Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart has reignited grapple-mania by claiming NRL premiers Melbourne had gone back to old ways of wrestling players around the head.

Stuart said the NRL had eased off policing of grapple tackles, enabling the Storm to go back to controversial wrestling techniques which he believed contributed to the ill-feeling in their win over St George Illawarra at Olympic Park on Monday night.

"The month or six week period where the referees are jumping on top of it is over," Stuart told Sydney radio 2KY.

"Now they're (Melbourne) back into it again and it's coming into the most important stage of the season.

"There's a technique on how they attack the head and they're getting away with it again.

"I'm a big advocate of keeping away from the player's head.

"We don't coach it, we don' train it. I, like any coach, will do as much as you have to do to win but I won't wrestle a player around the head.

"It's just not good for the game, it's not good for kids to see ... but we've all of a sudden gone lenient on it again with Melbourne.

"I'll put my chin out there again (by speaking out) to get it whacked but someone has to do it because it shouldn't be in the game."

Storm chief executive Brian Waldron laughed off Stuart's accusations insisting the Sharks boss was only trying to derail Melbourne's campaign.

"We concern ourselves in what the NRL say," said Waldron.

"We have been down the path of officials and clubs stirring up the pot. At the end of the day it's just water off a duck's back unless it gets personal."

Referees boss Robert Finch refuted Stuart's claims that whistleblowers had gone easy on grappling and says they are always mindful of unnecessary contact to the head and neck region.

"We have penalised it all year ... and we will continue to penalise it when we identify it and if we don't get it the judiciary will," said Finch.

"I'm not talking about a club, I'm talking about all clubs.

"We are aware of grappling and will do our best to penalise it and I'm sure the judiciary are doing their best to eradicate it as well."

Dragons halfback Ben Hornby said his players had no particular concerns about Melbourne's tackling techniques in Monday night's loss.

"Who really cares? If the ref is happy to let it go then let it go," said Hornby.

"It is all fair once you're out on the field."

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