League legend Matty Johns believes there is one NRL rule that “needs to be looked at” with clubs utilising a loophole to gain penalty tries — but there’s an “easy fix”.

Johns, alongside fellow icon Cooper Cronk, have called for rugby league bosses to investigate attacking teams’ kicking strategies after two controversial moments in Round 23.

The first game in the opening games of the round, with Storm flyer Xavier Coates being awarded a penalty try after Deine Mariner was deemed to have tackled him in the air.

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The next came two days later when Teig Wilton was awarded a penalty try in the 16th minute, with Tyrell Sloan tackling him in a contest for a high ball.

Johns explained that “clever” teams are exploiting the loophole in which tackles are unable to be made in the air, a rule that was initially introduced to increase player safety.

Therefore, referees are pressured to make crucial decisions during aerial contests, while defending wingers are left with little choice as to how to diffuse a kicking situation.

“We have seen it with Melbourne and one or two other teams are doing it, the clever teams are using a little loophole in the rules,” Johns said on the Matty and Cronk podcast.

“That I think has to be adjusted in some way, shape or form. That’s the kick for the man in the corner.”

Outside of the Storm’s penalty try, Johns pointed to a moment in the 36th minute, with Grant kicking for Coates’ wing on the blind side.

“Look at Harry Grant the other night,” he explained.

“At first you think ‘what was he thinking?’. But what’s happening now is they are exploiting this loophole where when you kick it to one of your best leapers like Xavier Coates.

“No-one is going to outjump Xavier Coates. If that’s pinpoint he goes up, he catches the ball above the defender and the defender can’t hit him while he is in the air.

“This is a loophole the clever players are starting to exploit… That one on Teig Wilton the other night, that cannot be a penalty try.”

For Cronk, the NRL has to make a decision, which could see contests in the air reintroduced.

But as it stands, defending wingers are left with one or two options, especially when there’s a mismatch in height between opponents.

“It’s an easy fix,” Cronk said.

“The game needs to adjust his rules… as long as the player is not in a dangerous position, it’s okay.

“Right now, if you have Xavier Coates or Mark Nawaqanitawase or anyone else who is super athletic in the air, and I’m a halfback, I’m kicking it into the in-goal.

“Over a Brian To’o or a small winger, if he physically can’t get his hands up to it, he has two options.

“One, knock the ball out, or two, tackle the person in the air and, if he does, then it’s a penalty try.”

Johns then added: “When you put the ball in the air, it was a 50-50 contest, now if you put it in the right spot and they get their timing right, it’s 75 per cent the attack’s way.

“The defender, so much of his power to diffuse that has been taken away.”

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Previously, players were able to tackle rivals mid-air in the act of scoring, but that riles was changed in 2020 due to safety concerns raised by the Rugby League International Federation.

Meanwhile, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary told media on Tuesday he was “not comfortable” with the two penalty tries that were awarded in Round 23.

“I think it’s one of those ones where the rule was originally made, we tend to forget why it was made and we drift off and it becomes something else,” he said.

“That rule is all about player safety. That’s why it was brought in.

“I think some of the ones you’ve seen have nothing to do with safety, so I think there’s a little bit of common sense needed around that rule.

“As long as it’s deemed safe, I think you should at least get the opportunity to try to stop a try in that situation. But that’s not going to happen now, so we’ve got to deal with it the best way we can.”