By Spiro Zavos
March 11th 2010 @ 4:28am
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SANZAR should get rid of local referees system
Steven Sykes, right, of the Sharks of South Africa hooks Dean Mumm of the Waratahs' of Australia during their Super 14 rugby union match in Sydney, Saturday, March 6, 2010. The Waratahs won the match 25-21. AP Photo/Rick Rycroft.
The furore from the Sharks over the refereeing of the Australian referee, Paul Marks, in his handling of the match against the NSW Waratahs was always going to happen in Super Rugby, sooner or later.
The system of using local referees, instead of neutral referees, was brought in last year when the South African, Andre Watson, a World Cup finals referee, was SANZAR’s convenor for referees.
The notion behind the change was that the best referees should referee the top matches of the round. It just so happened that five of the nine top referees were deemed to be South African. This meant that South African teams had South African referees for some of their matches in Australia and New Zealand, and most of them in South Africa.
The absurdity and essential unfairness of the system was revealed when the South African referee, Jonathan Kaplan, was allocated the 2009 Super 14 final at Pretoria between the Bulls and the Chiefs.
The week before, Stuart Dickinson, a referee with experience in three World Cups, had referreed the Bulls – Crusaders semi-final at Pretoria. Why wasn’t he given the final?
This whole matter of local referees is difficult for referees (it is unfair for them to exposed as Marks has been to criticisms of ‘home town’ refereeing). It is unfair, too, to rugby reporters, supporters and coaches who are liable to lapse into a sort of defamation if they pursue what they regard as poor refereeing too forcefully.
In the case of Marks, for instance, all his decisions, even the Kurtley Beale no-penalty decision, can be defended. In the case of Beale, Marks can argue (correctly in my view) that he sent off Andy Goode for an infringement in a ruck on the Sharks try line. He did not award a penalty try, even though the offence warranted a yellow card.
Marks can argue that the same principle applied with Beale. He was sent off but there was no penalty try awarded. Referees are reluctant (and rightly so) to award penalty tries from incidents that happen about 30m to 40m out from the try line.
The fear of defamation and of maligning referees with implications of home town decisions has meant that a number of incidents that took place last year when local referees were on the field just could not be discussed.
In one match, for instance, a local referee over-ruled a touch judge’s call for off-side and allowed the movement to carry on for a try to a team from his country …
How can you discuss this sort of ruling trenchantly, without incurring the possibility of a defamation action on the grounds of implying that the referee was favouring one particular side?
When Super Rugby started in 1996, the local referee system was put in place. I remember getting an ear-bashing from Chris Hawkins, the Waratahs coach, after he believed his team had been robbed of a victory in New Zealand by some dicey refereeing from a New Zealand referee.
I couldn’t write the story, and Hawkins did not want it written up. He was incensed, however, and just wanted someone to know his feelings.
The system was changed to neutral referees a year or so later. And this system worked well. Now we have the local referees system reintroduced and the behind the scene mutterings of coaches have exploded with the Sharks reacting very badly to their defeat by the Waratahs.
Rugby has complex rules. Referees have to make decisions in seconds that might take a judge months to work out. There will always be complaints because so many interpretations depend on subjectivity rather than objectivity.
The Beale incident is a case in point. You could write a long treatise on it. The referee has to make his decision in a matter of seconds.
The best defence against even the possibility of home town decisions is to remove any possibility of them.
This meant ditching the local referees system and returning to neutral referees. And, the quicker the better for the integrity of Super Rugby to be maintained.
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Ora said | March 11th 2010 @ 5:19am | Report comment
I posted this link in a other thread but it also has relevance here.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10631042
Like it or not the local referee system is here to stay all in the name of cost cutting it seems
Ora said | March 11th 2010 @ 5:50am | Report comment
All the games this weekend are neutral bar the Bulls Highlanders.
Reds Force have a Australian ref so I’ll class him as neutral.
Temba said | March 11th 2010 @ 7:39am | Report comment
I feel it’s a bit harsh firing a man after the sharks game. I agree to some extent Spiro but I don’t want to see some useless pedantic princess ref the final purely because its South Africa and NZ playing. Perhaps a system where its neutral until the finals then the best refs get the best games?
van der Merwe said | March 11th 2010 @ 8:00am | Report comment
Because, Spiro, ‘Stu’ isn’t a very good referee, and using a substandard referee would go contrary to the ‘merit’ system being used, would it not? By the way, I think that you will find that it was actually Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand) who officiated the semi-final you refer to. Absurdity, indeed.
Mike wc said | March 11th 2010 @ 8:15am | Report comment
I think one of the reasons they had to leave neutral refs was that as Australia had less teams it was supplying more refs than NZ & SA – and simply put Australian referring ranks are pretty shallow (putting it nicely) – guys who were (and still are) in no way up to std were getting games.
Fair go if Stu Dickenson the best you’ve got you have a few issues!!!
MarkR said | March 11th 2010 @ 8:37am | Report comment
& now Paul Marks has been sacked. I’m all for ref accountability & the proposal that they explain their decisions post match is a good one, but sacking a guy because he didn’t award a penalty try ? We’re not going to have many refs left at teh end of the season if this is the fallout for a bad decision.
Ora said | March 11th 2010 @ 8:43am | Report comment
He was sacked for more than just a penalty try, the panel looked at his performances over the past few weeks
MarkR said | March 11th 2010 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Ora, has he been that bad ? I only watch one or two games a round so I haven’t seen his performances. I’m curious what the process is, was he warned, areas for improvement identified, or just told “you had a crap 2 weeks – you’re out” ?
Cheers
Mark
Hammer said | March 11th 2010 @ 9:08am | Report comment
more like the past few seasons … don’t forget this is the clown who in charge of that mess that was the Hurricanes / Sharks game a few seasons back …. he deserves to go – he’s not improved one bit over the seasons …
mind you god knows what the Tahs will do now he’s no longer around and their other mate Dickinson isn’t fit for duty … perhaps their table position might actually start to reflect their true “quality”
Sam said | March 11th 2010 @ 9:08am | Report comment
Yeah just read that. Hard to believe it is from one poor decision? I have no problem with referees making a mistake or two (even Wayne Barnes!) but to sack them you’d have to be consistently poor over a significant proportion of a match, or make those big mistakes regularly. Surely they are going to try and get him back to Super 14 level, rather then just letting him go and that being the end of that.
I’m quite happy about the openness of the referee performances, I think that has been a great thing this year. Rather than protecting poor referees and defending wrong decisions they are acknowledging them, after which everyone moves on (I mean what else can you do, whats done is done). I still think sacking Marks might be a bit harsh though.
Ian said | March 11th 2010 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Quite honestly, Paul Marks has been a poor referee for a long time. The decision against the Sharks is just the culmination of poor refereeing over a long period of time. He has never been up to the standard of Super 14. This is the second time he is being suspended. The bloke does not belong at this level. He must not be rewarded for mediocrity. SANZAR have made the right decision, a bit overdue, in my opinion.
And Spiro, for goodness sake, if Dickenson is the best ref we have in Aus, then we’re in big trouble. He’s been criticised not only by the SA contingent, but by the NH too. Perhaps we should be looking for a way in which we can produce better quality referees. I suspect that part of the problem, is rugby third to AFL & NRL, thus giving us a smaller pool from which to select our referees. As one busy contemplating becoming a ref, the coordinator I spoke to said they are struggling to find people take up refereeing.
Hammer said | March 11th 2010 @ 9:41am | Report comment
here, here … the problem i see is the same as the player ranks … no intermediate tier – it’s club rugby to S14 … Marks is a club ref at best … perhaps the ARU should be looking at trying to get these guys games in the NPC across the Tasman … the NZRFU in the past have been happy to have NH refs take a few games – it’s time SANZAR grew a set and state that the Aussie refs aren’t up to Super rugby level ..
Ora said | March 11th 2010 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
I’m pretty sure Goddard had a game last year in the ANZC I may be wrong but i’m sure there was an Aussie or two with a whistle
Damo said | March 11th 2010 @ 11:20am | Report comment
Hammer, did you just say that Marks and Dickinson were “mates” of the Tahs?
With even-mindedness like that maybe you should be a S14 ref so that you can get the performance your teams deserve?
Marks did have a bad game , may not be up to this level, may deserve to go, but you seem to have your jingo hat on again.
How did the predicted 20 point smacking of the Reds go last weekend? And the other Aussie losses that were predicted. We are pretty critical of ourselves mate. We don’t need extra help from outsiders.
I think it’s best that we go back to neutral referees, even NH if possible. I am yet to see a perfect performance from a SA or NZ ref either.
The fundamental problem is the laws, their enforceability, and the consistency of that enforcement. It may not be necessary to assassinate the character of individuals or whole nationalities. I believe that the rules should be more idiot proof (let’s face it – all of us have had cause to question a ref’s intelligence) and the refereeing more accountable.
Bloody hell, who would want the job? Not enough people it seems. They are about as popular as Pittwater parking officers. And they sneak about with their penalties. A ref has to fine people in front of thousands of a player’s ‘mates’. If only there were as many people who wanted to do the refereeing as those who want to knock the refereeing. And I am a critic too.
But it does come back to the issue of enforceable laws. And the fact that one person can only see in one direction at a time. These directions would be more productive than grinding an axe about Marks, Dickinson and all things Australian.
