NRL: 'What happens on the field, stays on the field'

A fight breaks out between Jack Wighton of the Raiders and Sosaia Feki during the round one NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Canberra Raiders. Photo / Getty Images

Canberra might be holding a squirrel gripe against Cronulla - but good luck getting anyone at the NRL club to talk about it.

"What happens on the field, stays on the field," says Raiders utility Jarrad Kennedy on Wednesday in response to accusations the Sharks used suspicious below-the-belt tactics that may have contributed to a fiery clash last Sunday.

Over the past few days social media has been humming with speculation and freeze frame photos that suggest the Sharks may have engaged in underhand manoeuvres during their 24-20 loss to Canberra.

It's understood the "niggling tactics" may have been behind Jack Wighton lashing out with punches and spending 10 minutes in the sin bin.

The Raiders added fuel to the fire earlier this week when their official Twitter account posted a picture of Paul Gallen with his hand accidentally down the pants of Raiders hooker Josh Hodgson while in attack.

"Josh proved a real "handful" for Paul Gallen and the Sharks yesterday in his debut," the Tweet said.

Gallen defended himself on Twitter with: "If u see it not in freeze frame there is nothing in it", before being mocked by fans for his poor choice of words.

The Raiders aren't denying they were subject to squirrel grips. But they're not whinging about it publicly either.

"I'm not too sure. Hodgo said there wouldn't be much to find down there," Raiders recruit Blake Austin said with a laugh.

And Kennedy on Wednesday said they were too fired up on the field to notice.

"We just go out there and play the game. There's that much hype and adrenaline," he said. "It's a game of footy. You don't notice that side of things, but it does brush over with the adrenaline side of things sometimes with the boys."

New Raiders forward Sia Soliola on the otherhand looked genuinely shocked when asked if he had been subject to any "groin tackles". "Nah not me... Thank god."