Gold Coast coach John Cartwright has copped a $10,000 fine from the NRL for being a "smart arse", according to Titans boss Michael Searle.

While Cartwright slammed the refereeing as "disgraceful" after their dramatic 40-32 finals loss to the Broncos on Saturday night, the Titans coach was fined on Monday for approaching match officials at half-time.

Searle said Cartwright had told him he would pay the fine out of his own pocket after admitting he had made a mistake immediately after the incident on Saturday night.

"Carty told me on Saturday that on the way down (to the dressing room) he saw the refs and made a comment, but he was being a smart alec more than anything," Searle told AAP.

"Clearly he was frustrated but he wasn't aggressive - he was just being a smart arse.

"Essentially he was fined $10,000 for being a smart arse.

"He expects players to pay (when they are fined) so he said he would cop this one, he will pay it - that's the sort of fella he is."

NRL rules state that under no circumstances are match officials to be approached, questioned, or harassed in any way by club officials either during or after a match.

"Coaches have ample opportunity to give reasonable opinions on refereeing decisions to the media and, in the days following, to the referees' coaching staff but it is unacceptable for them to approach the referee at the game," said NRL chief executive David Gallop.

"The rules governing this have been in place for a considerable time and all coaches are aware of them.

"The NRL has taken no action over comments made in the post-match press conference."

Searle sat in the press conference when Cartwright let rip at the officials.

He said he would rather see Cartwright's passion than "robots" at press conferences.

"He told me (before the press conference) that he was frustrated - everyone saw how emotional he was," Searle said.

"He had just come out of a dressing room where everyone was bitterly disappointed with the outcome.

"But I would rather see John Cartwright say that than a bland press conference where the coach says nothing.

"What the game needs is theatre, and Carty provides theatre.

"Carty speaks his mind, that's why the players, everyone, respects him.

"Robots don't last too long in this game."

It is Cartwright's second such offence.

He was fined $5,000 for a approaching a video referee at Brookvale Oval in his debut coaching season of 2007.

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