Tock said | March 11th 2010 @ 11:50am | Report comment
Agree 100% Spiro.
Words cant describe what I think of Kaplan as a ref, best said that he and his referreeing ilk are killing the game. From where I sit he looks like a classic home town ref to me.
Willy Boom said | March 11th 2010 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
In general, it’s hard to disagree with the push to return to neutral refs. It’s not only important to be independent, but also to APPEAR independent.
Then again, if it means Kaplan refereeing the Tahs less often… it could be a good thing afterall!
Sean said | March 11th 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
What are you saying, Spiro? If the 2009 final had been referred by an Australian the Chiefs would have won? Which particular decisions in that game were biased and led to the 61-17 blow-out?
You can’t trot out rubbish like that as a justification for your argument. The fact is, Marks has been poor over the long term and has now paid the price. No referee is going to be biased when the consequences are so dire for them personally. Marks has been dropped for inadequate performance, not because they thought he was biased towards the Waratahs.
True Tah said | March 11th 2010 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
Spiro
I think you just contradicted yourself when you said Dickinson reffeed the Bulls V Saders and should have been given the final instead of Kaplan, from memory the Bulls won both games pretty convincingly.
the best view would be to get the likes of Goddard and Dickinson into Currie Cup and Air New Zealand cup games, however Im sure the Kiwis would love to have Goddard and Dickinson running around NZ field…maybe best to keep them away from Wellington!
CaughtOffside said | March 11th 2010 @ 4:41pm | Report comment
except goddard doesnt ref anymore
Clint said | March 11th 2010 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
I wonder if we could have completely neutral refs from around the world (not from NZ SA or AUS) willing to head abroad and undergo some training?
Gary Russell-Sharam said | March 11th 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
Nuetral refferees are the answer. There is no other way, Justice has to be seen to be done. Whether Marks had a good game or not (I thought he had a shocker) is beside the point. Referees should be nuetral, Why Andre Watson made the decision to that takes the percieved fairness away from the game is beyond me. The decision to have local refs refereeing local derbies is not fair on the ref. If he makes a decision that favours one more than the other regardless of the incident he is always on a no-win down-hill slope. Totally unfair.
Cattledog said | March 11th 2010 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
All for neutral referees Spiro. Should never had changed. Mind you, I suspect all the ilinformed comments above about referees are from those that have either never blown the whistle or have run around in their local competition with the mighty ‘turds’!
It’s a thankless task and generally your damed if you do and your damed if you don’t. The ref may make a couple of calls in a game that are controversial…and he’s taken to the cleaners for those calls. However, if the skill level of the players, who are generally put on pedistals, were better, then he could facilitate a game rather than embroyling himself in controversey due to a pass being delivered too late, inability to keep ball in hand, passing forward, illegal tackling…the list goes on.
Probably one of the reasons you don’t have the quality of referees in any of the countries that we should have is for this very reason. Guys read this dribble and think why would you bother…and fair enough. We all know a bigger pool will equate to better quality. Much potential is lost when some uncontrolled yobbo full of piss and bad manners gives a ref a spray, much to the amusement and encouragement of all around him from the shallow end of the gene pool. He says why bother and that potential is lost. And the situation is not improving.
Until an effort is made to address such issues, the stocks will become worse as the code grows exponentially to the referee’s stocks. We only have ourselves to blame.
MarkR said | March 11th 2010 @ 3:34pm | Report comment
CattleDog, well said. It’s definitely a thankless job, ex-colleague was an AFL umpire at the junior levels. He gave up eventually & one of the reasons was he got sick of the abuse. He used to tell of kids of 10 or 11 giving him a foul mouth tirade & all the adults around the kid were cheering him on. One thing I’ll definitely be drilling into my kids is you can disagree with the ref/umpire, ask if he needs to borrow some glasses, but leave the personal stuff well out of it.
Cattledog said | March 11th 2010 @ 4:57pm | Report comment
Mark, I’ve heard some very witty comments and any ref worth his salt must expect the occassional spray. However, rarely are they kept in perspective and it’s the alcohol fuelled tyrades that appear to be getting worse…and as you have pointed out, mirrored by youngsters and indeed applauded.
It’s a bit of a blight on our society that it has come to this. Some clubs are fighting it to a large extent whilst others turn a blind eye. Anyway, like with any problem, it first has to be identified as a problem before action to rectify the situation can be commenced.
KW said | March 11th 2010 @ 6:01pm | Report comment
Spiro, clearly SANZAR did not agree with you, Marks had a shocker, Waugh had a shocker (in from the side constantly) and the Tahs were lucky not to be beaten by a very ordinary and fractious Sharks side. Marks should have awarded the penalty try.
