Cronulla caretaker coach Josh Hannay has warned that NRL players need more time to adjust their tackling amid "a perfect recipe for disaster" as three of his men face suspensions.
The Sharks finally ended their six-match losing streak with a 13-12 golden-point win over St George Illawarra on Friday night, but victory came at a cost.
Josh Dugan and Mawene Hiroti were both sin-binned over high shots and face one to two weeks on the sidelines for grade two careless high tackles.
Both will miss just one match with an early guilty plea, but Hiroti is facing a two-game ban if he challenges the charge at the judiciary and fails.
Teig Wilton is also facing two weeks for a crusher tackle, but can have that suspension dropped to one game by taking the early plea.
Briton Nikora and Jayden Brailey were also placed on report but escaped charge.
For the Dragons - who suffered four bans last week - Josh Kerr is facing one to two weeks for a grade one shoulder charge on Aiden Tolman.
However, in a stroke of luck Paul Vaughan has escaped with just a fine for a grade one careless high tackle on Will Chambers for which he was sin-binned.
Three players - including the Warriors' Jazz Tevaga - were put on report in the game between the Auckland-based club and Wests Tigers.
Only forward Eli Katoa was charged, and he has received a fine for a grade one dangerous throw on Luciano Leilua.
The latest punishments come as Hannay warned the game's crackdown would not come easy, with some reward needed for legs tackles.
"I am not against the crackdown at all. But we also need to understand that players need to be recalibrated in how they tackle," Hannay said.
"They have been taught for year on year and tackling over the football and trying to stop a player that way.
"It's a bit of a recipe there for disaster. A faster game, more fatigue.
"And we're trying to tell players overnight if you tackle high we're going to punish you harder than we've ever punished in the history of the game.
"I agree with the rule but there is going to be some growing pains."
Hannay also stressed that any next move had to be deeply thought about, given a move to legs tackles without reward would only speed the game up more and create additional fatigue.
"Lower tackles are going to create an even faster game," he said.
"We need to be careful about this obsession with the speed of the game. Every action has a reaction.
"And we need to make sure this game doesn't become a glorified game of touch football."
The bans come at a cruel time for Cronulla, who have dealt with a stream of high-profile injuries this year.
There is some hope they will have Shaun Johnson back alongside Siosifa Talakai and Ronaldo Mulitalo against Gold Coast.
