THE time Panthers’ trainer Peter Wallace spends on the field has the potential to be an epidemic, if the NRL don’t act.

Wallace was caught on camera spending a lot of time directing from the backfield during the Panthers win over the Warriors and Paul Kent has urged the NRL to stamp it out.

“It’s a disgrace,” Kent told NRL 360.

“The NRL need to sit down and say look this isn’t under 8s where coaches are allowed to be on the field.

“What we face a risk of now is that Peter Wallace played this season for Penrith and retired mid-season.

“He knows all the plays, he knows their structure, he knows what they are trying to achieve because he trained with this team as the dummyhalf and one of the spine.

“If we allow this to continue it will be a disaster.”

The way it works in the NRL is the trainer is allowed on until tackle four and he must be off the field when a team is in defence.

However there is a fear that trainers like Langer and Wallace who are former players have too much influence on their teams.

“What Wallace is doing and we see Alfie Langer doing it as well, is that they are directing players around the park,” Kent said.

“It’s like we are using a remote control. Give the game back to the players.”