July 16, 2026 — 3:30pmCronulla co-captain Cameron McInnes has called for stricter enforcement of HIA protocols against rival players, believing the Sharks’ team-wide edict not to lay down or milk penalties is contributing to the worst disciplinary record in the NRL.The Sharks host Newcastle on Friday having won six of their past seven matches, yet have won two of 16 penalty counts this season.Cronulla Sharks captain Cameron McInnes has called out rival players lying down for penalties.Getty ImagesCronulla also has the worst net-difference between penalties conceded (5.9 per game) and awarded (3.4) of any side, though the 3.4 set-restarts they give away each game ranks them equal-third.McInnes and coach Craig Fitzgibbon have made clear this season that the Sharks take “full responsibility for our penalty counts,” in the words of McInnes, who is widely regarded as one of the toughest and most respected players in the game.But the 235-game veteran was emphatic about opponents staying down in the hope extra replays of head contact can lead to intervention from the NRL bunker and penalties being awarded.“The penalties we give away that we can control like offsides or hitting [opponents] in the face, things like that you can’t argue with and we will keep working on our discipline,” McInnes said.“In saying that, I believe that we get hit in the face just as much as other teams, but because we don’t lie down we don’t get the penalties.“But you know as a member of this team and the captain I’d much rather us play with that integrity than play for penalties.“Guys do stay down after they get hit high or in the face. That’s fine, that’s cool. You can stay down if you get hit in the face, but I thought that if you stay down for longer than 5-10 seconds, you had to go off for a HIA.“And that doesn’t always happen does it? So if you were that hurt to stay down you probably should go off and get your head checked – that’s the whole reason we’re doing all this isn’t it?Cronulla have been awarded the fewest penalties of any side in 2026.NRL Imagery“It’s not easy for refs to be put on the spot when there’s a lot going on in play for them. But if you go down grabbing your neck, looking for the cameras, well then okay, go off and get your HIA. That’s the way I look at it.”The NRL has not issued any warnings to clubs or “concerning act notices” over players milking penalties, as has happened in previous years.In 2023, the bunker’s intervention in general play was limited to “acts of foul play which it deems to be reportable”.A player being slow to their feet or lying motionless briefly after head contact are both indicators of potential concussion and if ruled by either the independent doctor or club medical staff, require a player to go off for a 15-minute assessment.Early last year the NRL also investigated several club-initiated HIAs amid suspicion teams were using them to give players a breather without burning an interchange.As for the Sharks, their 10-6 winning record this year belies a total penalty count of 58-91 against them.Their round 11 and 13 wins over Canterbury (with a penalty count of 5-1) and Manly (5-3) are the only games they have won penalty counts.As many clubs do throughout the year, whistleblower Gerard Sutton has attended Sharks training to provide players with a referees’ perspective on their play.“It’s not easy as a referee and I think they’re doing a great job at the moment,” McInnes said.“I think with the ruck at the moment too, games are flowing a little bit more and if players are playing for penalties, grabbing for their neck and looking for the cameras, that can be a tough call to make.“But we’re not going to do that. And what we always say here is, the refs don’t decide the game. That’s what we do, with how we play.“We never want to blame the refs or use them as an excuse, but for me, you don’t want penalties you don’t deserve either.”Dan Walsh is a sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners