Referees on the international circuit this year have come under enormous scrutiny. Most referees who are on the international panel are full time referees, which means that they are paid to referee and it is their career.
This year there have been a number of controversial matches where referees seem to have come under fire.
You all hear the name Matt Goddard and think Mr Yellow Card.
Well, when you dispatch 5 players into the sin bin, you will come under scrutiny. The ELVs were refereed poorly this year at Super 14 level, where numerous yellow card offenses went not unnoticed, but were just poorly dealt with.
Matt Goddard set the standards early in his game (Hurricanes V Bulls). The players repeatedly offended, so he did what referees had failed to do all season and put them into the sin bin.
He was soon stood down for his performance, where Lyndon Bray the NZ referee manager publicly stated that he needs to rethink his sanctions.
Lyndon, I don’t think anyone had you stood down for all those cards that you actually failed to give for blatant card offenses.
I know I haven’t forgotten the Van Der Linde headbutt that was performed right in front of your eyes where you simply gave a penalty.
I was disappointed administration-wise with how Goddard was dealt with, the only referee to actually come down hard on the players for ruck offenses during this year in the Super 14.
The most scary part this year about the IRB panel of referees is that the top three referees from teams outside South Africa, England, Wales, and Ireland are Bryce Lawrence, Christophe Berdos and Stuart Dickinson.
Stuart Dickinson is a good referee.
He had a very good season this year, and was rewarded with the final game of the series. However, the mistakes by Lawrence and Berdos were countless in the series.
Would Bryce Lawrence be on the international panel if his father wasn’t a former referee and good friends with IRB referees manager Paddy O’Brien? Probably not.
It shows that the refereeing stakes are very low globally.
The pathetic treatment of Steve Walsh by the NZRU got rid of one of the best referees in the game.
At least his talent isn’t wasted in Japan.
And we can be sure that his talents won’t be wasted in Australia, where we will probably see Steve Walsh back on the Super 14 panel next year and on the ‘ARU National A Panel.’
A quality referee that again has his career placed in jeopardy because of poor administration.
This Tri Nations has had some mediocre refereeing topped with some fantastic refereeing.
You may be reading up to here wondering what I am trying to prove. I am just trying to prove that for the referees to be top notch, the administration should be top notch. So I am calling for a new IRB referee manager, a revised international panel, the retirement of certain referees, who were good in their day but are now past their expiry date, and an international sanctions sheet, which would have all serious offenses and their punishments.
True Tah
Guest
OJ how do you think Goddard and Dickinson would have been treated in NZ if they applied to ref games in the Air NZ Cup?
ohtani's jacket
Guest
What are you talking about? Steve Walsh showed up drunk to work. Goddard's performance in that Super 14 game was ridiculous. You want more Australians on the elite panel? No wonder Aussie fans can't make head nor toe of Australian rugby. The only refs worth a damn are the South African ones because they let the game flow. The Wallabies can't compete when the game flows because they're not good enough at any level. They hitched a ride on the back of Wayne Barnes in Brisbane, so naturally Wayne Barnes is a top three ref in the world. Well, at least Barnes and other English refs are being given the opportunity to work ANZC games to break down the discrepancies in how the game is reffed in different regions of the world. Here's some home truths for you -- the ref has always been a variable in rugby and always will be. The breakdown will NEVER be sorted out. Part of the challenge of winning a Test match is not winning the breakdown via the IRB laws by via whatever the ref will or will not accept. If the Wallabies were any good, they'd do that, but they haven't controlled the breakdown in a good five years.
chief
Roar Rookie
Yes I do agree about Stu Dickinson. He was also 'dogged' in the world cup for Alan Lewis and many other more junior referees to him, and he only got the pool games. He was also shown neglected in the Tri Nations too. However I cannot confirm this purely speculation but I think it is because he has a young family and he wants to be with them. That may have something to do with it. Bryce Lawrence- does apply the running style of rugby which I do enjoy but he is however just not a quality referee and is far too inconsistent on his rulings and how he applies them. J Kaplan is a shocker not just because of the Wallabies losing rate under him but the fact that he constantly goes on, inconsistent as ever and the players don't know what to expect from him. Well the Australian players don't at least, the NZ players do getting away with killing the ball 3 metres out from the line and a try on the cards. And Kaplan doesn't even bin. I know for sure that I would rather 5 points with an opportunity for an extra 2 points. While in other games he bins just like that. I really don't get how after so many chances Kaplan still gets 2 big games, with 4 top tier teams. I don't know whether it's loyalty or Paddy O'Brien and his team are just blind to the injustice that not just Australia gets but top quality Super 14 teams. I think its about time the press gets on the back of Paddy O'Brien then the IRB referees, they are probably doing their best, but they should be appointed to lower matches, and many (Bryce Lawrence for instance) shouldn't have even got to Super 14 level. I know many of the Australian referees on the 'B' panel that would do a better job then these referees. I am calling immediately for a new IRB referees mananger that isn't Andre Watson either. We need someone fresh from the referee ranks who has actually refereed with the referees or a referee coach. Andrew Cole was a good referee now the Australian rugby referees manager he's had a pretty good year Australia wise certainly with developing new referees and bringing Steve Walsh to Australia. Stay away from Lyndon Bray, couldn't referee can't manage. Top 3 referees in the World 1. Allain Rolland 2. Stu Dickinson 3. Wayne Barnes
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
It is indeed a travesty that Stu Dickinson is missing out. His performance in the third Test between the Lions and the Springboks was of the highest class.
Spiro Zavos
Expert
Mark Lawrence wil be refereeing the Australia-NZ Test at Tokyo. I agree with chief that the politics of the IRB Referee's Panel needs an investigation. Just one pointer, someone in the ARU should ask what the influence of Stephen Hilditch, the former Irish referee and now part of the Panel, has on appointments, especially when it comes to Tests played by Ireland. Ireland v Australia, for instance, will be refereed by Jonathan Kaplan, who also gets England v NZ. Ireland get two South African referees, Kaplan (Ireland v Australia) and Marius Jonker for the Ireland-Fiji Test, and a Welsh referee, Nigel Owens for their Test against South Africa. The Wallabies get Mark Lawrence against NZ, Bryce Lawrence against England, Kaplan against Ireland, R.Poite (French?) against Scotland and Wayne Barnes against Wales. Only the Lawrences, Bryce and Mark, are sympathetic with the open style of running rugby the Wallabies generally prefer. It is something of a travesty that Stu Dickinson, one of the most experience (three RWC tournaments) and best SH referees gets Italy v NZ and Portugal v Argentina Jaguars, when he should have got some of the major Tests involving the Home Unions.
TaylorBridge
Guest
well written . I never know what is really going on and I believe refs should be accountable to the rugby public the same as High court judges present written explanations of their judgement. These men are paid well and are not accountable bar to one Paddy O'Brien. The system is unsophisticated and does little to attract talent. Regarding improvement , the main problem appears to be the method of their measure is not quantified, eg via key performance indicators and analytical assessment
Hansie
Guest
Stu Dickinson is a shocker. Steve Walsh was harshly treated by the NZRU - but he was the Lote Tuqiri of refereeing, and was the victim of his own poor behaviour. The best referee going around is Mark Lawrence, but he does not seem to get full recognition from the referee selection panel.
Hammer
Guest
"Stuart Dickinson is a good referee." ... WTF ? ... only if you're a 'tahs supporter - he literally gifted them the first 3 games of the S14 ... an appalling ref