When I was growing up ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ was one of my favourite fables. The lesson from that fable was that a liar will not be believed even if they are telling the truth.
I was reminded of that fable this week on several occasions; leading into the judiciary appearance of Jared Warea-Hargreaves and after listening to some of the absurd commentary about the men’s finals fixtures.
It seems like every week the commentary teams are changing their mind about how the game should look, what conduct should and shouldn’t be penalised and also the role of the referees.
Phil Gould, amongst others, is rugby league’s version of the boy who cried wolf.
I’ve lost track of how many rants Gould has had this year. He’s complained about the state of the game, about refereeing but most importantly about how he can single-handedly fix every aspect of the game from the referees to clubs that are struggling and all for free.
These rants have been on the increase since Gould lost his job at the Penrith Panthers.
Truth be told I’m getting tired of having these same conversations year after year, particularly when some commentators change their tune just to be inflammatory.
Let’s take one of the big talking points from this week: the decision to suspend Warea-Hargreaves for one match for tripping. That decision means he will the Grand Final Qualifier against the Melbourne Storm.
In the lead up to Warea-Hargreaves’ appearance, Gould made the following comments:
“No one, not even the three panel members who find him guilty when he goes to the judiciary tomorrow night, no one believes he should be missing a game for that.”
“It’s not the offence that’s the problem, the offence shouldn’t be a suspendable offence.”
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
It baffles me that this is Gould’s position for a number of reasons. Tripping is dangerous. It is grubby and it has no place in our game. But if baffles me mainly because back in 2016, Gus had a different view:
“Today, for reasons I can’t understand, tripping is no longer considered dangerous. The penalties applied these days are obviously no deterrent. Tripping should have no place in our game – in most instances it is no accident.”
So my question to Gould is, what does he actually think?
There were also several media blow ups about the decision to sin bin two players over the weekend; Jake Trbojevic from the Manly Sea Eagles and Cameron Smith from the Melbourne Smith.
I’ve never seen a clearer sin than Trbojevic’s. How anyone could complain is beyond me. His tugging of the jersey was a professional foul and he deserved to spend some time off the field.
As for Smith and his slap, again a sin bin was appropriate. Slapping, pulling of ears and ridiculous niggle is unwanted in the game and if it takes players spending some time in the bin to understand that, I am all for it.
Smith slapped Reed Mahoney in the face, right in front of the referee. If that isn’t a sin bin, I don’t know what is.
In response to this, Gould alleged that the game has turned into a nanny-state. A position I have seen very few people agree with.
Some may argue that by writing an article on a topic like this, that I’m giving oxygen to the very type of negative story that I am sick of reading.
But on the hill at Jubilee Oval cheering on the mighty Newtown Jets this very topic is the one that rugby league fans were talking about.
Many of us are tired of the negative diatribe and wish that instead of questioning every decision the referees make that we could instead focus on the exciting finals fixtures we have coming this weekend.
Additionally, fans are growing tired of the media questioning refereeing decisions that are so obviously correct.
For many of these commentators rugby league is their livelihood. It is the game that has given them so much. And yet, they do very little to talk the game up and promote it. Instead they bitterly complain whenever they get the opportunity.
It’s so disappointing to see players like that continue to get a platform, particularly one that is so powerful.
I wonder why these people continue to work in our game, when they are so obviously frustrated by the state of the game and when they increasingly fail to read the room and understand how the average fan is feeling.
