The next time your team loses and you want to howl about the bleeding ref, think about these numbers.
On game day, you team’s 17-member squad is pulling in something like $3.4 million bucks, while the best NRL refs might earn as much as a $100,000. “A top NRL referee reportedly earns between $50,000 and $100,000 a season. The average player salary is $200,000 and the minimum wage is $75,000.”
On top of that, let us not forget that players have the support of their teammates, clubs, coaches, trainers, physios, managers, publicists, hair stylists and astrologists! Who do the refs have in their corner? And yet, we want to hang our team’s defeat around their necks?
What got me thinking about this issue, and it is an unflattering one for the NRL, was watching the Wallabies versus the All Blacks last night. (Please, Rugby War Vikings stop reading now. Plenty of other posts for ye to grind that axe.)
Anyone who saw the match would have to admit the win was well deserved. Not just because of the Wallabies’ passion and effort, but because they had to overcome several crucial referring decisions against them when the game was on the line; I had to take a deep breathe or I would have written blunders. (No, I won’t go into them, watch the game yourself!)
What struck me as a lifelong NRL fan was the reaction from the commentators. No ranting or whingeing, just a balanced discussion about what the ref may have or have not seen. They were philosophical about the ref and quickly moved on to comments about “overcoming set-backs” and “having a winning mindset.”
With ten minutes to go, sure enough, the All Blacks copped a ‘bad call’. Once again, the commentators maintained their perspective.
While they did say the Wallabies got lucky, which given the closeness of the game and the All Blacks’ attacking field position, was undeniable, they did not use loaded phrases like, “looks like the ref is having a square up!” They were putting the onus where it ought to be, upon the players to win the game they are trained and paid so much to play.
I even sat through the post-match wrap-up expecting to see slow-motion replays dissected and Wayne Barnes’ abilities as a ref called into question. But no, not a sausage. Admittedly the Wallabies did win, so the close calls were less of an issue.
However, the Wallabies have lost big matches recently, not least another close one with the All Blacks and I don’t recall much of an issue made of the refs. It was really quite refreshing, dare I say professional.
One final point is the futility of so much public scrutiny of NRL referees. It must be a huge distraction for the whistle blowers.
In the back of their minds, there must be a little voice critiquing every call and anticipating what the public fall out might be. Do any of you, good readers, have a screaming mob looking over your shoulder at your workplace? How would that impact your performance?
That right there is the key. We are talking about professional sport after all. So perhaps, with the 2018 season some months away, NRL commentators might decide to keep this reality in mind.
The might consider setting a better example. ‘Bad’ referee calls are a given in most matches and yet are only a minor element among dozens which will impact on your club’s season. What if we focused on some of the others, and give the refs a break. Winning teams have cultures to match.
Take a look at this year’s premiers. Though Cam Smith is famed as the referee whisperer, does anyone really think that was a major factor in their success? Surely their strong culture, coaching and ability to perform without key players was of much greater significance. And what of the Warriors? Is anyone going to argue that the refs are responsible for their inability to compete?
Who knows, without the roars of angst and disgust from the peanut gallery, the refs’ performance might well improve. Either way, a more mature approach to those in the pink jerseys would reflect much better on both ourselves and our game.
So as the salary cap inflates even further, let’s be mindful of who is earning the big dollars and who should really take the heat for victory and defeat.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
Earlier this year Bennett critisised one of his players in the media for a poor mistake. 'The issue is it swung the momentum of the game, they scored in the next set.' If Bennett thinks one moment in a game can swing the result then all he is doing is stating the bleeding obvious. Anyone who doesn't think a close game can't swing on one mistake by anyone doesn't understand the game at all. He has a good team but they still lost.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I reckon everything in a tight game between two good teams can influence the result whether it is a player , coach or Ref. If the Storm centre thought to look for support late in the game in lat years GF then I believe Cronk scores and the Storm win the game. One crucial moment can influence the final result in my opinion so we will have to agree to disagree.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
As well, union allows players to compete for the ball often negating a bad call.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I agree here. Rugby fans do look at the overall ppictuure, they may not like it but they accept that missing 24 tackles and losing the ball on your own line out is a bigger reason for a loss than a ref's decision. But the big reason why a ref's decision in league is so critical is that it can affect the outcome. Rugby allows players to continually compete for the ball where in league, the bomb is really the only form of competing for theball.
