Warriors coach Andrew McFadden believes the NRL needs to come up with a more definitive answer for what constitutes a late tackle.

North Queensland came away from their 16-14 defeat to Newcastle angry at the treatment dished out to star playmaker Johnathan Thurston, who finished the match with a black eye.

Knights enforcer Beau Scott copped a grade one charge for a dangerous tackle, but escaped suspension with a early guilty plea.

On another occasion, Scott flattened Thurston after the Kangaroos and Queensland representative had got rid of the ball.

McFadden, who described the incidents as borderline, says players should be protected from late hits.

“But you can’t protect them from the contact in the game,” he said.

“Maybe, they’re going to have to come up with a more definitive answer about what is actually late.”

McFadden said it was inevitable that influential players would be targeted by the opposition and the game had to step in if that led to illegal tactics.

However, McFadden ruled out the need for special treatment for certain players.

“We can’t have a different rule for Johnathan Thurston, for Shaun Johnson – it’s got to be the same rule,” he said.

“It’s just about defining what is illegal and what’s not. If people have an issue about the lateness of contact, they need to define that for us.”

Warriors five-eighth Chad Townsend said his view was that Scott did take Thurston out late and there were times players needed protection.

“But it’s bit of a grey area,” he said.

“It’s so touch-and-go with how far players go into the defensive line. JT was one of the Cowboys’ big weapons and they would have been after him to rattle him.”