Every rugby league administrator at Kangaroo, Origin, and club level is fair game – open to the media and its criticism.
Administrators are replaced if they’ve done the wrong thing, coaches and players are dropped for lack of form, but the referees seem to sail through without many ramifications for whatever errors they make.
To criticise refs is runs the risk of a $10,000 fine or more for “bringing the game into disrepute”, but we rarely see out of form referees dropped for making the wrong calls.
But there’s an elephant in the room – the touch judges.
With four sets of eyes pinned on the play, how do so many apparent forward passes go begging, and how many offsides from downtown kicks go un-noticed, let alone the numerous times the attacking team takes off in front of the kicker to restart play?
Often is the right word, despite the referee yelling “stay onside” before the kick.
This should be the domain of the “touchies”. They should be extra vigilant in policing forward passes, calling offsides downtown, and watching for players being taken out not in possession.
Invariably all three infringements happen before the build-up to a try, where decisions must be made to decide the outcome.
NRL boss Todd Greenberg yesterday admitted referees make mistakes, and that nobody is perfect. What he didn’t say was how those mistakes will be treated by the NRL appointments board for next week.
He also told Manly coach Trent Barrett and his Sharks counterpart Shane Flanagan to not blame referees for their teams’ early exits from the finals race.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Barrett would’ve had more substance if he had he also mentioned the underdog Panthers enjoyed 51 per cent possession, scored three tries to two, ran 1644 metres to Manly’s 1536, and had 12 offloads to eight.
The Panthers also managed 706 kick metres to 592, and missed 41 tackles to Manly’s 36. Yet the Panthers won 22-10.
Likewise, Flanagan would’ve had more weight to his argument if he’d saluted the underdog Cowboys for coming back from 8-0 and 14-6 with 57 per cent possession, running 1934 metres to the Sharks’ 1721, with Cowboy wrecking ball Jason Taumalomo busting 256 metres to score a solo try.
Had Flanagan also mentioned the Sharks missed 34 tackles to just 15, when defence has always been a Sharks’ strength, more fans would have taken notice.
And Flanagan should’ve chipped his captain Paul Gallen for making the hero decision to go for the try when right in front of the black dot was one of the very best drop goal exponents in James Maloney to win the game 15-14.
Instead, the Cowboys won 15-14 in extra time.
But I’ll leave the last word to Todd Greenberg when he tells us why there was a drop of 30 per cent in crowd numbers for the first four games of the 2017 NRL finals series.
He should concede that it’s at least partially due to many fans not having confidence in the decision-making abilities of some of the touchies and referees.
Wild Eagle
Guest
Good luck to Jason King. I've heard a few Manly fans over the years single him out for praise when they had a word with him. Very obliging and friendly they said. Good post here Nambawan. You have looked in depth at some issues here and the game just seems to be getting sloppy to me. How much of it is just me imagining things I'm not sure but I wasn't imagining troubles when I spoke up about Union over a decade ago and predicted it was heading for trouble. One way forward has to involve touchies getting more involved. Surely when the ball is miles in the air they have nothing better to do than look for blocking and just stick their flag up. Do it enough and blocking stops, it sounds too simple but we know that's what will happen
Nambawan
Guest
Todd Greenberg and his administration have much to answer for in relation to the current controversy - which in reality has been gathering momentum over several years. I basically refer to the overall degradation in the rules of the game which prominently relate to the farcical scrums and play the balls. The League has adopted a policy of if a rule is awkward to enforce, then just ignore it. Decades of successful adherence to the rules of the game are blithely forgotten about - as is one of the fundamental principles that following the rules is a discipline which is an integral part of participating in the game. As result of this negligence many aspects of League have become painful to watch for this dedicated League lover. When I see full backs packing into scrums with props standing at 5/8, when the "packs" are laughing"at each other when they form up I want to just about vomit. Same with the numerous voluntary tackles which are occurring in every match. When I see players blatantly obstructed from following up kicks I also see automatic penalties