FORMER Saints and Great Britain skipper Paul Sculthorpe has hit out the increasing trend of trainers and doctors entering the field of play to stop proceedings.

The two-times Steve Prescott Man of Steel winner commented after the recent game between his two former clubs Saints and Warrington, which saw the Wolves doctor and trainer enter the field leaving the referee with no option to stop play.

He was echoing "gamesmanship" sentiments expressed by Saints boss Kristian Woolf, who explained this week that he has raised the matter with the game’s authorities.

Sculthorpe said: “A point Kristian Woolf made after the game, which I wholeheartedly agree is, this latest trend of players feigning injury and stopping play.

“I’ve seen numerous occasions of this this season and it’s just not acceptable in rugby league.

“We have brought in a number of rule changes over the past couple of seasons to increase the ‘ball in play’ time, such as shot clock, set restarts, so this completely goes against everything we want to achieve.

“If you want to do this put the ball down and get yourself a round ball.”

Play was stopped a number of times during Thursday’s defeat by Warrington – with the longest spell being at the end when the doctor and trainer ran on to treat Toby King’s leg injury.

Although the player was not interfering with play and it was not a head knock, the referee is bound to stop play as soon as the doctor and trainer entered the fray.

On this occasion, just after Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook had been halted on the line, play was stopped and the pressure dissipated with King then carrying on.

This week Woolf expanded on his post-match comments regarding the stoppages in play for treatment and put forward a solution from the NRL.

The Saints coach said: “It is something we have taken further and will continue to do so as it is something that the game needs to look at.

“I look at the last four games and we have had at least two incidences in every one of those games where you are in an attacking position and a player lies down, the game gets stopped.

“That player then gets on-field treatment and then continues to play.

“It does two things; it really unsettles the flow of the attack and the pressure you are able to create.

“It also gives the defensive team a chance to recover.

“The worst of those was the Warrington game and it happened on numerous times for extended periods.

“Doctors and trainers are not supposed to enter the field of play to stop a game unless there is a serious injury.”

Woolf says he is not in favour of following every idea the NRL come up with, but believes this is one where they have got it right.

“If you look at the NRL example, it is a good one that Super League should consider following.

“If the game is stopped for a player to receive on-field treatment and your trainer or doctor has to take the field, then that player has to leave the field of play for at least two minutes to get that treatment.

“If there is treatment to the head they have to leave the field for a head assessment.

“Knowing that even if it is only for one set you are going to lose a player, it makes players and coaches think about what they are doing there in stopping the game.

“Or if it is going down with a so-called head injury then that player is going to have to leave the field. That becomes a difficulty you have to overcome.

“I think this is something we do need to look at because it is starting to creep in and become more prevalent,” he said.