NSW playmaker James Maloney says he’s been scrutinised by the NRL referees and it’s helped make him the game’s most penalised player.

The Cronulla five-eighth has been pinged 22 times in the opening 11 rounds, leaving him a long way in front of the second most penalised in Canberra’s Josh Hodgson and Gold Coast’s Ryan James (13), according to the NRL’s official stats.

Maloney says while he needs to curb his aggression in some parts of his game, he’s on the whistleblowers’ radars leading to him being penalised more often.