The NRL has ordered an immediate crackdown on a new strain of the grapple tackle it says is creeping into the game.

NRL chief executive David Gallop on Monday instructed the judiciary to "as a matter of urgency, establish guidelines that will outlaw a new tackle that places severe downward pressure on the neck of the ball carrier".

The decision came as Brisbane veteran Petero Civoniceva continued his verbal attack on Melbourne players for allegedly grappling during Sunday's fiery clash, fearing if something urgent is not done a player could end up in a wheelchair - or worse.

Storm five-eighth Greg Inglis escaped being cited by the match review committee for his alleged grapple on Broncos pivot Greg Eastwood, prompting further complaints by Brisbane.

Match review committee chairman Greg McCallum said the NRL's hands were tied over several contentious tackles in Sunday's game because they are not deemed grapples under the current judiciary rules.

Gallop and McCallum both want the rules modified immediately to prevent serious neck injuries occurring in the NRL.

"Without making any judgment on individuals in Sunday's match, we need to ensure that we don't take risks in this area," said Gallop.

"We can't have situations where players' necks are being pushed forward in a dangerous manner.

"The judiciary review committee has been reminded of the need to stay vigilant in regard to any tackle that makes contact with the neck and it will have a widened set of directions to cover this new area."

McCallum will compile a report for judiciary chairman Greg Woods to widen the committee's power to charge players.

"It's a new method that we've noticed in the last few weeks and there were examples of it at the weekend where, if our powers were a little bit wider with regard to interpretations, we probably could have laid charges," McCallum said.

"Basically they're not locking the head and neck anymore. What they're doing is locking the arms underneath the shoulders and, when they've got the player on the ground, they're then leaning over the top of the back of their head and immobilising them that way.

"The criteria we currently have of a grapple tackle ... doesn't apply to that.

"The locking is away from the neck but the force is applied to the neck."

Despite the controversy surrounding the Storm-Broncos clash - when four players were penalised for grapple tackles - McCallum said none of the instances warranted charges under the current interpretations.

But Civoniceva refused to back down from his call for the game to get tougher on the issue.

"What are we waiting for? Are we going to wait for someone to have a serious neck injury and end up in a wheelchair or worse?" said the Test prop.

The Broncos were fuming a tackle by Ben Cross on Civoniceva and Inglis' tackle on Eastwood did not result in charges by the match review committee.

"We're disappointed to be honest," said Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen.

"We thought there was some graphic evidence on both of those (tackles) in the newspapers.

"If Petero's was not a grapple tackle, then I don't know what is."

Bulldogs lock Reni Maitua said he'd been grappled "once or twice" this year and believes players will start to retaliate if grapples aren't stamped out of the game.

"We play them (Melbourne) in a couple of weeks and if it comes into the game then people might retaliate," said Maitua.

"I just hope they don't start doing that kind of tackling because it's not a good position to be in."

Asked how he would retaliate to a grapple he said: "I won't say on camera what I would probably do.

"It's a dangerous tackle. I have been grappled before, not by Melbourne, and you nearly pass out so it's not a good position to be in."

© 2008 AAP
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