Yesterday, Warren Smith published a superb article discussing his opinion on the current refereeing debate, and to put it simply, he is spot on.
Without stealing any of his content, please read his article first as mine is more of a continuation.
My favourite quote from the story is this.
“But what we really need to talk about is how, at some point in the past, the people in charge of the game decided that the best thing the referees could do was to not referee. You know, they could rule on knock-ons and stuff, but we don’t want too many penalties”
Google the definition of a referee and you will find that it is ‘an official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and (in some sports) to arbitrate on matters arising from the play.’
So then why do we want referees to put the whistle away and to finish a game hardly noticed? It is literally in their job description to do otherwise.
For the current state of the game, one that I believe rewards sneakiness and luck (in the ruck mostly) over fitness, talent and determination, I blame two parties.
I blame the referees for not making players accountable, and I heap just as much blame on the players.
How often lately do we see players offside, playing the ball incorrectly, or with hands all over the ball in the ruck. This is not the referee’s fault. What is their fault is their lack of whistle blowing when players break the rules.
The more players get away with this trickery, the more it will happen. The more it happens results in the game continuing to slow down, and no-one wants that – except maybe Melbourne.
The referees get hammered week in week out for their decision making, which has way too much grey and not enough black and white. Just as Smith says, ‘No whistles, lots of managing.’ We have to draw a line in the sand now.
(Channel Nine).
So to the referees, please start blowing your whistle, and I mean at every chance. It is the only way that players will learn that their rule breaking is punishable. Liken it to a child who gets away with throwing a tantrum in a shopping centre, no punishment; hmmm I might just do that again.
What I would like to see is the referees ‘ensure that the rules are adhered to’ for a full weekend of NRL football. Hand on the ball, penalty, back chat, penalty, one player is offside from the kick off, penalty.
Pretty soon it will be the players under the pump, not the officials, because you see the perception will change from “why did the ref blow a penalty on occasion X and not Y” to “F*** me my team is ill-disciplined.”
Can fans handle the pain in short term, probably not, so being a realist I understand it is unlikely to happen. But a one eyed Panthers supporter who watched Manly lose a penalty count 14-4 two weeks ago (when his team was no doubt just as ill-disciplined) hopes he is wrong.
Ken
Guest
I agree with everything you said even you mentioning my team Melbourne as guilty of slowing the ball down but it gets tiring when every game I see every single team has their hand on the ball slowing it down or slowly getting off players , why can't you say Canberra slow down the play or the Broncos ?but it's too easy on here to get the muppets to just focus on Melbourne .The line but you guys started it ...no we didn't , we just do it better than anyone else and get off just before the ref blows his whistle is smart football , people saying they don't wanna watch that type of game , hey I don't wanna watch touch footy with quick play the balls , you don't want the ball slow down than fight harder in the tackle , offload before you hit the ground .Its just a cop out easy journalism to always scapegoat Melbourne .
Glen
Guest
I love the idea and have thought this for a while but re your comment: everyone would need to be onboard, meaning the refs, the players, the coaches and the fans. You miss one group. The media. We can all be on board but if they whinge to high heaven and kick up a controversy the NRL will cave. Not that they should have that level of influence but we all know how it works.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Global warming is a UN created , global equalisation plan and Trump is aware of it , so if you book contains a similar amount of ineptitude as your comment above, the only thing I can imagine this piece of literary swarth would be useful for is starting the wood heater ,and warming your big fat aarrse.
Rob
Guest
It's a little sad that we are calling for players to be sin binned for holding on a bit in a tackle around the legs but accept 3 man gang tackles with a prowler doing his best to tip a player over or twist his leg off. We also condon players getting whacked by defenders leaving the ground and hitting a ball carrier somewhere between the shoulder and forehead region. ala. Wade Graham
The Fatman
Guest
Read my new book, The Death of Thugby League.. It is on the best seller list. Even Sticky read it prior to his refs spray on Saturday night. It is the greatest book ever about the national catastrophe that is worse than Global Warming and Donald Trump being president put together. Chapter 6 talks about the dearth of quality refs and how they are too gutless to make decisions. Sticky meditates over it like it is his Bible. Get the Book The Fatman has spoken!
