The rise of support for referees since the verbal hammering they copped from losing coaches on the weekend has been encouraging, but how long will it last?
Is a twist like that just a fresh angle created to help keep the story going, or is it a genuinely sympathetic notion?
I guess we’ll find out the next time there are enough contentious decisions in a game to spark debate – or outrage, depending on how you look at it – which may well be in this weekend’s semi-finals.
Referee-bashing bores me, but it seems to be the favourite sport among enough people from various groups including coaches, media, commentators and fans – all of whom keep it going.
I’m glad the NRL hit the Cronulla and Manly clubs with a combined total of $50,000 in fines following comments made by their respective coaches – Shane Flanagan and Trent Barrett – after their teams lost last weekend.
They should have hit them for $50,000 each and provided an even bigger disincentive to other coaches who might want to react similarly in the future.
Obviously, there are faults with both the refereeing and the Bunker system, and there needs to be a huge amount of time devoted to those subjects when the NRL conducts its end-of-season review.
It would be a good start if they resolved that next season they will go back to refereeing according to the rules rather than trying to ‘manage’ games.
So many basic things go virtually unpatrolled these days that the game often becomes a mess when that can so easily be avoided.
It would be great if we went even further back in time to when the referees were strict in their dealings with players and didn’t address them by their names and seem to want to be matey with them.
Familiarity really does breed contempt in this instance.
Cam Smith (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
The players are the players and the refs are the bosses and a clear line is drawn. What was so wrong with that scenario that it had to change?
But while refs and video refs do make genuine errors, critics have got to stop conveniently labelling their decisions on virtual 50-50 calls as mistakes.
Coaches and players make plenty of mistakes too, as so many people have thankfully pointed out since last weekend.
Players don’t have to wait until the games to make them either – just look at the Rugby League Players’ Association awards announced last night.
Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco, and not Melbourne’s Cameron Smith, was named player of the year.
Now, I’m a huge ‘Teddy’ fan, but was he even the fullback of the year, let alone best player overall? Do I hear Melbourne’s Billy Slater? Manly’s Tom Trbojevic? Roger Tuivasa-Sheck from the Warriors?
The RLPA team of the year read like this: James Tedesco (Tigers), Jordan Rapana (Raiders), Konrad Hurrell (Titans), Dane Gagai (Knights), David Nofoaluma (Tigers), Gareth Widdop (Dragons), Nathan Cleary (Panthers), Aaron Woods (Tigers), Cameron Smith (Storm), David Klemmer (Bulldogs), Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys), Wade Graham (Sharks), Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs).
Three Tigers players to one Storm player? The Tigers must be set to win the premiership. Oh, sorry, I forgot, they ran 14th.
Konrad Hurrell? David Nofoaluma? Good players, but in the team of the year based on form this season? Let’s get real.
Anyway, the fact is we all make mistakes.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby-league” name=”League”]
What chance a drama-free two games of football this weekend? It’s unlikely, but let’s at least hope less people confuse difficult decisions with mistakes.
Penrith have got a puncher’s chance against the Broncos in Brisbane, but I can’t tip them. They don’t play for 80 minutes, so the home side will get enough opportunities to put on the necessary points and win.
North Queensland have had their win against the odds. Cronulla should have beaten them four times, but the Sharks can’t score points and their discipline was bad.
The Cowboys played in Sydney on Sunday and after going back home to Townsville they have to come back to Sydney for a Saturday game.
The only way Parramatta could put themselves at serious risk of losing would be if they went in with the wrong attitude, thinking they only had to turn up to win, like they did when they lost to Newcastle in Round 23.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Spot on Wombat and Matt Cecchin's refereeing of SOO-1 2017 should have been the 'blue print' of how refereeing in this era should be like!!! Crowds, players and coaches were happy as 'pigs in mud'!!! But what happened after that game? Well, it went back to same old pedantic, boring and frustrating refereeing of old and its gotten disastrous. If the referees won't free up the game or something will not be done (in this aspect) then and as you said 'If you enforced the letter of the law there’d be no game' and as we're seeing no crowds.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That's an interesting way of looking at it. It's also approx 51 tackles the Cowboys didn't have to make. 51 times the Cowboys defence didn't have to go back and come forward. Plus the extra defensive work the Sharks had to do.
Deano70
Guest
Cronulla made 17 errors in that game, say the average error was made at tackle 3, that's 51 plays they deprived themselves of, even 4thtackle errors is 34 individual plays they robbed themselves of. Flanagan should be ripping it up the players not the refs. 17 errors is a lot, but if you consider how many plays in each set they cost themselves, over the course of the game, it's a lot of opportunities missed
matth
Guest
I would just like to thank my beloved Brisbane Broncos for trying to hose down the refereeing debate, by using the simple tactic of being so unbelievably bad last weekend, that no one could have possibly blamed the refs for that loss without the entire room falling down laughing. Well done boys.
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
The RLPA team of the year didn't contain many Qlders either. But then they didn't win the State of Origin series did they? Oh wait ...
Larry1950
Guest
Funny thing about the coaches and their rants after the weekend's games, I intended to congratulate the touch judges on the number of forward passes correctly picked up in all games compared to the negligible number during the regular season. Some of those blatant forward passes from the dummy half would have got a pass during the season but the touchies seemed switched on for the semi finals. I'm a bronco fan & had no issues with the calls they got against them when their 'new' dummy half got it wrong. Also, I was yelling to the missus that Walker was offside well before the bunker stepped in, that one seemed obvious to me. Gus Gould needs to let go of his angst withe the Billy Slater try from a decade ago, that just fuels ref bashing. Seem to recall Lockyer getting a 'no try' ruling from a clearly obvious catch & plant before the bunker existed but QLD lived with it.
Peter
Guest
Tell that to the players who voted.
Peter
Guest
It's the Prime Minister's XIII, not Australia. Does that help you?
Chris Wright
Guest
Another twist to this is one of my team's players (ex player) Josh Dugan. He rarely gets a quick play the ball because after every tackle he gets up waving his arms to the ref complaining about not getting a penalty. This often occurs after he has "won" the ruck and a quick play the ball would have helped the Dragons cause.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Mate - if they did wait a couple of days and came up with objective reasoning instead of carrying on like kids in primary school they'd get a better response. Nah, never been a ref, never want to be a ref, don't like refs. But I was brought up to respect their decision and get on with the game. Better in A grade? Come on mate I've spent to many Sunday afternoons at Waverley and Waterloo to know that's not true...
Womblat
Guest
"As much charisma as a bar of soap". Classic line. Yeah, Archer is the last bloke you'd want for that. But some others are awesome. I hope they have the foresight to let them shine in public a bit, especially the girls.
The Spectator
Guest
Firstly no coach should ever bag ref's after a game, wait a few days first ? , TB, I've seen alot of your posts lately on this and makes one wonder how could anyone be so one sided, oh a ref, you a ref TB? How can more officials involved get more wrong than those with less tech! Cmon mate, a grade is how the game should be played not the hybrid nrl version suited for who, the traditionalist or the new viewer, it's not that hard yet explain the the last 6-7 yrs, I'm too lazy and don't care as much any more to bother but over lap a graph on penalties and when there blown for who and it's obvious. If nrl was played like A grade there's no issue, but it isn't!
Big Daddy
Guest
Good point about having them on the footy show but everything goes through Archer. Except for the badger all of the others have about as much charisma as a bar of soap. Can you imagine Archer on the footy show with Beau Ryan and fatty. I am just waiting for Tom's little rant this week.
Parra
Guest
Ref bashing coaches are children and there comments should be treated as such. Whenever my son misbehaves he is punished accordingly with time out etc. I am embarrassed by these coaches comments that reflect poorly on the game. Everyone in the game is trying to do their best that does not warrant attack by immature men acting like petulant children who should know better. The NRL is a laughing stock. Shane Flannagan i expected more given his rehabilitation from the drugs scandal a few years back, but clearly he has learnt little since then. Trent Barrat, well he fancies himself as 'The Man, The coach' suffering severe hubris, needs to overcome himself and grow up. I agree with Todd's stance on this and fully support the penalties given. The game needs to grow up.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Yep, make the players get to their feet and place their foot on the ball and half of this garbage goes out the window. Did anyone ever consider that , maybe , just maybe , that's the reason these rules were put in place in the beginning.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
If dunno about that , but did predict Gallen would hog the ball in his usual display of glory seeking and then make a meal of it in an attempt to get the penalty.
RandyM
Guest
The 10m rule is a joke. There are a few teams I have seen this season who are continually offside tackle after tackle without getting pinged (brisbane, penrith, Melbourne stand out). Forward passes from dummy half happen a lot but to be honest i don't think its a major issue...
Gray-Hand
Guest
I agree. It has gradually built up as television coverage has improved. More cameras and more angles and better picture quality allow for a greater degree of examination of every little moment of the game. If the television coverage didn't dwell on every 50/50 call, fans wouldn't either.
Dragonrider57
Roar Rookie
The discussion on whether refs calls are right or wrong is pointless. If there is a common perception that they are wrong it is incredibly dangerous for the future of the game. If there is a common perception that nothing is being done about it, same result. The introduction of interpretation and game management dilutes the rules to the extent that there is no reference point any more. I have downloaded the rules this season to see if there were changes, but no, the rules are the same, it is just the process that has changed. A large percentage of the contentious decisions are around the ruck and from my observation approximately 10% of rucks are conducted to the rules. If the rules were applied and tacklers released the ball carrier, and neither tried to slow the play, or push through the ruck, there would be a major benefit. Then you just have to fix the 10m rule and look for forward passes and most would be very happy.
catcat
Roar Rookie
I thought the refereeing in general play such as offside, incorrect play the ball, blocking runners, using the bin has been poorer this year. I wonder if this is now manifesting itself in the outrage over the 50/50 calls from the weekend. Lets face it- we have always had 50/50 calls...but perhaps a general dissatisfaction with refereeing has fed the fire of disappointment. Another point- is this an issue about the bunker? What is the strategy of how its used? this seems to vary year to year which is confusing...does the on field refs run the show with assistance from the bunker as requested or is the bunker a third referee who chimes in when needed (eg on seeing an infringement). Which one is it?