Ashley Klein's omission of a crucial penalty has reignited debate about technology's growing influence over NRL officiating.
The three-time grand final referee was effectively dropped on Monday after missing a call that could have helped Newcastle's opponents force extra time in their 12-10 loss.
Klein, 47, will instead operate in the bunker during Friday's preliminary final between the Dolphins and Sydney Roosters, giving him a different form of authority.
Paul Gallen believes officials should regain control, with video assistance restricted to try-scoring decisions.
"There's just that much technology at the moment, that many people in the referee's ears. They've got so much going on. I can't imagine how hard it must be," Gallen told AAP.
"I want to see the referee and the touch judge referee the game. Bring the video ref in for try-scoring situations and just let the refs control it. Let them have total control."
He accepts mistakes are inevitable, but says bunker officials also make errors.
Asked whether robots or artificial intelligence could eventually officiate matches, Gallen said: "It might not be too far away, who knows?"
"I don't want to see it get to that. I want to see referees out there actually refereeing the game."
The Sharks' only premiership-winning captain also questioned why Daly Cherry-Evans was not sin-binned for tripping Teig Wilton during Cronulla's elimination by the Roosters.
Gallen said the incident would once have been a send-off offence, and believed ten minutes against 12 men could have changed the contest.
"It probably wasn't going to be a penalty try because (James) Tedesco was right there, but it should have been the sin bin," he said.