Daz
Roar Pro
Referees are human, they sometimes make mistakes. Just like players are human and make mistakes. Players miss tackles or drop the ball. No human is perfect all the time. Just like every one reading this has made some kind of mistake at work, sent an email to the wrong person, forgotten to close a security door, crashed a crane into a building. Good teams win despite the bad calls they get from the refs. No ref decision turns a game, unless it's an 80th minute penalty try in a 10-8 game.
Benji
Guest
I don't blame the refs on stripping - its a stupid rule and consequently the refs are guessing..
Benji
Guest
I note the Foxtel commentators are really loathe to bag the refs for some blatant mistakes - are they fearful people may say there is orchestrating of close results. Expect Cummins and Sutton to get WC games because they are geniuses...
Matt P
Roar Rookie
I get frustrated at the bunker sometimes, but really, they usually only take around 30 seconds. 45 at the most. It's not "super-quick" like they were promoting but generally it's not that long. I don't disagree with your calls there, I just disagree that fans will be less likely to whinge or criticize if they're implemented. The way things are now, I can't see fans not whinging for anything.
Johno
Guest
Fair enough. But I disagree about the only difference being 1 ref. Union doesn't spend minutes reviewing every try. Unions officials aren't scared to make decisions. They don't allow players to be disrespectful. They may have the same video ref but they rely on it far less often. All my point is if that Nrl simplifies their officiating, viewers will be less likely to criticize. The search for a more accurate approach has only highlighted the fact that it cant be more accurate. 1 ref, linesman who actually do something and a video ref who is only called upon when the on field ref cannot make a call. Not for 90% of the tries.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I was talking to a mate the other day about the debate around refs and the impact on the result. The very term turning point relates to anything that happens at a crucial moment and includes an incorrect call on a strip. Sometimes a whole game changes at that moment and I expressed my frustration that a lot of people were denying its existence. I follow the Eagles and told him about the under 20's which we won in the last few seconds. I believe that we got the rub of the green with the decisions and would not have won the game if we didn't. I can't prove it but that is my belief. Trouble is you get shouted down if you say your team lost because of a few poor decisions and you are labelled as delusional and biased. Any debate on what you believe can help remedy the situation is stifled because the problem is non existent you are told. I can see that bagging the Refs endlessly may be counter productive but pretending some areas don't need addressing is in fact delusional.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I saw a replay of the last try in the second Wallabies loss recently and I believe the commentators just mumbled something about not mentioning the forward pass and moved on. How much Smiths dealings with the refs effects the result or rulings is probably a study in itself but I believe some of the discussion about that and incorrect calls misses the point as to why people including coaches get so fired up. In close games everything matters and a blink of an eye can change the destiny of several teams. If the ref ruled try to Dugan when he was held up by Hopoate in the last round without sending it to the bunker then the Cows don't even make the 8 and someone else makes the GF. Nobody would be talking about it because it would be assumed that the Cows had no chance of making the GF anyway and therefore one wrong call had no impact.................. but we only know it would have because it didn't happen. ( the wrong call ) I recognize that one moment in one game can change a whole season but I can also see the benefit of brushing it off and moving on.
Benji
Guest
The problem to me is that penalties in NRL are few but they are so crucial as 30-40 metre kick for touch and then 6 tackles with 10 metre rule means 40% end in tries. And the stripping the ball rule is just a bingo call because no-one knows and this can change a game. No wonder Roy Masters wrote again last month about refs orchestrating close results in games for maximum TV viewing. With declining ratings this will only get worse.
