Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has given his backing to the tweaking of the NRL obstruction rule and says debate over interpretation is a healthy part of the game.

Referees boss Daniel Anderson last week bowed to pressure to scrap the ‘black and white’ adjudication of obstruction which gave on-field and video referees no discretion to rule.

Cleary was one of its most vocal critics saying it encouraged defenders to take a dive after his side were controversially denied a try during their round-four home defeat to the Gold Coast.

The former Warriors coach said he had no issues with referees ruling on obstruction, but couldn’t understand why ex-players employed to assist the video referees in the box were unable to use their experience to help make decisions.

“It wasn’t so much about the obstruction, it’s more that I am not a fan of hard and fast rules,” Cleary told AAP on Wednesday.

“You can’t have a rule where everybody sitting at home knows exactly what’s going to happen or what referees are going to say.

“Referees have been in the game since 1908 and not everyone is going to agree with what they say because often it’s discretionary – it’s part of the game.

“I am fan of discretion and if you have people in the box because they have discretionary skills then let them use them.”

Video referees have been part of the NRL since its formation in 1998 having first been used in Super League a year earlier.

While understanding why they are there, Cleary said he’s never been a fan of them.

“I would rather not have a video ref at all, and I’ve always said that,” he said.

“If you don’t have a video you don’t have people constantly mulling over it.

“If you want to take the discussion of the game out, then take away the video ref. But everyone wants that.

“There was no discussion last weekend about obstruction and that was a good thing.”