If players are role models for junior players, then coaches are role models for junior coaches too. The continuous sprays and allegations of ‘poor refereeing’ dished out by NRL coaches such as Des Hasler and Shane Flanagan are very dangerous at a junior level.
Never mind that in most cases, the sprays are used to deflect attention from the performance of their team.
Ben Ikin from Fox Sports believes it’s a bad example for those at a junior level. Often, coaches aren’t the only ones being notably aggressive towards match officials – there have been numerous stories regarding parents at junior matches.
If this is an issue at junior football, the coaches are the ones responsible to correct their own aggression. And coaches should be the link between parents and officials.
This open communication between parent and coach should exist. It should be managed by the coach, who sits on the sideline within parents and players.
Coaches should lead by example, and if they are abusing referees like the leading NRL level coaches are, then parents and junior players will follow.
Coaches should aspire to better the game on a strategic and player management level. They must play by the rules for the enjoyment of fans and players.
The top-level NRL coaches are setting a bad example. It is up to coaches to openly communicate with parents, players and officials and to not abuse referees for their decisions.
Not only will the juniors take it on board, they will mimic it and think it is acceptable.
Then, who in their right mind would want to become a junior referee in a rugby league game if this continues, or if it’s already happening?
Junior rugby league should be fun, fair and friendly. This is the reason we all played rugby league when we were kids.
We need to stop using referees and officials as scapegoats and get on with the game and just enjoy it.
If NRL players have behavioural guidelines because they are role models, so should NRL coaches.
Lorry
Guest
why can't the coaches just behave a bit better towards the reffs, like they do in Union?
Brendan
Roar Rookie
I think the Ennis situation has a lot to do with his reputation. You look at Greg Bird and Paul Gallen for example. Used to be the Bash Brothers. (miss those days). But Gallen has acheived some respect but Bird still gets the whistle for far less that his opposing team because of his reputation. Mind you some are deserved. Still love the Birdman. Remember the Penalty Count secret code name? "How is 'Trent' Going?" Look, I'm not saying it doesn't happen. BUT my article tries to explain that our game would be better off without it. Especially at Junior level.
Brendan
Roar Rookie
Agree with you wholeheartedly there. I think Bill was a good ref, but he is a terrible teacher/manager.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Further to this. Refs are trying to follow the Bill Harrigan blow as few penalties as possible technique. The difference is Bills style evolved to that because he started tough and the players knew that he'd jump in and ping them so they effectively reffed themselves. He could also speak to the players harshly at times because he built up some level of respect with most of the players. He was a cop after all. This style was built up over years. Wet behind the ears little pukes can't come in and try this approach straight away. They haven't got the deposits in the account in terms of respect. If Suttor spoke to people in public the way he speaks to players he'd be eating through a straw in no time.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Mushi - it's one thing to suggest a ref is cheating but an NRL coach - how dare you ?
The Barry
Roar Guru
...and if you had a good ref (touch or proper) he would be consistent and ping you and ping you and ping you until you toed the line. The refs these days let them go, let them go, let them go and then arbitrarily blow up a penalty for something that looks no different to what's happened for the previous 30 tackles. No one knows where they stand. ...and he wouldn't be telling the touchies - "the momentum of this game could change pretty quick" and then blow four straight penalties. There's no doubt in my mind that refs are trying to control the momentum of games via penalties and Suttors comments are evidence of that. The other thing from the Dogs game was that Ennis was trying to talk to Robinson at one stage. Suttor walked over, got involved, called Ennis back out and gave him a spray and then told him to go away. Regardless of what you think of Ennis he is the Bulldogs captain and entitled to more respect than that. Suttor is the worst ref I have ever seen in my life. It's getting to the point that if I'm watching a neutral game and he's reffing then I'll turn off. You're probably right about the public comments. Maybe the NRL needs to ban ref comments altogether. I'd prefer that the refs picked up their game.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Is that happening any more now than eve before ? Parents blowing up on the sideline has been an issue in sport for years - it's not a recent occurrence. My brother was a soccer ref in the early 90s aged about 20 or so. He gave it up after about 12 months because he was sick of getting abused and threatened by parents whose kids games he was reffing. Nothing to do with Des Hasler. Well, if the refs don't want accusations of match fixing or tide turning perhaps they shouldn't be having idle conversations about the momentum of games and how it might change while miked up.
Bluedog dan
Guest
Hey brendan,as u hav stated junior matches are played in fun fair friendly manner.no matter what team wins all the lil tin lids enjoy their sat morning game.now to say hasler n co infiltrate to junior coaches i dnt understand.hasler n co have kpi's in their megabux contracts.junior coaches that i knw of do it for the love of watchn their young team hav fun.i think id b more worried bout the wrestling chicken wings n all the thngs that cause injury to our young nursery.