Mike Julz
Guest
I thought league do give 10 meter penalties sometimes
Madrid john
Roar Rookie
Absolutely beepee, PR geniuses and marketing gurus should stay the hell away from referring. Let the whistle blowers apply the rule book and the players deal with it as the game rolls on. Surely that kind of game management is just one more skill that separates the solid first graders from the elite.
Madrid john
Roar Rookie
Hi Paul, very much don't think refs should earn anything like the top players of the NRL. I would suspect they wouldn't either. The game is about the players. The refs' role is to provide a controlled environment for NRL players to display their skills and endurance. Ironically, I think the more we ignore them, the better they can do their job. We can rest assured that coaches and players will see to it that poor refs are dumped and good ones rewarded. I just don't see the merit of that process playing out in the public sphere.
Madrid john
Roar Rookie
Not at all Rossco. I just think that as the players earn much more dollars and have much greater support behind them, they should be the major focus when discussing why their team did or did not win. Too often, one ref decision dominates the airways instead of the fact that the losing team made 32 missed tackles, 12 handling errors or gave away 8 penalties. If a team tidies up that area of their performance, they can cop a few poor calls and still win the match. On top of that, there are 24 rounds to play before the finals start. I just don't accept that even the poorest referring performance will make much of a difference to a professional team's season. It seems the attention we give to the refs is way out of proportion to the impact the have on the game.
Madrid john
Roar Rookie
Thanks for mentioning that other Wallabies v All Blacks match, I wasn't sure how the commentators dealt with it. Also, I don't believe Cam Smith's dealing with refs has much impact on the outcome. Obviously, the man has gravitas as Qld and Aust. captain, but I think the key is his composure. The refs don't feel threatened when he approaches them and he probably engages them with calmly and with respect - like a captain should. Still, nothing compares to how James Graham deals with refs. The naughty school boy, hands behind the back routine should have copy right protection. Absolute gentleman, wish he was a QLDer.
George Jetson
Guest
And this is exactly how it all started: I wouldn't make this point 5, it should be point number 1. For far too long the tail has been wagging the dog. Gus Gould et el 5 The media stops it’s sensationalist rubbish reporting about referees and focuses on the real reasons why games are won and lost. Sure, report absolute howlers, but don’t hype all the 50:5o calls made in a game
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I agree that we are better off in League focusing less on Ref errors and it probably starts with the commentary team. In the second game this year against the All Blacks , the Wallabies were denied a win by a forward pass which wasn't called in the All Blacks winning try and thus a chance to win the Bledisloe Cup . I didn't hear much about that pass later on and that could well be considered a positive. From my point of view although the lack on controversy might be viewed as positive I'm fairly disturbed particularly for the players that a series was greatly influenced by this decision. The author mentions Cam Smith and his alleged refereeing whispering prowess. I have never worried about it too much myself but if it is in fact a reality and he is able to influence refs better than anyone else then in a crucial close game in 2018 it could be the difference in the Storm winning or losing. Just as referees need to work on home ground bias I believe they need to work on highly influential legends of the game like Cam Smith influencing their decisions. The main issue with refs and bunkers is about close games where despite all sorts of talk to the contrary a poor decision or two can determine who wins. Everything needs to be done to minimise these poor calls and after that we have no choice but to accept the result. Players who argue with the ref just need to be sent to the bin and it will stop.
McNaulty
Guest
The big problem is the conservative way the game is coached plus the harsh punishment for penalties means referees are more influential than the players. Unfortunately coaches are obsessed with completions. This means opportunities in attacking area (where 75% of tries come from) are way more likely to come from 50/50 refereeing decisions than from play making by the players. Look at the penalties to line breaks statistic. 3 penalties to every 1 line break. In American football terms this means the NRL referees "flip the field" not the NRL players. Solution: reduce the punishment for penalties. Just advance or retreat 20 metres for these 50/50 ruck infringements - no restart of tackle count. This kick for touch plus tackle count restart makes referees the biggest play maker in the game.