Trainers on the field has been a point of tension for NRL fans for many years.

So it was untimely that one of the game’s biggest frustrations had an influential result on the Sydney Roosters’ grand final triumph over Canberra.

WATCH THE MONDAY BUNKER CREW DISCUSS ABOVE

Early in the decider, a Luke Keary kick was charged down by Raiders enforcer Sia Soliola, with the deflection hitting the Roosters trainer in back field.

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media_camera Canberra were brought undone by a tough NRL law. Picture: Joel Carrett

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The Roosters were correctly awarded a scrum feed from the incident, and would go on to score the opening try of the match through hooker Sam Verrills.

Speaking on Monday Bunker, Fox Sports News presenter Trent Simpson said the controversial law must be altered.

“A ridiculous situation and I think it points to the fact that the rule needs to be changed,” said Simpson.

media_camera Sam Verrills scored immediately after the trainer incident. Picture: Mark Metcalfe

“While they can’t change the rule because it was a territorial advantage at the time to the Roosters, I think they can look at changing the rule of trainers on the field because time and time again something like this happens.”

Fellow panellist and rugby league writer Tom Sangster agreed, questioning why the trainer even needed to be on the field so early in the game.

WATCH THE MONDAY BUNKER CREW DISCUSS ABOVE

“After three minutes he was on the field, what’s he doing on the field after that amount of time?” Sangster said.

“They did make the correct call, the rule is there in black and white, and as you said it’s not the refs that are at fault here, it’s the law that needs to be looked at.”

Speaking on the season finale of Fox League’s NRL360 host Paul Kent railed against the rule, slamming the fact the NRL haven’t changed the law to suit the modern game.

“The problem with this is that it’s an archaic rule that’s been around since year one and doesn’t really take into account that trainers are always on the field,” Kent said. “The problem I have with this is why two and a half minutes into a game is a trainer already game.

Fox Sports journalist James Hooper was on the panel and unreservedly agreed.

“100 per cent, it’s a joke,” Hooper said. “Why is he out there? The game isn’t even three minutes old.”

Co-host Ben Ikin said the rule was written when there one referee when trainers weren’t as big an issue.

Kent said it was from a time when the trainers weren’t running messages.

But he also had some hope for NRL fans who don’t want to see that debacle again.

media_camera It was one of several decisions that went against Canberra. Picture by Brett Costello.

“The fact is that they’re on there for strategic reasons, not medical reasons,” he said. “I spoke to Todd Greenberg today and he said ‘this hopefully is an opportunity over the summer to address trainers being on the field. If there’s one thing that annoys fans very much is the trainers on the field coaching them like they’re under-eight’s.”

Hooper said the rule had a big impact on the game.

“That’s just another example of the rub of the green that clearly went against the Raiders early,” he said. “Canberra didn’t see the ball for a number of sets afterwards.

“The Roosters were just camped on their line creating opportunity after opportunity so I can understand why Raiders fans were frustrated by that moment.”

Former Broncos and Panthers coach Anthony Griffin joined the panel later and said the ensuing try was the biggest moment of the match for in his eyes.

“I thought the first try lost it for them, they had to start fast,” Griffin said. “The first try that Verrills scored it was a fairly soft try as grand final tries go. They had to get in front of the Roosters. Once they get in front, they’re very hard to get past. That six points was the difference all night and made the Roosters a little comfortable, made the Raiders have to chase and that was the difference in the end.”