Wigan Warriors boss Adrian Lam hits out at Super League game stoppages

Jackson Hastings misses Friday's trip to Huddersfield due to suspension

Wigan's 16-12 win against Huddersfield was frequently halted by the referee while Giants players received treatment.

It is an issue which has frustrated Lam all season, and he believes some teams may be taking advantage of referees' keenness to call 'time off'.

Lam said: "I'm nervous as a coach where the game is going in this area.

"I understand we want to protect our players and we're all for that - we're all for head injury assessments, looking after head knocks and any facial injuries.

"But I felt during the whole year, not only at the weekend, some teams are taking advantage of that.

"The games seem to be stopping a heck of a lot for players laying down for whatever injury.

"Its not necessarily a head injury, and I'm not saying the players are doing it intentionally, but we seem to be stopping the game a lot for niggly injuries.

"At a time when we're trying to speed the game up with the 'six-again' rule, we're slowing it down with the stoppages."

Some fans speculated whether Huddersfield players were faking injuries to eat up the clock on Sunday.

Asked whether he felt that, Lam replied: "I don't want to comment on that, but I'm frustrated the game gets stopped when someone rolls an ankle.

"It's only supposed to be for a head injury unless it's a serious injury like a break.

"I feel the game is stopped a heck of a lot for all sorts of minor issues when the game should be kept playing."

One flashpoint of Sunday's game was in the 10th minute when Josh Jones went down injured - and his former Salford team-mate, Jackson Hastings, grabbed his collar to lift him.

The incident saw Hastings get a one-match ban and a subsequent appeal failed, ruling the Australian out of Friday's rematch with the Giants.

"For us to lose Jackson at this time is tough to swallow," said coach Lam.

"I still don't think it was fair, I've got to be careful what I say here, but I understand the charge and we acknowledge that but we felt it was not at the level it was - we felt it should have been a caution, not a Grade A. And not only for us, for everyone playing rugby league."