Representative forward Sam Thaiday fears rugby league's hard earned reputation as the world's toughest sport could be battered by an increase in players taking "dives".

Opinion remained split whether young Parramatta fullback Jarryd Hayne took a "dive" following his shuddering head-on tackle on a try-line-bound Thaiday during the Eels 20-16 NRL win on Monday night.

Fuming Broncos coach Wayne Bennett left no doubt he thought the 19 year-old NSW Origin winger and last year's Dally M rookie of the year had milked the situation, calling on officials to rub offenders out with suspensions.

Stand-in Brisbane captain Petero Civoniceva - arguably the hardest man playing league - backed his coach saying he was disappointed in Hayne.

Injured Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer condemned players taking dives, suggesting referees be empowered to issue penalties or even sin bin offenders under the professional foul rule.

Lockyer said players had worked out if they stayed down when tackled "a little high" they were a good chance of getting a penalty from the video ref.

"It's opened a Pandora's Box," said Lockyer, who'll undergo a knee reconstruction on Wednesday.

NRL chief operations manager Graham Annesley said officials were as concerned about diving as everyone else but needed concrete evidence to charge players with contrary conduct.

Hayne was not cited by the NRL match review committee on Tuesday.

"It's extremely difficult to prove, that's the whole dilemma with this," Annesley told AAP.

"We all know it's not good for the game.

"I don't think anyone wants it to get to the level of European soccer where players are literally tripping themselves to get free kicks and penalties."

Cronulla forward Paul Gallen was recently accused of feigning injury to get a penalty while a Cowboys trainer allegedly urged a player to stay down to get a penalty for his team.

Lockyer said the contact between Thaiday and Hayne was "heavy".

"But I think the way Jarryd got up after the injury indicates it wasn't too bad," he said.

"We had them on the backfoot and it was a pivotal moment in the second half."

Hayne said he'd been stunned by the impact and Thaiday was sporting a badly corked thigh as proof of their second half collision.

Thaiday didn't go as far as Bennett in accusing his Tri Nations teammate of faking injury.

But he expressed fears the game's image and the image of its players would suffer if the tactic took hold.

"I don't know if he (Hayne) was faking it or not, it's on him," said Thaiday.

"If he was taking a dive, it's on his conscience.

"It's something that's in the game these days and if you can help your team out a little bit, then he's done a good job in doing it."

Thaiday said more and more players were taking dives and some players had become very good at milking penalties.

"I don't know if it is okay or not, but that's the way the game is going," he said.

"It's not a good thing, it's going to take that little bit of toughness out of the game.

"A lot of people see us as tough men and see our game as the toughest sport in the world but if we keep going where guys are taking dives..."

Thaiday said diving was not a practice Bennett condoned.

"I don't think we do it," he said.

"We've got a few old heads there that wouldn't appreciate it if we did that type of stuff."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP