What should Michael Maguire and Donald Trump both have in common? They should each have limited terms.
In case you haven’t caught up with the news from Monday evening (thanks to a late night Facebook post from Greg McCallum I was able to break it on my humble little website), the former South Sydney coach has been named Tony Archer’s replacement as coach of NRL referees.
Archer moves sideways into a newly created national head of officiating role.
In the past, the NRL has flip-flopped between a former referee running its officials and an ex-coach. Neither philosophy has clearly been successful enough to stick with. Former refs who’ve had a go include Michael Stone, Bill Harrigan and Archer himself. Ex-coaches have included Peter Louis, Robert Finch and Daniel Anderson.
Are we stuck in a rut? Are we condemned to always attract the same amount of criticism, regardless of what we try, how many technological aids we enlist and how capable the men in charge may be?
To my way of thinking, there’s a mistake in terms of over-arching philosophy.
We wouldn’t put the same referee in charge of the same team each week until they ‘got it right’, would we?
So why do we bring in a referees coach, encourage him to stamp his ‘style’ on the competition and subject 16 teams to that style until he is ousted?
I don’t want a referees coach to have ‘style’. I want him to coach his underlings to enforce the rules as best he can and stay on top of the sneaky trends of modern NRL coaching. He is not like a club coach – nothing like it. He does not win or lose each week.
(Photo: AAP)
He’s like the commissioner of police.
Do we really want the way the law is enforced on the street to be subject to who is sitting at a given desk on a given day? I would say we actually want the opposite.
We want consistency, divorced from personality.
Because of this, I reckon that when the NRL referees coach comes into the role, he should know he is only there for a year or two. It’s not about performance, it’s about efficiency. He’s a public servant.
Once we take the ego out of the role – and I’m not accusing Madge of having an ego here, just speaking generally – there’ll be one less thing to argue about. We’ll not be pinning mistakes on the leadership as much because the leadership will be an anonymous revolving door.
We’ll pin mistakes on the individuals who make them because that’s actually who is responsible for most mistakes, everywhere.
Far too many positions in rugby league are held by people whose focus is keeping their job instead of doing what’s right for the sport, no matter how unpopular.
I’ve always said more people in the game need to behave like they don’t care if they have a job tomorrow.
For the referees coach, he should know with absolute certainty he doesn’t.
Steve Mascord
Guest
Yes. Should be a set term so refereeing has no personality. Two years max.
3_Hats SSTID 2014
Roar Rookie
The one thing I hope Madge does is to keep Sutton, Kline and Cummins away from Souths games. Keep these 3 cheats in the Reggies and give a few young blokes a go! Sutton should also be banned from refereeing Origin and Qld teams especially the Broncos and Cowboys! He is so pro-Queensland
3_Hats SSTID 2014
Roar Rookie
Bill Harrigan came in a few years ago and cleaned up the play the ball and made sure the wankers drop kicked from behind the goal line. His reward was to get sacked!
Hanrahan
Guest
I read Steve Mascord's stuff in spite of his political leanings, just as I read, and thoroughly enjoyed his book, despite his appalling taste in music.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Interesting... Without evidence it’s pretty hard to objectively discuss corruption. It’s pretty easy to say “I didn’t like that decision, the ref must be on the take” but it’s ultimayely meaningless without evidence.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Gotta love the big dumb ox.
Goerge
Guest
Nobody wants to consider the impact of sports betting on refereeing consistency?? It’s a surprise that this article generates 49 comments from some of the Roars most astute followers and nobody questions the impact of sports betting on the consistency of refereeing. My opinion is that Madge took the job because he couldn’t resist the 3rd party sponsorship deals (brown paper bags).
E-Meter
Guest
Most sports look after their officials in terms of decision making. How many times did we see Archer (and his predecessors) say ‘Cecchin got that wrong’ or ‘Shane Hayne should have penalised him’. They’re humans officiating a fast paced aggressive sport. Nothing will change under Maguire unfortunately. But what an opportunity to fix up the predominant ‘facilitating’ that current refereeing has become.
Don
Roar Rookie
Clearly you have been lip reading Gal's ref chats Oingo.
Don
Roar Rookie
Outrage, criticism and hyperbole is also the easy road to take. Insight, understanding tactics and explaining it concisely for viewers is far harder to communicate. So when we fill commentary boxes with guys who have no real training in communication we get what we have…largely a bunch of quality footy players who struggle to convert their innate awareness of what is happening into something that makes sense beyond the odd long winded ramblings… Hence why the best commentator has an expert to provide insight and educated opinion and, to use an old trade term "a colour man" to provide the light hearted comment from time to time.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
Good day to you both, Punch , and of course , Judy .
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
I really hope someone has put a copy of Touchstones in your Christmas stocking, VanMac.
Concerned Observer
Guest
Usually I’d prepare some sort of pithy comment about how bizzare and ridiculous that statement was but it’s hard to write something that tops your actual statement, hats off to you my friend, life must be hard when you just can’t escape all those evil SJWs and all their talk of “Trump” or “Equality” or “The rise of facism in western conservative political groups” even on the internet, where you’re anonymous and under no requirement to state your views
Nat
Roar Guru
Always welcome down at Emerson Park Jimmmy. And next year when the Easts or Redcliffe boys poke fun at the modest clubhouse we can point at the Premiership Trophy inside!
Dutski
Roar Guru
I thought profit was step 3? We are talking about the underpants gnomes, right?
Paul
Roar Guru
Could not agree more your comment about refs owning up to their mistakes, Greg. I'd rather that, and hopefully these guys learning from the error, than not making a decision for fear of getting hammered by the media or hung out to dry by the ref's boss.
uglykiwi
Roar Pro
So Maguire will report into Cameron Smith, therefore nothing will change. wrestling, bore fest, where players try and milk penalties! I reckon we need to penalise players that try and milk penalties! I bit like the divers in soccer!!
Kris Swales
Expert
1. Clean up the ruck 2. Profit
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
We don’t have a refereeing problem we have a “know-it-all” media problem, starting at the top with Gus and channel 9, if they stopped whipping up an anti referee frenzy every time something opposed their omnipotent predictions, (of course the bias masses could cease to swallow it too) our game would be a lot better off. Call the game as if the ref is GOD and the “interpretations” will settle back into the hands of fans personal bias instead of resting in the referees hands.
Alan
Guest
Oingo doesn't belong to that group unfortunately.