If every workplace has its internal politics, then being an NRL referee must be like a non-stop election campaign – stuff up and miss refereeing Origin or a grand final.
After the social media explosion over the Broncos vs Titans game in early September, Gerard Sutton became persona non grata and was unlikely to get a guernsey for the grand final this weekend.
Matt Cecchin has been named the main ref, despite a fracas regarding a conversion spot during Saturday’s preliminary final.
Why would anyone enjoy refereeing? It starts with Geoff Toovey’s “ridiculous” rant, and ends with Fifita brothers’ abuse.
Tony Archer is now sipping from the poison chalice of being the refs boss in the era of the Bunker, a fickle deity that should have probably gone to Spec Savers.
What confidence is left continues to be eroded by articles such as one by Michael Chammas, in which Archer conceded Cecchin made an error in the Storm vs Raiders preliminary final by making Cameron Smith attempt a conversion ten metres wider than where the try was scored.
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SEPTEMBER 25 2016
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Melbourne Storm complaint may rule referees out of decider after basic error
Michael Chammas
Michael Chammas
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The Melbourne Storm have asked the NRL for a please explain after an embarrassing refereeing error that could have had major ramifications on the outcome of Saturday night’s preliminary final.
While it didn’t end up costing them, the Storm have asked the NRL why Cameron Smith was forced to attempt a conversion – and missed – 10 metres wider from where Cheyse Blair had scored in the 60th minute of the match against Canberra at AAMI Park.
Picture 1: Cheyse Blair crosses to score for the Storm and is clearly some metres infield from the ‘tram track’, which …
Picture 1: Cheyse Blair crosses to score for the Storm and is clearly some metres infield from the ‘tram track’, which is visible at the top right of screen. Photo: Fox Sports
In a finals series that has been marred by controversial officiating, the NRL avoided another black eye given the Storm held on to book their passage into the grand final, but it still could have a major impact on the selection of the referees for the decider between Cronulla and Melbourne at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The blunder could have proved costly, given Smith missed what should have been a simple conversion that would have taken Melbourne out to an eight-point lead with a quarter of the match remaining.
Picture 2: Cameron Smith lines up to kick what would prove to be a missed conversion attempt from the ‘tram track’.
Picture 2: Cameron Smith lines up to kick what would prove to be a missed conversion attempt from the ‘tram track’. Photo: Courtesy of Fox Sports
However, a penalty goal soon after gave Melbourne the eight-point buffer they needed to win the game, and they held out a late resurgence from the Raiders to claim a 14-12 victory.
NRL referees boss Tony Archer conceded a mistake was made but admits the fracas that ensued was a distraction for the on-field referees.
“The conversion was taken from a position several metres wider than it should have been taken,” Archer said.
“Players from both sides became involved in a small fracas following the ball being grounded by Melbourne Storm, and the conversion was taken from the position where the referee dealt with that fracas.
“While the circumstances were unique, it is a reminder that all officials need to be vigilant around every aspect of the game.”
Ben Glover from Fox Sports jumped on the bandwagon, writing: “There have since been suggestions that [Cheyse] Blair’s minor collision with Cecchin as he attempted to improve his position after crossing the try line triggered a rule whereby the kick is taken from that position.
But an NRL spokesman told Fox Sports a rule along those lines only came into effect when the player in a scoring motion is “irregularly affected” by contact with the referee.
Whether Cecchin had Part 6, Section 3(e) of the rule book in mind or not when determining the conversion, rule interpretation and referee discretion have again come to the fore.
If the regrettable era of ‘benefit of the doubt’ refereeing discretion (as opposed to blatant cock-ups) taught the NRL anything, it was that discretion is never uniformly exercised by its very nature, and that lack of uniformity – inconsistency or uncertainty – drives the viewing public mad.
Akin to the obstruction rule in 2016 we now have an on-the-fly definition of ‘irregularly affected’ – not a published one, just what the receptionist at NRL HQ has been told to tell Ben Glover when he called.
Surely it can never be regular to touch a referee during a game, and physics dictates that the touch must have an affect.
There is no definition in the rules themselves of what it means and that leaves it up to the referee’s practical discretion, to interpret what is irregular and whether the effect warrants intervention in a split second with 30,000-plus fans screaming something about getting it ‘right’.
Another badly written rule. Why are they not re-written as the issues arise?
Referees need certainty, which is what clubs, players and fans want. Referees spend three-quarters of the time talking intellectual giants (NRL players) out of penalties by telling them all match what they are doing wrong (allegedly NRL is a professional sport and not an under sevens match).
Referees don’t need the added pressure of making discretionary decisions on-the-fly; they want a black and white rule that they can rely on to justify why they blew the whistle to betting company shareholders. Per Greg McCullum, the refs need to free up their minds to actually ref the game and one assumes that then is fun for them.
The public want the same. They want to know what a shoulder charge actually is, and, how long is an ‘okay’ tackle as opposed to a ‘wrestle’. The rule of ‘you know it when you see it’ doesn’t cut it in the era of super-slow-motion replay. The referee on the spot is not, on probably half the occasions, the best-placed person to make the call, camera six on the far side of the field is.
Ultimately, it would not be a huge leap to assume that if Archer had remembered Pt 6, s3(e) he would have mentioned it in that little video he does every week summarising how good his underling referees are, but alas he did not and simply blamed Cecchin.
If the Sharks or the Storm lose by two points in a grand final over a discretionary decision regarding irregular effect, holding down or obstruction, Cecchin will never get a shot at Origin in 2017, and his election campaign trail will be over.
I suppose he could apply for the NRL referees boss position then and fix the rules.
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