Current NRL rules state a player will be immediately sent from the field for punching following a rule change by former boss Dave Smith four years ago.

But the rules do not cover the international game.

Sanctions will be handed out at the discretion of the referee and their interpretation of the incident in the form of a penalty, sin bin or send off.

Referees boss Tony Archer said he was confident his adjudicators would be able to “handle” any potential on-field incidents appropriately.

"Punching is one of the [offences] that you can put someone in the sin bin for in the World Cup. If we believe it's sufficient enough we'll deal with it," Archer said. 

"The boys will have a consistent approach to that. We don't want the games to be marred by that and I'm confident the referees will be able to handle it.

"All the teams and all the nations have been given the rules. They're aware of what the rules are, all the changes, and what our interpretations are in and around those rules."

Other changes unique to the international game include having just one referee on the field and the absence of the NRL’s highly contentious Bunker.