In the NBA they call them ‘superstar calls’.
Michael Jordan benefited from them. Kobe Bryant benefited from them. Many say LeBron James was still getting the rub of the green as recent as this week.
The ‘superstar call’ is when the big name player gets the big decision in their favour when the game hangs in the balance.
You hear about them in football when a guy like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is in the box. Ask English fans if Diego Maradona’s aura might have influenced officials.
While there have been accusations of ‘superstar calls’ in the NRL before (Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston anybody?), it’s hard to ever remember a player having a run like Anthony Milford did against the Rabbitohs last night.
I’ll start this argument with two caveats. One is that I’ve supported the Broncos since I was a kid. The second is that I’ve spent personal time with both on-field referees from last night’s game and believe they are men of integrity.
So when I state the following facts, it doesn’t come from the vantage point of a guy with an axe to grind.
But for a matter of historical record, let’s consider these instances all occurred in one match:
• Just shy of 20 minutes into the game Milford gets a penalty for Kyle Turner dislodging the ball in a tackle. Milford’s grip looks tenuous at best. The commentator says Turner “feathered” the ball, so slight was his touch. Broncos score within seconds of the penalty.
• In the shade of halftime Milford runs at Sam Burgess before passing on the turn. The considerably taller Burgess’s arm comes over the shoulder and makes contact with Milford’s head, but first point of contact seems to be torso-on-torso. Peter Sterling, a fellow playmaker who has previously spoken out in defence of cheap shots on Thurston, says it’s not worth a penalty. It’s given a penalty.
• After slotting the conversion to put Brisbane ahead 18-8 at halftime, Milford is then given a free substitute for head injury assessment – on account of the Burgess tackle. Souths fans are livid he potted the goal before being taken off.
• When the second half resumes and the Rabbitohs begin to fight back Milford is this time taken out by a late George Burgess shoulder charge. It’s a pretty foolish move from the big Bunny and another penalty ensues. Right call, but we’ve seen worse let go in the past.
• In the game’s most decisive moment, with ten minutes to go Milford carries a handful of defenders over the tryline before the ball somehow pops free and Tautau Moga scoops it up and dives over for a second serve. Endless replays ascertain Milford was at first held up in the tackle, but despite it looking like all momentum had stopped, the video referee then decides Moga’s second effort counts for a four-pointer.
When Sam Burgess blows up deluxe and asks who scored the try, referee Ashley Klein hesitates before saying “Ah, I think it was Tautau Moga”. Commentating on the match, Andrew Johns labels the decision “rotten”. Milford then converts to bring the scores back level 24-all.
• To top off arguably the most controversial NRL game of the season thus far, with two minutes to go Milford gets a dud pass from Andrew McCullough and has to collect the ball, switch to his bad foot and kick a drop-goal off balance. It’s a remarkable feat of skill and wins the match 25-24, but replays show he knocked the ball on ever so slightly when gathering it. Again, boos echo around the stadium.
When listed like that, it’s a body of evidence that’s hard to dismiss.
We haven’t even started discussing the two tries the Rabbitohs had disallowed by the video referee or a lucky Korbin Sims four-pointer that defied all but an auditor’s application of the rulebook.
Not one singular official controlled the outcome of each instance. It was a collective effort and, certainly, some of them were hellish decisions that needed to be made at breakneck speed.
But the fact remains that in each of the decisive moments, the call fell in favour of Milford.
He did get pinged for a high tackle of his own on Angus Crichton in the first half, yet it was an indiscretion which failed to directly impact the scoreboard.
There’s a counter theory in the NBA that ‘superstar calls’ don’t necessarily happen because of any ingrained bias by referees.
Rather, the argument is that superstar players are usually touching the ball most when the game is on the line, they make fast, jolting decisions, catch balls that others can’t catch, and by their very nature these supreme athletes are skilled in the art of deception.
Superstars can disguise their mistakes better than most, they attract more fouls than most, and the expectation of them exceeding other’s skill level is only natural.
