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The NRL have erred in their appreciation and awareness of drama and narrative.
Professional sport is a form of entertainment. It is like a soap opera and action film all rolled into one story.
The on-field referee and associated on-field officials are part of that story.
And like the players who err and make decisions that can cost a team the game, so too the officials. But these decisions stay on the actual field, adding to the whole drama of the game itself.
This is where innovations like video refs and bunkers fail. They are outside of the game. And literally so.
The laws of rugby league are not that complicated. A single on-field referee, two touch judges and two in-goal judges ought to be enough.
Yet with the same wisdom that permeates all Big Brother leaning entities, the NRL have deemed that it is not. More is required.
Beginning with a video ref, this more is now two on-field referees and a bunker with three or four video refs, and has essentially removed the authority of the person in the middle.
No longer big daddy on the field, the referee has become a bit character, an extra. The bunker is now the regular guest star, stealing the show and creating complex and unnecessary plot lines.
It would do well for the NRL to recognise who the real source of entertainment and drama were.
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