There's concerns the NRL's crackdown on high contact could ruin the game and lead to even more lopsided contest.
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Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is also concerned it will give rival sports, like the AFL, a leg up in the battle of the football codes.
He was loath to talk too much about the drama - given he wanted to promote the showcase weekend - but was happy to talk to the NRL.
The NRL sent out an edict to crackdown on all high contact just two days out from Magic Round, which was meant to showcase the sport with all eight games played in Brisbane over the weekend.
But instead it's seen a raft of sin bins and send offs, with the Raiders' being reduced to 13 men at one stage of their gutsy 20-18 victory over Canterbury at Lang Park on Saturday.
Daly M Medallist Jack Wighton was given a 10-minute rest for a cannonball tackle, while Raiders enforcer Josh Papalii was sent off for a high tackle.
Stuart was concerned there would be a spate of send-offs and it could ruin the game.
He understood the concerns among mums and dads, but said he was always happy to promote the sport - inviting the television coverage into his change rooms before the game.
Stuart conceded Papalii got Bulldogs winger Tuipolotu Katoa high, but felt there were mitigating circumstances.
There were already concerns about the NRL crackdown following Friday night's games at Lang Park, which saw Manly flog Brisbane 50-6.
"[Papalii] definitely hit him high, but he was falling into the tackle. I've got to look at it again too, I haven't seen it again," Stuart said.
"There are going to be a whole heap of send-offs this year if that's a send-off incident. I just hope they don't change now if that's going to be the precedent.
"We're going to find a completely different game of rugby league that we've been following for many, many years.
"It's sad we're talking about it. With the talking about it we're giving other sports a leg up and that's not what we're here for.
"We've got a wonderful weekend of rugby league and we want to promote our game and unfortunately we're talking about the wrong things."
Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett felt the crackdown, coupled with the changes to the six-again rule, would lead to even more one-sided affairs.
His side looked to be benefiting from the sin bin blitz, only for the Raiders to storm back with two short-handed tries for a stunning victory.
He didn't see the need for it either - given all the "thuggery" from the 1980s had already been removed from the game.
"You don't like seeing uneven contests," Barrett said.
"You can see that even before these rules were in, the six-to-go rules changed the game dramatically as it was and we've seen some really lopsided results and this is just going to make it worse.
"If that's what they want, that's what's going to happen and I don't know if that's good for the game.
"It'll turn into a game of Oztag if that's what they want. That's the concern for us. We've got a great game, but you keep changing the rules and who knows where it will end up."