The NRL has always had rules preventing coaches from excessively criticising match officials, and coaches sign off on obeying those rules as part of their registration with the league.
But the NRL has usually only enforced financial penalties for disobeying those rules in the most extreme cases.
Chief executive Andrew Abdo emailed clubs this week to warn coaches could expect harsher scrutiny for critiquing match officials in their post-match press conferences this season.
The league has been hatching plans to take a tougher stance since Magic Round last year, when the topic was addressed at a meeting with club CEOs.
Privately, NRL bosses feel criticism of referees has become too severe in recent seasons, with that sentiment also contributing to the decision to scrap football boss Graham Annesley's weekly briefings this year.
Coaches will still be allowed to comment on specific refereeing decisions respectfully, but a dim view will be taken towards attacks on a referee's integrity or their general performance.
The NRL will enforce fines of $5,000 or above, depending on the severity of the comments and the coach's track record.
Roosters coach Robinson has previously come under fire for comments about the refereeing, most notably triggering $30,000 in fines with a post-match tirade in 2021.
The three-time premiership-winning coach backed the league's tougher stance, but suggested it could extend to broadcasters as well.
Canterbury football boss Phil Gould notably escaped with a suspended fine on appeal last year for calling the NRL's rules "stupid" in his role as a Channel Nine pundit.
"We (coaches) get a good platform post-match and people do watch that," Robinson said.
"I understand we have to be careful in what we say, but commentary is pretty far and wide on our game.
"You can start with the coaches, that's probably a start, but we could spread that a bit wider than what we do, rather than just coaches.
"There's a lot of commentary in the way that we broadcast around refereeing and refereeing decisions."
Robinson intended to keep out of the headlines for comments about referees this season.
"I've got to stay away from it anyway. I better read up on what I can and can't say, or I just don't say anything," he said.
"We know the pathways through (referees bosses) Jared (Maxwell) and Dave (Boyle) to ask those questions."
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