Rival State Of Origin captains Cameron Smith and Paul Gallen are at odds over what Newcastle’s targeting of Johnathan Thurston means for rugby league.

Smith, the Queensland skipper, has warned NRL officials of a growing trend of playmakers being illegally targeted by opposition defences.

But Gallen calls the fallout from the weekend’s match something of an over-reaction.

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.

But Gallen said there was no need to change the rules for players such as Thurston.

“You can’t go around saying we need to protect Johnathan Thurston or all halfbacks – it’s just not the way it is,” he said.

“It’s not rugby league.

“If you give guys like Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk time on the field, first of all they’ll kick you to death or they’ll pass you to death, one of the two.

“If you take them out illegally, then you’re going to be penalised.

“We don’t want to see players taken out illegally, but we certainly all of a sudden can’t say you have to protect halfbacks.”

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.”

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

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.