Panthers forward Isaah Yeo has expressed his own confusion and concern surrounding the NRL's recent hip drop tackle crackdown, believing "the referees don't even know sometimes" whether to sin bin or report players for similar incidents.
Friday night's clash between Brisbane and Parramatta saw a trio of charges laid down for hip drop tackles, with Broncos pair Payne Haas and Ezra Mam both handed suspensions.
Eels recruit J'Maine Hopgood was fined for his own hip drop charge on Broncos utility Cory Paix, but was sin binned early into the second half of the 10-point loss.
Speaking to Triple M on Saturday, Yeo expressed his confusion following the trio of incidents from Friday night's clash between the Broncos and Eels, namely with ex-teammate J'Maine Hopgood's sin binning.
The Panthers star said the Hopgood tackle shouldn't have warranted 10 minutes off the field, believing referees are struggling to separate worrying hip drop incidents from "50-50" calls.
"There's definitely confusion. I felt like that wasn't a hip drop," Yeo said of the Hopgood incident.
"That's a big moment in the game, they lose a play like that for 10 minutes when they're already on the back foot. And then once that's done it's pretty much the game over.
"So I feel like there needs to be an awareness of players and I feel like you can definitely differentiate the ones that are causing injuries and the ones that are sort of 50-50.
"There needs to be a little bit more common sense and then even if you feel like it might be a hit drop. If it's one of those 50-50 ones don't sin bin the bloke, put him on report and make a judgement call later on.
"You're affecting the game of football. I feel the refs don't even know sometimes, like they're sort of getting it and then they're getting the word from the bunker.
"You don't want to be cruelling a game of football because you're not sure on a 50-50 call."
Mam was also sin binned for his 62nd-minute incident and can accept a one-game suspension alongside Haas following the match review committee's findings.
Should both accept the charges they will miss Brisbane's Round 9 outing against South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium.