Remember when NRL referees used be accused of blowing the whistle in favour of a side that was a little behind on the penalty count, squaring the ledger after checking with the man upstairs by using a secret code?
They did this, of course, so as to avoid the very thing they have been accused of ad nauseam this season: bias.
But if ‘squaring up’ was bad refereeing, how can a lop-sided count be unfair as well?
You can’t have it both ways. Yet an 11-3 penalty count isn’t considered a sign of ill-discipline, apparently it’s bias.
The Storm have always played a little too close to the line of acceptable gamesmanship. For years they led the way with wrestling, chicken wings and other dodgy tactics. The problem last week wasn’t referees, it was that the Storm should’ve beaten the Knights comfortably, but they didn’t, and Craig Bellamy needed someone to blame.
NRL refs are attacked for inconsistency, over-reliance on video replays, missing foul play, use (or lack thereof) of the sin bin, and a million other perceived problems.
But the penalty count is something that should remain squarely on the players and the coach. Complaining about the penalty count is the ultimate sign of a coach feeling the pressure and grasping at straws.
How about Geoff Toovey, a man who appears to have made complaining about referees his hobby? After Manly’s loss to South Sydney last week, the conversation should have been about the fact that the Sea Eagles finally had a worthy challenger, but Toovey refused to acknowledge the football that was played.
Instead, he got mad at the officials. He pointed to the 10-5 penalty count in Souths’ favour, saying, “Someone has to be held accountable for that.”
I couldn’t agree more Geoff. Someone should be held accountable for that – you and your team of highly paid professional sportsmen, who have been taught since they were five to tackle low, and then get up once the tackle is made.
Of course, Tooves was strangely quiet back in March when his side was on the right side of a staggering 11-2 penalty count against the Roosters.
Speaking of the Roosters, Trent Robinson should take stock too. Was the Jared Waerea-Hargreaves sin binning against the Knights a little harsh? Perhaps. But was it the result of anti-JWH bias? No. Again, this was a case of a top team losing a game they shouldn’t have lost, and not knowing why.
Sometimes referees are terrible. Sometimes they make mistakes that change games. But if, as a coach, all you can point to is a lop-sided penalty count, that doesn’t mean the refs did a bad job. That one’s on you.
Matt
Guest
If they don't penalise slow rucks we go back to the terrible wrestle that marred our game for years
Gregg
Guest
So JWH gets sent off for swearing when questioning a try, something that happens every game,then a ref can be clearly heard saying "was Haregraves involved" when there was a brawl and he wasn't even on the field and you expect the coach not to say anything? Certain players and clubs are being targeted and it is quite clear to see.
brett
Guest
Melbourne were not being penalised in the ruck.
brett
Guest
that is rubbish mate. Bellamy does not coach his team to give away penalties. everyone is missing the point here and Tom Clarke has no idea what he is on about. half the penalties the knights received were based on interpretation not ill discipline. twice taken into touch and an obstruction penalty received and in the next set the Knights ran the same sort of play and no penalty.
Clint
Guest
That's it Paul. They interviewed Robbo on radio the other day and asked him if there's a way to fix it (the penalties they concede), he said "History tells us there is no remedy". Referring to the previous ten years and five coaches that also suffered with the ref's and couldn't fix it.
Hodgie
Guest
What the problem is with the lopsided penalty counts is that it shows the inconsistencies with the two referee system. For instance yesterday's game between Manly and the Titans Manly had a try disallowed for an obstruction which only the video ref thought it was however later in the game a similar try with a similar obstruction is allowed. Penalty counts would not be lopsided if both referees called the game the same way. BTW yesterday Manly was on the wrong end of a lopsided penalty count and Toovey let it go because we won however he was probably still annoyed.
The spectator
Guest
They cop it cause the fan base isn't important or growing that fan base only selling papers or scoring online, why promote old out dated crap that's negative and really has promoted and professionalized the game! Everyone hates Manly, yeah nah!
paul
Guest
Anyone who thinks theres no bias with reffs has been smoking leaf too long. Easts are the whipping boys yr in yr out most penalised club for ten yrs. Manly get dudded as well. They are the two clubs who get smashed stats dont lie.souths get piggy backd every week and newy can do no wrong at the mo. Why is every side that plays easts the perfect team all of a sudden
The spectator
Guest
Dam straight Muzz!!
The spectator
Guest
So in 1908 they first played rugby league in NSW and before rd 1 that year the powers to be on whisper decided to fund a game no one had ever seen before to kick off the game of Rugby League!! Of all the blogs why Jimmy's?
The spectator
Guest
OMG another one!! Find your funk bra! It's an article based on the presser, wanna here what Tooves said NRL.com highlights, press conference, horses mouth not some money grubbing buy my article on a headline crap, ROOKIES these days!!!
The spectator
Guest
Loll, find your seat before you trip over mate, we all no the obvious however telling porkys in another story for another site as there are way too many knowledgable fans on this site who research before entering to get away with, go write and blog for the terror or you'll come unstuck at the ROAR!!!!!
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
No one was comparing the two. Just pointing out it is the same comp unlike what Jimmy claimed
Muzz
Guest
Tom - Lets say there is no "bias' however, it is well documented that the referees are making plenty of mistakes.Some costing teams games, and may also cost some teams top 4 or even top 8.Ashley Klein was dropped after Monday nights game and Gavin Badger was relegated to pocket referee after the Knights v Roosters game.These decisions are made after coaches express their frustration at press conferences.This is the only thing thats holding the refs to some level of accountability.
eagleJack
Guest
Read the article rather than the headline and you will see what we mean. The headline states that Toovey criticised the refs in relation to him saying they "wrestled the crap out of us". But that is actually a compliment. All teams wrestle. Souths won the wrestle and invariably won the game. "They were just better than us tonight," he said. "We were a bit down and I thought they just wrestled the crap out of us that first half and slowed the game right down which suited them obviously. Losing Steve Matai early didn't really help us either. "I thought they played well. They were allowed to play the game plan they had, slowing us down. They were good and we didn't execute. I think we had 60 something per cent, which is just not good enough against a quality side like Souths. They wore us down in the end. We had an opportunity to get close in the second half but we didn't take that opportunity and they just ran away it." Certainly a bit different to what Tom is claiming in this article.
Tha Funkapotamus
Guest
http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/geoff-toovey-criticises-refs-as-manly-feel-the-pain-20140808-1026sx.html?rand=1407505885001
Liatrevlis
Guest
The comp of 08 and the comp in its present form are completely different , comparing the two is pointless , that was then and this is now , some still like to be stuck with the then ! I prefer now ! It's a superior comp with superior athletes , problem is the refs and the direction the powers that be are failing everyone
Clint
Guest
I don't know about the storm but the Roosters often lose the penalty count by 4 or more (10 games this season in fact). Last year they won the competition having conceded 66 more penalties than they were given. Furthermore, they've had a negative penalty differential every season since 2005 (except 2008, when it was zero). Given that they are on the wrong end of the penalty count around 75% of the time and have been for nearly ten years, how exactly are they expecting/relying on the count being squared up to win?
Clint
Guest
Yeah not sure on that one to be honest. Can't recall off the top of my head an instance when the coach blames a poorly devised game plan on their loss, but that's not to say it hasn't happened. To be fair though, the coaches in the NRL - just like the referees - know they are sometimes only a few bad games away from getting the sack, so I doubt any of them will put their own head on the chopping block.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
it was 1908 not 1901 and that comp gradually morphed into what we have to today and so it has been a continually running comp since 1908. Wikipedia pages are not often official pages and so not necesarily accurate