but which are just ignored. Similarly with the constant blatant professional fouls conceded by defending sides which should be automatic sin bins but are ignored. When I observe trainers constantly on the field coaching players during play I just wonder how the game can allow such a retreat from traditional practice. Unfortunately the referees and linesmen have been in the front line in this retreat from proper game governance but ultimate responsibility must be sheeted home to the top of the NRL for its failure to oversight, insist on and maintain the integrity of the rules of the code. It has increasingly seemed likely to me that whilst Mr. Greenberg and his lieutenants may be efficient guardians of the NRL finances and club salary caps, they have never displayed much understanding about football and the traditions ( particularly the "tribal" nature of the clubs) of the code. I note that the former international player Jason King has recently been appointed to the NRL. Whilst he is still a young man, one can only hope he maybe able to impart some football knowledge into the NRL administration
BleakCity
Roar Rookie
The first Storm try was right in front of me. Clearly forward out of the hand before being touched. The touchie called it straight away. Cummins wasn't in line but overruled (as it was touched by Parra) and awarded the try. Sometimes you get bad calls, it's part of the drama but why have the touchie if you're not going to listen to them.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Not just that but we had the touchie calling out "offside" in a gamer but was ignored by the ref. I still think two referees on the field is a mistake. it works in AFL because of the size of the ground. We still hear contradicting call of play on and play the ball.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I did and I thought McCallum made as many mistakes as the on field refs/bunker.
Wild Eagle
Guest
What is Barrett meant to say if asked a question as to whether he thinks his team were robbed? Grow up and lie is what Greenburg is telling him to do.
Suechi
Guest
There will always be errors - from refs, touchies, coaches and players. We are not perfect. We could stop every play and find a penalty. I agree though, that the touchies could do a lot more - let's have them running on the field again with their flag raised! Love it!
Tom G
Guest
Greenberg seems to think you can fine yourself to correctness. Can't find answers slap on a fine to shut people's opinions down. Pathetic administrator
Tom G
Guest
Touchies are spectators with flags.
Dan
Guest
But sometimes the Touchies do their job but are then gobsmackingly over ruled by the inept Refs (case in point the first try the storm scored on the weekend when the touchie's correctly called it a forward pass but it was over ruled by the peanut with the whistle around hi neck).
Wild Eagle
Guest
Read the Tele today and see what an actual referee has to say. They got plenty wrong.
Josh
Guest
Flannagan complained about 10 decisions. Ive seen them all as a neutral fan and id say i was ok with all of them. Some were 50/50 so which ever way the decision went thier was no right anwser. As for Barrett the tries were all debateable and on the footy show 2 legends of the game in fittler and johns dissgreed on them so i dont see how the refs were wrong theu were 50/50 calls. Their wasnt any howlers on the weekend well not from the refs anyway but the Sharks players now thats where the howlers were
Big Daddy
Guest
When was the last time you saw a touchie run in to report foul play. Instead they are there barking orders into players ear's from the sideline. If 2 refs are unable to handle the high pressure of the games why do want these wannabes interfering in general play. Let them stick to putting their flags up for goal attempts and balls in touch. Brett suttor is a prime example - couldn't make as a ref but still wants to be one albeit from the sideline.
Wild Eagle
Guest
The solution is simple, when grown men who have just been duded by the Refs and Bunker you just get Todd to come in and deny they have a point and tell them to grow up. Your days are numbered Todd and you are factually wrong.
Abhi Beckert
Guest
Play the balls are another problem area. Whenever the defence is on the back foot, some teams stop playing the ball properly. Either the rules need to change, or the whistle needs to blow almost every time (preferably at the start of the next season). On the positive side, refs do appear to be on top penalties in the opposition 20. Hopefully they start enforcing this even more heavily in future. I'd like to see a guideline of two consecutive penalties inside 20 and the player is sin binned (with some flexibility if the ref judges the penalty to be accidental or milked).