Referees Gavin Badger and Adam Gee have been dropped for failing to halt play after New Zealand international Peta Hiku suffered a concussion last weekend.

There were several controversial calls in the Warriors’ win over Newcastle on Saturday night, but none moreso than the Hiku incident. At a time when concussion has dominated headlines after three law firms indicated they will be launching class actions against the NRL, Badger and Gee allowed play to continue despite Hiku copping a head knock. With the utility back out of the defensive line, the Knights scored a try that had the potential to change the result.

But of more concern to powerbrokers at Rugby League Central are the player safety, and potentially legal, implications of allowing a concussed player to remain on the field.

Gee and Badger won’t officiate any games in round 17, with the latter on standby for the Dragons-Raiders clash at WIN Stadium. Play is normally only stopped when the trainers indicate to the referee that a player has suffered a head knock. However, the referees are urged to use their discretion and in this instance they were much better placed than the Warriors staffer to act swiftly given their proximity to Hiku at the time.