Cameron Smith has warned NRL officials of a growing trend of playmakers being illegally targeted by opposition defences.

As NRL head of football Todd Greenberg was again forced to defend the match review committee and judiciary against continued attacks upon its consistency, Smith said he believed that players are being hit increasingly late in tackles.

Speaking at the launch of the State of Origin series in Melbourne on Tuesday, Smith said he was worried about the targeting of players including his Queensland halves combination Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.

“Ball players – and I’m not just saying JT or Cooper … when they take the ball to the line, they are being hit late,” Smith said.

“I’m not saying all the time, but there are instances where guys are being hit off the ball two, three seconds after they’ve passed it.

“Unfortunately it happened several times to Johnathan Thurston the other night and that’s why there’s been a fair spotlight put on that match.”

North Queensland coach Paul Green was incensed over Newcastle’s offensive on Thurston in Saturday night’s loss to the Knights, in which the Cowboys pivot was left with a black eye.

Knights back-rower Beau Scott has escaped suspension over the tackle after taking the early guilty plea on a grade one dangerous contact – head/neck charge.

That grading has been questioned by some, especially after Parramatta forward Junior Paulo was hit with a nine-game suspension last week for a similar looking tackle, that was regarded as a grade three dangerous throw.

Greenberg said the NRL match review panel judged each incident on its merits.

“I understand why fans are looking for consistency, but it’s very important that people report the facts and people understand the details,” he said.

“The decisions made by match reviewers come from four of the longest-serving players we have – hundreds and hundreds of games of football experience.

“They’re looking at every tackle on merit and it’s really important people understand that and when they compare tackles, they understand loadings.

“Not everyone is going to agree with that system every time, but what you can’t disagree with is the quality of the people making the decisions.”

Greenberg added it was incorrect to say the panel should have laid a dangerous throw charge against Scott.

“For a dangerous throw, the judiciary code talks specifically about elevation off the ground,” he said.

“If you look closely at that tackle, there was no elevation off the ground.”

Smith’s Melbourne are also unsure about the match review committee’s interpretation of offences.

The Storm will challenge Dale Finucane’s grade one dangerous contact – other charge, for a tackle on Manly’s Peta Hiku at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night.

Canberra’s Jeremy Hawkins is the only other player facing suspension from round three.

He will sit out the Raiders’ clash with St George Illawarra on Saturday after taking the early guilty plea on a grade one dangerous throw on Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei.

Cronulla’s Michael Ennis won’t miss a match after taking the early plea on a contrary conduct – contact with match official charge, after he came in contact with referee Ben Cummins in the Sharks loss to Brisbane.