On Wednesday night, Michael Ennis said to referee Gerard Sutton, “you’re getting overwhelmed by the crowd mate”.
The comment, which occurred moments after Sutton awarded Queensland a penalty for a Beau Scott lifting tackle on Cameron Smith, has been interpreted by some as patronising to the man with the whistle.
Others reckon it was perfectly warranted given the number of penalties Queensland received in the match – 12 to 5 by game’s end.
This comment got me thinking. Can 52,500 people screaming ‘Queenslander, Queenslander’ and hurling abuse at the referee influence the way the referees work the match? The short answer is yes, for Queensland anyway that is.
Since 2007, NSW have only won four matches over the border. This is partly due to the sheer quality and dominance of the Queensland team. But in the 11 matches played in the Sunshine State since the start of Queensland’s dominance, NSW have only won the penalty count once.
If you add up all the penalties given in Queensland over the past 10 years you get a penalty count of 82-41. Exactly double the penalties of NSW. Given them a huge 89 per cent chance of winning the penalty count when the game is played in Queensland.
2007
Queensland 6-5 (Bris)
7-all (Bris)
2008
Queensland 9-7 (Bris)
2009
Queensland 8-3 (Bris)
2010
Queensland 8-3 (Bris)
2011
Queensland 2-1 (Bris)
NSW 4-3 (Bris)
2012
Queensland 6-4 (Bris)
2013
Queensland 8-4 (Bris)
2014
Queensland 6-4 (Bris)
2015
Queensland 12-5 (Bris)
I’m no maths genius, but having a home ground advantage where you get twice as many penalties as the visitors isn’t very fair. To put in terms the folk of Queensland would understand. Imagine having 10 bottles of XXXX on your table, and only being able to drink 5 of them.
Now before the Cane Toads in here start revving up and throwing their banana peels at me claiming it’s the same deal in NSW, I have to say it’s not. In the same ten-year period, 12 games have been played at NSW home grounds. Of those 12 games NSW have only won the penalty count 5 times. Queensland have won 2. The other 5 games, the penalty count was dead even.
With a total penalty count of 61-52 in NSW, it is blatantly clear the difference between refereeing performances in different states.
Almost 30,000 more people attend NSW home games due to larger stadiums, but despite the extra yelling power, NSW only have a 41 per cent chance of winning the count with their home ground advantage.
2007
NSW 4-1 (Syd)
2008
3-3 (Syd)
Queensland 7-5 (Syd)
2009
Queensland 4-2 (Syd)
2010
4-4 (Syd)
NSW 7-5 (Syd)
2011
NSW 5-4 (Syd)
2012
4-4 (Syd)
2013
5-5 (Syd)
NSW 8-4 (Syd)
2014
NSW 8-5 (Syd)
2015
6-6 (Syd)
Are the referees being influenced subconsciously by the crowd? The largest disparity in penalty count was just two days ago at Suncorp where Queensland got 12 to NSW’s 5. In the first 20 minutes of the decider at Suncorp Stadium, the two whistleblowers afforded the home side a barrage of largely unnecessary penalties.
The momentum gained by Queensland as a result not only proved a massive advantage for the Maroons, but sucked the life out of the Blues at the same time. It was at this time when Micheal Ennis spoke to referee Gerard Sutton and said “you’re getting overwhelmed by the crowd mate”
The Queenslanders understandably slammed Ennis for saying this, but after seeing all the stats it’s hard to argue he’s wrong. We can’t assume from our lounge chairs that in the middle of a stadium where you are either everyone’s best friend or worst enemy that we would be completely impartial to a manic crowd.
Referees are trained to tune out the white noise and focus on the game, but when the game is as big as an Origin decider, it would be difficult to drown out all the drunken fans screaming at you – even if you make the right call.
The commentators repeatedly said the crowd last Wednesday was the loudest they’ve ever heard it in Brisbane. With the likes of Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston always in their faces with the added pressure of Queensland screaming down the back of their neck, it would have been easy to get overwhelmed and throw them a penalty to shut them up.
With an 89 per cent chance Queensland will win the count up north and 41 per cent chance NSW will come away with it at their home ground, it’s easy to see why NSW are upset.
stanc
Roar Rookie
Birdy Just read your comment about Googling the blue cattle dog. Here's the proper origin for this breed not as you stated "blue heeler was b r e a d [stuff we eat up here and everywhere else] south of Sydney" Quote" Australian Cattle Dog has been nicknamed a "Red Heeler" or "Blue Heeler" on the basis of its colouring and practice of moving reluctant cattle by nipping at their heels. Dogs from a line bred in Queensland, Australia, which were successful at shows and at stud in the 1940s, were called "Queensland Heelers" to differentiate them from lines bred in New South Wales; this nickname is now occasionally applied to any Australian Cattle Dog. End Quote" Not everything is absolutely correct within Google - As for your statement I've grown up with them all my life - well I'm 80 so reckon I have a year or so on you. Anyway bugger the dogs "Have a Happy New Year" take care with that covid19 asian flu.
