Based on Rounds 1 to 26 we can’t expect consistency from the officials during the finals.
However, Tony Archer and his team have the opportunity to make history if they can avoid controversy, be consistent and have us all saying: “we didn’t notice the referees.”
The first thing the refs (and touchies) should do, is get together this week and agree on the basics:
1. Respect the laws of the game
If it’s in the rule book, police it and apply whatever penalty is needed to stamp out the common infringements we’ve seen all year.
2. Forward passes
There’s no excuses for the dozens of blatant forward passes that have been let go this season. Or have they been let go? Sometimes I think the touchies call out “forward” but they’re not heard and they just think they’ve been overruled. Why can’t we copy the round ball football and have the touchie put his flag up and wave it above his head?
3. Lying on tackled players
Surely the refs can count 1 – 2 – 3 and if the defenders are not off the tackled player, blow a penalty and don’t be afraid to use the sin bin for repeated infringements anywhere on the field and at any time during the game.
4. Knock ons
Far too many stoppages when the ball is dropped. If the ball clearly goes forward, scrum. However if it’s “line ball” or goes backwards, play on. This is one area that will even out over 80 minutes.
5. Stripping the ball
Too many penalties and therefore stoppages of play occur when a player loses the ball. Often it’s a loose carry. I expect this matter to be addressed in the rules review at the end of the year. Refs need to be 100% sure the ball has been ripped out with force, not merely nudged by the arm of a defender, in which case, it’s a loose carry.
6. Offsides
These rules apply to both attack and defence. To use one example in attack say, when a kick is put through, all attacking players have to have both feet behind the kicker. Why shouldn’t this apply to the defence as well?
Defending players inside the ten is the most abused rule in the book. When a team is attacking inside 10 metres from the try line, you often hear the refs call out “one foot behind the line”. Most defenders never do. This happens all the time on attacking plays; when penalties are awarded to the attacking side; and also on seven tackle re-starts. Blow the penalty, use the sin bin and please stamp out this blight on the game. If attacking players have to have both feet behind, why not the defending players. Maybe this rule needs amending too.
After Origin 1, everyone was saying what a great game it was – because of the referees being largely forgotten. The next month like this would be heaven. Let’s hope there’s no controversy and most importantly, the players play the game in the right spirit.
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