But geez, I simply cannot remember another rugby league match where one player has emerged from a down-and-dirty scrap looking as squeaky clean as Milford did.
Let’s hope this was a one-off anomaly – a freak sequence of events – and that the ‘superstar call’ never becomes part of NRL parlance.
Because, while Milford should be heading to his local newsagent for a lottery ticket this morning, fans of a fitting and just result can be excused for feeling more than a little hollow.
DMac
Guest
"We have a decision and are going to the board" was said twice by the bunker for one incident, once after the Milford no try then once again after the Moga (no) try.
Don
Guest
It's cool - you're obviously a League tragic and based on your posts you are extremely knowledgeable. The reason your Friday post irritated me so much is that I am the greatest apologist for the NRL refs there is. I think they are consistently of a high standard and are light years ahead of the officials from the 60's, 70's &.80's etc I find all the criticism of them tiresome and counter productive to the game. However, I thought the officials on Friday night fell way short of the acceptable standard and determined the result and gave oxygen to all the conspiracy theorists.I genuinely couldn't believe that you thought that what happened on Friday night was normal run of the mill stuff. Even Wayne Bennett said it was a weird night. Anyway good luck to you and your Bulldogs.
The Barry
Roar Guru
No I don't listen to them. Don't really get the chance. I listen to MMM shows on Saturday and Sunday arvos when I'm around a radio and Roy & HG on Saturday mornings if I can. So I reminded you of this know it all pain in the a...? Excellent. Look I obviously viewed this differently to other people, but I'm not the Lone Ranger. Where others see a game changing call I see a ref that's missed a knock on. It happens. I enjoy having these discussions and I never question anyone's right to their opinion. I haven't told anyone that they're wrong on this issue (i think) just explained how I saw it. we all process the same information differently. I get into it - sometimes too much - but I rarely go in intending to cause offence. Anyway good luck for the season for whoever you follow..,
Don
Guest
The Barry - For clarity Adrian is a ubiquitous self appointed expert on all things Rugby League. He calls every sports program in Sydney, BSB, Talkin Sport, ABC Grandstand etc etc and is boring and repetitious and drives all the listeners mad! He has regularly been banned because he is a know it all pain in the a---. I'm surprised a prolific blogger like you doesn't listen to any of these programmes.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I don't know that means. I've been discussing this with a few other people who have been fine with it, even if we've disagreed. You're sitting here on the sidelines reading it all getting hot under the collar. Seems strange. If you don't like my opinions do yourself a favour and don't read them. Don't get worked up about it and resort to personal insults. It's a free world and I can post as many times as I like. I'm not going to stop because someone I've never met disagrees. It's a free world and you don't have to read them. Or get in the spirit and join in. But don't be one of those people that doesn't comment until resorting to petty, personal insults online. It's weak as p1ss. Anyway, I won't respond to your thoughts on the incidents as you seem to have read them already.
Don
Guest
You are repetitive and desperate to have the last word.. Did the officiating on Friday night cost the Bunnies a win? - Yes! Was the officiating unacceptably poor? - Yes. Do I follow either team or did I have a financial interest in the result? - No. I/m not sure if you listen to Sydney Sports talk back radio- I suspect you do - but you are the Adrian equivalent of the Roar blog.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I'm not shrill at all mate. I'm just against the salty refs faulting that's going on because a ref missed a knock on. If you don't like my posts f.o and don't read them. I find your petty little personal swipes at me, offering no opinion of your own boring and weak. But each to their own.
Brando Connor
Guest
Take off the tinfoil hat. The NRL isn't going to instruct the refs to favour some team or another. If they did some ref or another would "leak" the information to the press or just go straight to the police. There might be some game fixing or point shaving going on but it is going to be individual corrupt refs or players who have somehow become involved in gambling. But having said that the NRL are going to be looking very carefully at odd behaviour that influences the outcome of a game. And if they see a pattern of behaviour start looking for financial clues to corruption going on. So I cannot see anyone getting away with it long term.
