The NRL says it has no issue with Nicho Hynes getting angry at a touch judge and football boss Graham Annesley is confident players know their limits when it comes to questioning match officials.
Since July last year, Brandon Smith, James Tamou, Josh Reynolds and Reece Walsh have been charged by the match review committee for verbally lashing out at a referee, with all but Reynolds facing the NRL judiciary and suspension.
In the Sharks' 30-26 loss to Manly on Sunday, Hynes became the latest player to lose his cool.
The reigning Dally M Medallist approached touch judge Belinda Sharpe to question her decision to rule on a forward pass as Cronulla attacked Many's line.
Hynes gesticulated at Sharpe, before referee Peter Gough warned he would be sin-binned if he continued to approach the match officials.
The match review committee interviewed Sharpe and analysed audio from the game before deciding not to charge Hynes over the incident.
"There was no evidence of anything untoward on the audio," Annesley said.
"Belinda Sharpe, in this occasion, did not feel that Nicho Hynes was in any way abusive or derogatory to her personally.
"Yes, he didn't like decision but that probably happens dozens of times across the course of a weekend.
"We don't have a problem with players being upset about decisions.
"We only have a problem when that then manifests itself in some kind of personal abuse or attack on the match officials."
Gough's warning to Hynes sparked speculation as to the content of the halfback's comments.
But the referee only became terse with Hynes because he had warned him earlier in the game that only Cronulla's captain, Dale Finucane, should speak to the referees about officiating decisions.
"That's why he felt like he needed to take a stronger stance with him," Annesley said.
"But it was not in response to anything that he particularly said to the match officials."
While the AFL penalises players on-field for remonstrating with the match officials, Annesley said there was a place for emotional, robust discussion in the NRL.
He was confident players knew not to cross the line.
"Will there be the odd comment of, 'you're kidding' or 'that wasn't forward' or whatever else it might be? Those things will happen," Annesley said.
"We're never going to get to a situation where we wipe that sort of thing out of the game. That's emotion, that's raw emotion."
"But (players) have to do that in a way that is not offensive, not over-the-top and certainly is respectful of the role of the match officials."
