As Gold Coast boss Michael Searle suggested improvements to the NRL’s two referee system after a controversial loss, Titans co-captain Scott Prince conceded the officials were right to disallow what could have been a matchwinning try against Newcastle.
In the fallout over the Titans’ 23-18 defeat on Sunday, Searle has suggested the NRL adopt an American football model in which the same group of officials are used each week.
Under Searle’s model, the same two referees, two touch judges and video referee would be kept together for games every round like in the United States’ NFL.
He believes it will eradicate refereeing inconsistencies – the main complaint from a livid Titans coach John Cartwright following the last round loss.
But Prince believes the video referee got it right by disallowing a William Zillman try that would have set up a matchwinning conversion against the Knights.
Cartwright was clearly seething that Prince was viewed to have interfered with the marker in the lead-up to Zillman’s effort.
However, Prince backed the officials after viewing the footage.
“I have had a look at it earlier in the week and it doesn’t look too good,” he told the Titans website.
“I grabbed hold of him after I played the ball but at the time it felt like he was caught up in the tackle.
“I didn’t mean to grab him, it was like a reaction sort of thing.
“At the end of the day it wasn’t a try.”
However, Prince was still gutted that Titans winger Chris Walker’s second half effort was disallowed.
Walker claimed he grounded a kick with his fingertips – but the video referee disagreed.
“I was more disappointed with Chris Walker’s attempted try – I thought it was the benefit of the doubt at least,” Prince said.
“But in saying that we created a lot of opportunities to score points and win the match and we weren’t able to capitalise on it.”
Searle reckoned his suggestion may get rid of refereeing inconsistencies.
“(I suggest) we maintain the same officials together, the same referee, touch judges and video referee,” he told Titans website.
“They get to train and work together and understand each other’s methodology, interpretations, rule interpretations.
“We have a situation where we are bringing in different referees and officials together every week.
“And I think that sometimes can be a bit flawed in that everyone has interpretations that are different.”
Searle said he had already bounced the idea off NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley and hoped to float it at the end of year chief executives’ meeting.
“It’s a great idea, it’s all about being consistent,” Prince said of Searle’s suggestion.
Annesley said Searle’s suggestion was good – on paper.
“There are some logistical issues that would make it quite difficult,” he told AAP.
“For instance when injuries occur it would break a team (of officials) up, and when referees are rested – which happens occasionally – that would break a team up.
“Once you break one team up someone else has to come in which breaks another team up.
“And in finals or rep games it might be better to pair more senior officials together (from different teams).
“I am not saying it is a bad idea but in practice it might be hard to implement.”
Boydy
Guest
What a great idea Michael Searle, This way we can at least have continuity amongst the mistakes. Same two refs and touchies, same amount of forward passes (or NOT forward but called forward in some cases), same amount of tapping a ball forward over an opponents head and scoring (or NOT scoring), same amount of hands on or not on the ball, same amount of laying in the ruck etc, The list goes on. This is a ridiculous notion. It would only create cliques amongst some refs or even worse, mortal enemies. What if two refs don't get on and are made to do EVERY game together? Could we see a situation where one doesn't back the other's call just to spite him or make him look bad? What if that happened during awarding a grand final winning try or no try? No thank you Mr Searle. Keep rotating them please and the more often the better. Familiarity breeds contempt and the last thing I want to see is a couple of idiots with a whistle going at one another when my team's involved.