Price says he has to speak to refs

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy's gripe that Steve Price is "always whingeing" to National Rugby League referees hasn't ruffled the New Zealand Warriors' skipper.

Price and other Warriors made repeated complaints to referee Jason Robinson about grapple tackles during their 18-15 upset over the Storm last Sunday.

Price today denied that the Warriors had gone into the match with a preconceived plan to keep raising Melbourne's tackle technique with Robinson.

He said the only reason he said anything to the referee was because of what was happening on the field.

"I'm the only one who can speak to the referee," he said.

"If I don't speak to him, nobody does.

"It's my job that, if there's something going on, I have to communicate with the referee.

"Other than that, I don't really talk to them too much if there's nothing to talk about."

Price said he bore no grudges over what Bellamy had said about him.

"That's his job and he's looking after his team and I'm in the same situation with the Warriors," he said.

"He felt there were things and he was going to mention them, and it's the same way with us."

Bellamy described Price as some who "never shuts up" on the field.

"He's always whingeing about something," he said.

"Against us it's always the grapple tackle. If it was a tactic, good luck to them.

"At the end of the day, he's always whingeing. He's always talking and that's Pricey."