Don
Guest
Since you were so wrong about the officials last night you have become more and more shrill trying to defend the indefensible.,Give us all a break and drop off - you are really boring!!!
Alex L
Roar Rookie
That's because the Eels are universally ill disciplined.
Moonshot
Guest
2 more close Friday night games - geez they will be struggling to pick a ref for SOO with all these err close games
thomas c
Guest
I tend to think you don't denounce a decision that you'd not critique too harshly if you'd gotten. The coach is probably doing a little bit of deflection. Over the course of a game, you might get one or two cruel decisions, but you kinda balance these against the chances you didn't take. In this instance, they had the opportunities and and messed up a couple (ill-discipline). THey also defended terribly in letting in the oates tries and milford slice through their defense. Bennett would eviscerate his players for not taking their (other) chances. He might personally make a fuss in the media, but seems to want his (pretty decent) team to take responsibility for what they can control. It's why Boyd is so sheepish at press conferences, even when they win. McGuire maybe doesn't have that luxury and needs to shield his players a little. Bennett is able to want execution. McGuire has to accept that his players are working hard. Being cheated is a better story than telling a player trying his heart out that what he did wasn't good enough. And the difficult pill to swallow is that with slightly better execution (even just one less offside), the rabbits win by 20 points.
Jason
Guest
Just following the trend of today :)
thomas c
Guest
The pick up was at worst ambigious. The try was a little suspect, but might have been better accepted if they'd given it to milford, given that you lose sight of the ball (benefit of considerable doubt). It might have been met with irritation rather than bewilderment. I think it's also accurate that there have been a number of occasions recently where the player doesn't get it down initially and gets a couple seconds of latitude to wrestle. The rules could be made clearer on that, since it creates some ambiguity on when the tackle ends. I think it would be clearer if any promotion of the ball was illegal. As for the concussion, it's pretty common at this point for a minute or two lag before the player is pulled. In general play, there's not a lot of attention drawn to it as the action rolls on. In this instance, the broncos didn't really get a free interchange, because they want milford on the field and put him back on immediately. And there's an absurdity to objecting to a possibly concussed player taking a goal kick. If he'd missed it due to ill effects of the hit, i'm not sure the Rabbitohs would be complaining about a rules violation on that one.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I think you're premise has some merit but you've picked a particularly poor example to try and illustrate it. Picking last night's game has actually meant your point has been somewhat lost. As many have pointed out your body of evidence based on last nights game is pretty flimsy. I think there are some superstars who are great at getting calls to go their way and there are plenty who are not particularly good at it. The best example is Cameron Smith who is frustratingly good at getting calls to go his way. However another superstar in Thurston is not great at. Watching Thurston over the course of his career and I don't think he would get anymore 50/50 calls go his way than the average player, and in big games he probably get's less. Some players are just good at getting away with things and/or managing the refs. Full marks to them, it's gamesmanship etc at its best, it just sucks when you're team is playing against one of those players. I don't think Milford is one of those players and I think last night's game was a poor example.
Joey Johns
Roar Guru
The ball never touched the ground, or it would have been ruled a try. Because it wasn't a try, the ball couldn't have touched the ground. Therefore, no tackle was complete, as the ball didn't touch the ground. As a side note, the whole idea of "tackle being completed when ball-carrying arm touches the ground" does not apply in the in-goal.
bear54
As a Canberra supporter I'm so happy Anthony Milford has reached Superstar status and is receiving favourable treatment with the Broncos........ Is is worth pointing out that if it was State of Origin and NSW received the same calls the Broncos did last night about two million heads north of the Tweed would explode.
Rossy
Roar Rookie
Well said Baz.
The Barry
Roar Guru
"These sorts of games should be stamped out" The ones where referees make two mistakes in clouded circumstances?
Nico
Guest
Bunnies had more than enough chances to win, lack of composure, lack of discipline cost them in the end - you can't blame refs for Burgess's multiple cheap shots on Milford, Burgess's inability to be onside for a kick, or their failure to take the field goal in 79th minute