South Sydney's tackling technique has come under the spotlight in recent weeks. Ben Te'o and George Burgess have been suspended, while three other players have been charged by the NRL's match review committee.

Te'o was slapped with a four game ban for a chicken wing tackle on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday.

Marco "The Giant" Villela – a third degree Jiu Jitsu blackbelt – spent one-and-a-half seasons as South Sydney's wrestling coach. His time at the club concluded at the end of  last season.

Villela said he was asked by South Sydney coach Michael Maguire "to help the players to improve their ground game, tackles, escapes and defence".

"I like to use specific take downs, ground control, fast escapes from Jiu Jitsu but with a special adaptation for rugby," Villela said. "I have my training techniques to help the players to stand up fast, improve their contact game and save more energy.

"I made an adaptation to rugby rules and we have had less penalties last year than this year, when you understand about the correct technique you can minimise your risk to make something wrong, so, less penalties and injuries going to happen."

Villela nominated the Burgess brothers, Ben Lowe and Jason Clark as South Sydney's best wrestlers.

"I like to use two players against one and three players against one," Villela said. "It's really good to improve body control, take downs and ground control without injuries because they can think more when we have more than one player defending and helping to neutralise their opponents.

"Every single time when I was teaching to our players I always asked them if my technique was allowed but I don't know what happens when they are training by themselves using my videos or techniques without a Jiu Jitsu or wrestling coach."