Johnathan Thurston has called on the NRL to sin-bin defenders who target playmakers late and after they pass the ball.

The issue has returned to the spotlight in recent weeks after Sia Soliola was suspended for five weeks for a late and high hit on Melbourne fullback Billy Slater last week.

North Queensland coach Paul Green expressed fears for Thurston’s safety following a number of late shots last season.

And Thurston said the game could “definitely” do much more to protect smaller playmakers.

“Especially the touch judges – they’re the ones who should be seeing how late it is and getting the call of penalty straight away,” Thurston told the Nine Network’s The Sunday Footy Show.

“I think what we can do is just a sin-bin offence. If it’s that late, like Sia’s shot, high and late, sin-bin them.

“That’s the only way we’re going to stop it from happening.”

Thurston said players were most vulnerable when they had passed the ball well before the line.

“When you’ve played early and there are two or three seconds late, your body relaxes, and that’s when you get jammed and that’s when you get the neck and shoulder injuries,” Thurston said.

His comments come as rugby league immortal Andrew Johns again expressed fears the defensive tactic could hurt the development of young playmakers coming into the game.

“We’re seeing less and less ball-playing halves coming through the grades,” Johns said.

“I can imagine what the younger players see in the top grades they do in the juniors as well.

“It discourages young guys, the smaller guys to get out and be creative because they are being whacked in the rib and the kidneys.”