in the NRL. At the same time it is not the worst thing for your future and your growth and your development to see Adam Doueihi play that game'.
"Young guys they all want to play these days every week and I get it, I was the same, but it's not the worst thing sometimes to take a step back and see what other guys are doing. Put all your egos aside, we all want to play, but it's all about growth and I just think it was a great example of Benji taking a little bit of pressure off his halves."
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Make sure to return every Tuesday as ESPN's Boom Rookies team up with former NRL star Josh "Grub" Reynolds to tackle all the latest rugby league issues and points of contention, in the lead-up to the 2025 NRL Grand Final.