The NRL lost their best referee on Friday, with Matt Cecchin retiring from the game that he loves.
He has said that this decision was directly influenced by death threats he received after the England versus Tonga semi-final at the World Cup.
That incident and the ongoing harassment and abuse – not from all supporters, but every club has its group – directed towards him and other referees has cost the NRL its best referee, a fantastic advocate for gay people in the game and someone who supported people suffering mental illness.
Everyone in rugby league, from Todd Greenberg to the guy watching at home or at the ground, should be ashamed. We have allowed this to happen over time and this is the end result – and who is to say that Cecchin will be the only referee to step away from the game? Greenberg has thrown his refs under the bus numerous times this year and should take a serious amount of the blame for this result.
But fans, players and coaches must wear this too. Ricky Stuart commented that Cecchin’s decision was the result of “weak people” making death threats, and while this may be the case, does anyone need to or want to hear from a coach who has perhaps been the worst culprit for referee abuse over the last ten years?
Stuart is to blame not for the death threats but for building a culture that allows abuse and enables people to think death threats are an acceptable response to their country losing in a game of football – a match in which, incidentally, they were down 20-6 with ten minutes to go. They didn’t deserve that game and I am still very okay with the call on Andrew Fifita’s knock-on considering it was made in real time.
(Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Matt Cecchin to me is an outstanding referee. He communicates well with players, is a brave call-maker, seems to have the respect of the players and gives teams respect. All of these qualities made him in my mind the best referee in the business. While he had been strangely demoted a number of times by NRL bosses, I believe a number of fans would, if they could, choose Cecchin to officiate their team.
Cecchin has reffed nearly 300 games, 12 internationals and four State of Origins, and I feel the number of Origins should be much higher. This man’s record stands up to any other referee’s in history, and to have him driven out of the game is a disgrace.
Perhaps Cecchin’s biggest appeal for the NRL was not what he did on the field but off it. He has been a mental health ambassador for the game since talking about his own issues with panic attacks before matches. In 2012 he also became the first person since Ian Roberts to come out as gay. Cecchin changed the game off the field for the good of the sport and more. He should never be forgotten for that.
Greenberg and referee boss Bernard Sutton must shoulder a great deal of the blame for this result, but truthfully responsibility for Cecchin and his announcement falls at the feet of all fans, coaches and certain parts of the media. We have allowed a culture to develop that has driven a good man from the game he loves, and the sheer hypocrisy that has followed from Stuart and the keyboard warriors has been infuriating.
I have never screamed abuse at referees at any level of rugby league I have watched live, but today I am ashamed of us all and the culture we have built.
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