Wayne Turner
Guest
"Get rid of the stripping rule, we had ball security for nearly a hundred years, now poor security can end in a penalty in the players favour." - Spot on.It's too hard to police,and so often the refs get it wrong.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
The other issue MD is the rules have changed to the point where the referee is in a no win situation when a bad decision is made or misdemeanour missed. To use your union analogy, if the referee makes a mistake, and they do, it isn't the a match defining decision that it can be in league. In union, AFL and soccer, players can compete for the ball so a ref's mistake can be reversed. Your union analogy, players can win the ball in a scrum, lineout, ruck, maul and can strip the ball. In league its a high ball lottery or the rare one on one strip. One way to make it easier is to bring back some competitiveness to the game. Get rid of the stripping rule, we had ball security for nearly a hundred years, now poor security can end in a penalty in the players favour. Allow the play the ball to be what it was. Only two areas for competing but two more than we have now. We'll never see scrums as they were again but now and again a team tries to win against the feed.
Rob
Guest
Are you suggesting Harrigan was inconsistent? If so that would mean, his style of officiating is the current model being taught. Gordon Tallis once suggested to Bill, form a Queenslanders view point the standard of reffing was very suspect. LOL
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Happy to look at refs coaching players in under 7s and 8s but in seniopr footy, they are there to referee, not coach or manage.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Must be an alternative fact then.
Wayne Turner
Guest
Agree.Hence why one sided penalty counts and/or square up penalty counts when the game is almost over,are complete crap.
Wayne Turner
Guest
Exactly - 2nd week in a row a Raiders player should have been sent off. But the biased rugby league/NRL MSM only cared about "poor ol' Billy" getting hurt. It was only Doogs,so they ignored it.
Wayne Turner
Guest
Spot on Chris. It sucks. Knights get dudded every week by the refs,when it comes to penalities.I'm a Dragons supporter,and I notice that in every Knights game.Refs have too much influence on games.
Wayne Turner
Guest
I think a big problem with the refreeing that needs to be talked about more: The teams with the ball milking penalties,and the refs falling for it egs: Players not getting up properly to play the ball and falling into the marker - The ball player has to stand and properly play the ball.Stand first then put the ball on the ground to play it.The number of players that put the ball on the ground while they are on the ground,then fall off,get a penalty is a joke.The tackled player dropping the ball getting penalties.The tackled player walking off the mark when they play it.The list goes on... Plus players playing the ball,without it even touching their foot. Andrew Fifita never plays the ball properly ever ie: Plays it not standing up,and/or it doesn't touch his foot.He finally got penalised for it last week vs Souths.But,the joke was,it was right near the end of the game,and the refs ignored all the other times he didn't play the ball properly. Also,one sided penalty counts are just about always crap,and most often favour the home team.Refs are NOT consistent eg: Ignoring one team when they are off side all the time,but then the other team gets penalised whenever they do it. Refs poor at missing forward passes are a joke too. I think some coaches coach their players to milk penalties also. Finally all the refs have to be consistently tough on both teams,but more often they are not.
GD66
Guest
The refs boss could get all the coaches into NRL HQ for a January seminar, and outline what will be happening for the next season, what will be tolerated and what will be penalised without hesitation. That way the coaches could approach their season based around accepted disciplines. What irks me is when they decree that they will be red-hot this weekend on correct play-the-ball, blow the whistle shrilly during the Friday night match for the most minor infraction, yet by the Sunday afternoon game it's already being overlooked : this is why coaches know they can get away with so many infringements. And I really have given up on forward passes. That genuinely is open season nowadays.
DMac
Guest
You forgot raking! Good old fashion raking.
Big Daddy
Guest
Keep in mind a few years ago when we only had 1 referee and all the linesman did was put his flag up when the ball went into touched or some one kicked a goal we didn't have half the problems as the referee had more control. These days its a dogs body with 4 different opinions.
Mike from tari
Guest
While we are on the subject, no one has mentioned the non sending off of Papali after his shoulder charge on Dugan which is another case of a top player being taken out of the game. I have been frustrated for the last few years of the penalties not given, I find myself watching games & picking out the the penalties that should be awarded.
Wild Eagle
Guest
If this years Grand Final is decided by a forward pass or a try on the seventh tackle a captains call will be introduced next year for sure........... It's a pity it won't be there before the GF.
Mike Dugg
Guest
Rugby refs are the ones league authorities have to look at to emulate. They don't use players names for starters which creates a distance between ref and player which is at it should be. They aren't supposed to be mates out there. Instead they use team colours and numbers. They will give a team one warning and after that its yellow card time. Discipline is there in rugby. Hardly any of the talking back and whining by players about decisions like in league. They also don't try and even penalty counts up by the end of games. My thoughts as to why refs in league are soft is due to pressure from fans, media and betting agencies. They're afraid that sending players to the bin or off completely would ruin a spectacle. I knew the send off was pretty much dead when, in I think it was the 2011 origin series, Luke O'Donnell spear tackled quite badly Boyd and then head butted and punched Dave Taylor. If you don't get sent off for that, then it's dead