I do agree however the new ranking of referees on merit needs to be addressed and some one please bring back rucking, the breakdown infringements would be halved at least.
adam said | March 11th 2010 @ 8:02pm | Report comment
well to be honest i dont think aussie refs r good enough make far to many mistakes
KF said | March 11th 2010 @ 9:14pm | Report comment
Hi
Funny how Sharks were not so vocal in 2008 when he awarded a penalty try to them and did not award one against them (at least it should have been referred to TMO for taking out Conrad Smith without the ball by guess who … Stephan Terblanche).
He did have a shocker that night as well and how is that guy allowed to referee in Super 14 again is beyond me.
Regards
KF
Cattledog said | March 11th 2010 @ 9:43pm | Report comment
For heaven’s sake, people, wake up. If half of you had your way, there wouldn’t be a Super14 competition as there wouldn’t be enough refs! If you applied the same flawed logic to the players, we would have to reduce the number of francises considerably as well. Sure, drop someone back for a week or so, as they do with players, to sort out some areas of concern. But lets forget the sweeping statements about never being allowed to referee at a particular level again.
Anyone would think half of you have lost your house as a result of Paul Mark’s performance! If you have, your stupidity. If you didn’t, wake up to yourselves and get down to your local association and join the ranks…you can obviously do much better than the current crop of whistle blowers!
MarkR said | March 12th 2010 @ 8:50am | Report comment
Hear Hear CD.
Rowdy said | March 12th 2010 @ 12:18am | Report comment
I’d like to see some real mix and match with NH refs doing S14 and SH refs doing not just internationals but Heineken Cup games up here. That way the players will get used to different interpretations of the laws, plus the refs themselves would perhaps become more consistent worldwide, and we’d have an end to the ludicrous hemispherical yah-boo that passes for intelligent discussion.
Failing that, just insist that only English refs are used for all games. They’re clearly the fairest.
Working Class Rugger said | March 12th 2010 @ 12:35am | Report comment
It appears that SANZAR are looking for a permanent CEO and executive to administer both Super Rugby and the Tri Nations. Previously the role was rotated between the partner Unions with Steve Tew currently holding the role but that will end once someone is appointed to the role. The SANZAR operation will be based in Sydney. Will be interesting to see who is appointed and what they have planned.
Hammer said | March 12th 2010 @ 9:00am | Report comment
John Howard for the post
johno said | March 12th 2010 @ 3:49am | Report comment
The problem as I see it is not only the refs, but the laws and the way the administrators choose to focus on the enforcement of certain rules, which means that many times others are overlooked. Then there’s the issue of having to adapt to the various interpretations of various refs. I watched a doccie the other day on the Springbok build up to the 2007 world cup and they spoke about there preparation for a match and apparently the first thing they do is to annalise the ref. How bizrre is that? SHouldn’t your opposition be the first thing you analise and the ref a mere formality?
Secondly the players and coaches also have a lot of blame to bear since they are continually pushing the envelope. It also seems as if certain refs are being targeted for intimidation to get the upper hand. Then there’s the whole scrum fiasco, where I don’t think any of the refs have a clue, no matter who they are.
Grid iron has six officials officiating a game, why can’t rugby do the same? The ref’s assistants in RL and Soccer have are at least that with specific tasks tyo perform, can’t we do the same in Union. Get the assitants to enforce the offside line? It will in my opinion open up a load more space if teams know they can’t get waya with that type of infringement and would leave the ref free to give all his attention to the tackle / breakdown area.
KW said | March 12th 2010 @ 6:41pm | Report comment
Referees should be accountable. This is no longer the amateur era, these guys are paid and they must perform. If a player or coach does not perform, they are sacked. You can’t say a referee is exempt from errors, it’s a professional sport and their are consequences of bad decisions. To think anything else is romantic and near sighted.
Common sense needs to prevail but if a Ref is inconsistent and MArks has been, he then needs to suffer those consequences.
sheek said | March 13th 2010 @ 11:50am | Report comment
Practical, logical common sense dictates that two Aussie teams has an Aussie ref; two Kiwi teams has a Kiwi ref & two Saffie teams has a Saffie ref.
Further, a Aussie-Kiwi match has a Saffie ref; a Kiwi-Saffie match has an Aussie ref & a Saffie-Aussie match has a Kiwi ref. One of the two linesmen should also be a neutral from the same country as the starting ref. however, the reserve ref & TMO can come from the host country.
As far as quality of refs go, each country takes turn at having both good & bad refs. At present, SA seem to have the best refs & Australia the worst, but say 15 years ago, that was the reverse.
If we’re looking for serendipity, we’re not going to find it. No system is flawless, but we can try to practical & logical in our approach.