Brendan
Roar Rookie
Always put forward excellent comments Baz, and I appreciate it!!!! :) Just because they are the best performing team in attack and defense doesn't mean they aren't disciplined, they might be sacrificing a bit of discipline for this excellent attack and defense. But I still think referees dud calls are the nature of the beast. As much as I just spit at the TV whenever Bill Harrigan comes on defending the stupid calls that were made over the round, I still don't think it gives justification for them to get in front of the media and blame referees for lulls in performance or high penalty counts. We were always taught to "Play too the whistle". In regards to the offside rule, when I played proper footy (I now play Rugby League Touch) we used to test out the Ref and touchies to see what we could get away with and then adapt to the refereeing just like how we had to adapt our defense if our game plan wasn't working. That, in my mind, was clever coaching. Not blowing up at the referee because he was effecting our game plan. Anyway, he may have a good point. BUT take it up with the commission. Don't give it to the media!!!!
mushi
Guest
Is it possible that some teams get penalised more because they sail closer to the wind? ie their coach is telling them to CHEAT
Brendan
Roar Rookie
As you mentioned below The Barry, Referees are just going to say "We were right" and have the full support of Bill Harrigan come Tuesday. But my point remains, I also played junior footy and the refs stuffed up all the time. But it didn't result in my coach blowing up and every parent on the sideline attacking them. The standard must be set at NRL level that doesn't effect junior grass roots football. I don't know the solution, but it doesn't involve accusations of match fixing or tide turning by referees.
JVGO
Guest
There are still issues with the interpretations that Harrigan has allowed to become blurred and too technical for no good reason really. Interpretations of knock ons, obstructions and strips need to be clarified and less open to interpretation. Coaches challenge is no good unless the rules themselves are clearly and uncontroversially delineated. I mean coaches challenge wouldn't have affected any of the tries this year as we already have video review yet how many controversial tries have there been. Look at Origin. Coaches challenge is not a panacea. The fundamental flaws in the interpretations need to be sorted out first.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
I watch a lot of NFL, and you just don't see the ref's getting the same sort of heat that NRL ref's do, cause at the end of the day, it's the coaches decision whether to challenge a call or not. You see some of the heat NFL coaches get instead when they challenge the wrong play and waste a call. Much better IMHO
JVGO
Guest
That's actually what Flanagan said. He wanted coaches challenge because he was sick of losing games on calls that the refs have subsequently admitted were wrong. Sharks have lost 3 games this season in those circumstances.
steve b
Roar Guru
The Barry that says it all !i
The Barry
Roar Guru
Referees have been copping it at junior footy games forever. I played league as a kid in the 80s and refs copped it all the time. You can't lay blame at the feet of Ennis or Hasler. I can understand why coaches would be frustrated - refs stuff up continually. They are rarely accountable for anything. Their boss fronts the media and says "no, the ref was right, the coach who played the game at the highest level for 15 years and has coached for 10 doesn't know the rules. The spotty little bean-pole twerp in a pink shirt whose voice will break some time in the next decade was correct." The off-side rule is an absolute lottery. I have been to a couple of games this year where both teams were continually offside. The ball carrier was getting smashed as he caught the ball. Tackle after tackle nothing. Then all of a sudden the ref blows and off-side penalty. How was that any worse than the last 30 plays ??? Watch out for it. The perennial threat of "would you like to see a big game decided by a dud refs call" is now a scary reality. There's been a number of games that have been decided by refs this year. Haslers side gets to a 24-0 lead in even time, after which the refs start chatting about the momentum of the game and all of a sudden there's 4-0 penalty count. He has a right to be upset. It's their actions that have brought their integrity into question, not Des's comments. The Dogs have the best defense this year, their attack is right up there. They have the best for and against. They error rates are low especially considering the high risk brand of chain passing that they play. Their completion rates are high. They miss fewer tackles than their opponents but all of a sudden we should believe that they are the second least disciplined team in the comp when it comes to conceding penalties. Come on. Of course there is an element of deflection in his comments but it doesn't mean he doesn't have a bloody good point.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Refs could have a crack at anyone they wanted as long as they were willing to front the media and be accountable for their decisions.
arbitro storico
Guest
Classic - it doesn't matter which code, this behaviour by so-called professionals shows the reality that all coaches are control freaks who want to control every variable, and whinge when they can't control the only variable outside their control - the referee. And for the good of the game they shouldn't be able to exert any control or influence over the referee. Take the referee out of the equation by pressuring your players into making fewer mistakes and committing fewer infringements, sucking up the inevitable mistakes made by referees who are only human after all (and it'll even out over time anyway, for goodness sake) and having the grace to accept that which you can't change. I like the line from the legendary Amrican basketball coach, Tom Canterbury - "That's the trouble with these referees; they don't care who wins."
The Barry
Roar Guru
Most coaches, players, media and fans would love to see the refs front a press conference after a game. So far the refs are the ones that have refused.
PLANKO
Guest
True but he learnt from the best ! LOL