Call to act on late hits

MAROONS legends have called on the referees to be extra vigilant over illegal hits on playmaker Johnathan Thurston in Origin II, as Queensland looks to square the series in Sydney.

The Blues yesterday revealed they would target the underdone Thurston, in an attempt to wear him down given he has played just two games in the past two months after calf and shoulder injuries.

Queensland greats Wally Lewis and Greg Dowling have no doubt Thurston will also cop late shots from NSW throughout the clash.

Lewis yesterday appealed to the referees to monitor any cheap tactics used against the Queensland five-eighth, saying the Blues will do anything they can to shut him down.

“The two referees have to make a call. If it’s a late hit, then it’s a late hit,” Lewis said.

“They’ve been coming in on late hits with him for quite a while now. There appeared to be a couple in Darwin (against the Eels) last week as well.

“Whenever he seems to get rid of the ball, he ends up on his backside . . . you’d expect there would be a penalty given.

“While we hope it won’t happen, we can probably ex- pect that they’ll do their level best to make sure he plays as minimal a role as possible because of his effect.”

Dowling believes NSW will be coming in late on Thurston, but said he did not expect the referees to stop it.

He said officials had been ignoring those sorts of tactics across the NRL for too long now to change their ways at ANZ Stadium.

“For a couple of years now they’ve been trying to get the refs to stop that but they just don’t,” Dowling said.

“In the NRL you see it all the time with late hits. In Origin you’re going to get away with even more.

“They might penalise the first one but then they’ll just overlook it. You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think they’ll hit him late.”