Jared
Guest
Here's some more math: If I score 8 tries and kick 10 goals, how bad is my opponent? Further, how many more points would I have to score before my opponent would stop looking for someone else to blame instead of their ineptitude?
Mac19
Guest
Stop me if I'm wrong, but I believe QLD won SOO game 3 with an 8-2 penalty count going against them back in 2013 (or was it 2012?)
Raugeee
Guest
I feel the penalty count difference is due to the greater discipline and professional attitude of the QLD side. What .....were the refs not supposed to penalise Tamou - Merrin etc for the complete rabble they had become?
KillaKanga
Roar Rookie
Ennis was totally in the wrong because he was not the team captain and so he had no right saying anything to to ref let alone showing utter dis-respect to a match official. The sooner the NRL cracks down on dissent and starts sending the loud mouths to the bin the better . Here are a couple of examples that the NRL could do well to follow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXoBNFOxlQM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x7sSz_Vsi8 BTW...... Nigel Owens is a Legend :-)
KillaKanga
Roar Rookie
Cubb 100 % WRONG Ennis was not the team captain so he had no right in saying anything to the ref let alone showing batant dis-respect .
Ra
Guest
Sutton should have just binned him for contempt and that would have put an end to it
Birdy
Guest
WDD, I almost took your comment offensively , then the penny dropped. Very clever. 10
Peter
Guest
Ennis' comment was in response to one of the lifting tackles that resulted in a suspension. So I think we can put his comments in the place where they belong. Daley had put the call out to question the referees (see Buzz Rothfield's article) and to cheat I.e buy time and get penalties if necessary.
Birdy
Guest
I'm a southerner living in Qld. I'm still a blues supporter and always will be ! To answer the question , does suncorp provide a better home ground advantage than ANZ ? I hope so! Does the crowd intimidate the referees more at suncorp than ANZ ? I hope so! Do we NSW supporters have a right to complain about these unfair advantages ? No .. No way !!! Why cause queensland built a purpose built stadium for RL . So my fellow NSWelshman stop whinhing stop claiming unfair advantage and start demanding a purpose built stadium, not aultipurpose stuff up like ANZ!!!!!!
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
The Greg Inglis of the dog world?
Birdy
Guest
Sorry stanc the blue heeler was bread south of Sydney . You should google the breed. I couldn't be bothered I've grown up with them all my life. The name queensland heeler came about because the dog adapted better than any other breed to the harsh and different Qld conditions and their popularity grew as a result .
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
The Roar Your chicken and the egg opinion.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Didn't he say it after one of the spear tackles?
Cubb
Guest
I thought that Michael Ennis's blatant comment to 'boofhead Gerard Sutton' “you’re getting overwhelmed by the crowd mate” was made at an appropriate time in the game, but as usual 'boofhead Gerard Sutton' didn't listen or take any notice of the problem. If he would have then the game would have been allot closer and more entertaining to all, and this is irrespective to who won. It's about time that we had 'Independent Referees' form other countries eg England, New Zealand and France, and then there won't be any bias or blame being made, and it will make SOO '100% BETTER' without the typical NRL and Australian pedantic and under the microscope type refereeing.
Brett
Guest
Five Stages of Loss and Grief. You're clearly in Stage 1 - Denial.
Griffo
Guest
Didn't you know? Refs try to disadvantage all teams.
Adsa
Guest
Nsw were rubbish during your sample period and deserved to be penalised.
Cubb
Guest
BS that is a typical Queenslanders and a one sided thought and answer. Never mind its not the end of the world and the world hasn't stopped because NSW lost or Qld won.
Cubb
Guest
Its NOT THE NUMBERS its the time that those penalties are awarded. Qld got their assisted to scoring penalties to give them a leg up and get to a 12-0 score and beyond, which really gave Qld the start and they never looked back. That is the gripe that we have with Mr Sutton who is really 'NOT FIT ENOUGH TO REFREE GAMES LIKE THIS' as he's proven in the past. But never mind these sorts of things (as even the record shows) cannot be changed and every NSW team should know that irrespective of how well they play or how disciplined they are; the referees (like Sutton) will always find somewhere or dig out a penalty, they do this not only in the SOO or the Internationals but the NRL, week in and week out. I've seen this with Australian referees for many decades in comparison to the English and French referees who tend to let things go and make the games that they referee much more entertaining and better to watch and less frustrating.