Gold Coast coach Garth Brennan has fired up about player safety, believing referees are failing in their duty of care towards potentially serious injuries.
The call from the Titans' boss comes on the back of an incident involving hooker Mitch Rein in Sunday's loss to Penrith.
Brennan was furious match officials didn't take the advice of Gold Coast trainer Craig Catterick and stop play when Rein was being assessed for a suspected neck injury.
With the Panthers charging towards a crucial try just before halftime, Rein tried to rush back to help his teammates as the game continued.
Brennan was incensed that the advice of a trained professional like Catterick - an experienced nurse - could be ignored.
To rub salt into the Titans' wounds, Penrith scored a converted try while Rein was down to grab a four-point lead before the Panthers ran out eventual 35-12 winners.
Rein, cleared of any serious injury, has been named to play on Saturday night against North Queensland. But Brennan said the 27-year-old had "pins and needles down his neck" while he was being assessed.
"Craig put his hand up to to stop play, he was yelling to the referees to stop play, but play went on for another four tackles and James Tamou scores with Mitch down in the backplay," Brennan told reporters on Tuesday.
"Mitch was desperate to get back in the line because he didn't want to let his team down, so not only did it put extra pressure on Craig but Mitch as well and it's cost us a try.
"To have touch judges and referees making judgment calls over qualified people is risky business when it comes to player safety.
"I can handle referees getting decisions wrong in the heat of battle and I can live with that. I can't live with processes breaking down."
Brennan said there was no consistency in how referees stopped play, believing games were halted for far less than Rein's situation.
"You'll watch a game this weekend with players cramping in the backplay and they'll stop it," Brennan said.
Brennan said he had spoken to NRL referees boss Bernard Sutton, who conceded the wrong call was made and play should have been stopped.