Perhaps it’s time that some of them walked away and gave an opportunity to others who want to use their platform for good.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
no, it was not.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
Could not agree more, well said and I hope the majority of us feel the same way. I'm tired of them complaining about too many penalties slowing down the game and yet heaven help a referee who doesn't penalise when the likes of Gould think they should have. Tripping has always been looked down upon throughout the decades I've followed the game. As for Trbojevic's effort, sure he's trying to chase down the ball carrier but he has to go around the support player not through him, the support player is not to be interfered with.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
Burgess and JWH are serial offenders and have no cause for complaint over missing a week. I see Sam (never my fault) Burgess get away with more rubbish than any other player in the comp, if they applied the hair pulling/no facials/third-man-in standard consistently throughout the season he would rarely be on the paddock. IMO the reason these frustrations with sin bin and suspension result from inconsistencies earlier in the season, compare these offences to Josh Mcguire eye gouge on Munster that resulted in... no suspension. Unbelievable. And this is my issue, the standard needs to be set by the refs at the beginning of each season - not wait until the cattiest players progressively push the boundaries of dirty niggle until the refs lose patience towards the end of the season... and here we are, hair pulling and face slapping disrupting the finals. Cody Walker’s head in Cooper Cronk’s face in their first match - that was the moment to set the standard. My brother is a primary school teacher with 30 years experience, he says the standard for behaviour needs to be set in the first week of every term or a teacher risks losing control of the class as the term progresses. Will the NRL never learn this lesson?
Gus O
Roar Rookie
I disagree. I reckon Gould is a better informed commentator since his experience in charge of Penrith and is the only voice on any commentary team with playing, coaching and club GM experience. A 100% unbiased, 100% consistent position is an unrealistic expectation. I want to see all teams playing in the finals at full strength, also an unrealistic expectation at the end of a long season. I miss Wok’s insightful voice on ABC grandstand, and I really appreciate Fittler, Sterling, Alexander and Gus Gould on the TV.
Footy Fan
Guest
My 2c. I thought the Jurbo sin-binning was completely correct, technically and 'in the vibe'. You can't run around grabbing blokes and pulling them of the ball. There was a potential try - pass to Gagai then to Reynolds. AFAIK, complaint against all of that is senseless gibber. Ditto the face slaps. Clear strikes in both cases, with heads jolting back a little. One intentional, one careless. People pipe up saying it's a tough game - well an open palmed strike at a retreating player, or a player on the ground isn't so and is a crappy act - treat it as the foul it is. And would you have it every set or two? No .... So, mucho, mucho whingeing about decisions that are not just technically correct, but rather sensible, too. Agree with Mary about back-flipping and switching positions just to oppose the officials. My pet hate: the ad-nauseum cries to 'common sense' - the idea that we shouldn't have precise definition and interpretation of rules because there are exceptional cases that test the rules. The idea that we should 'undefine' and 'un-interpret' certain rules and indicators and instead rely on gut-feel. Because we once played the game. And in the spur of the moment not focussing on the specifics of the rules, but instead going with general impressions and 'common sense' would give a better results. And consistency across many refs and officials. Utter insane drooling nonsense, Heaven help us! Fact is, a number of current and ex players and coaches don't understand certain rules that are there for good reason. Playing experience can steer you wrongly in learning rules from gut feel. Rules have evolved from 'the day' based on experience and reason. Without singling out any commentators, some have not put in effort to understand rule rationale and definition. It should be a prerequisite for the job - just ask Rabbits Warren, who has done the work. Would you manage the law without clearly defined rules (law), but instead use the vibe or common sense?
Jake Hughes
Guest
Maybe The NRL need to start fining the likes of Gloud and pull these clowns into line. The constant flip and flop each week , the rants and not moving on to just call the game is wrecking the game.
mark
Guest
Dude he's a spaz and doing it on purpose.
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
250 posts about nrl referees? The subject that won’t go away!
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
How?
Tom G
Roar Rookie
"There are none so blind as those who will not see...." John Heywood 1546
Womblat
Guest
You will kill the game, Mary. Good job.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
As bad as "Gas Gould" is NO ONE is worse than than Ray Hadley! He is too busy doing a Smithers routine on Wally Lewis or Darren Lockyer to call the game! I lost track of the times he missed a line break or even a try because he was busy massaging Lewis's ego and calling him "the King".
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
It's a pity Gould, Fittler, Johns, JT and Lewis spoil things. I respect what Ray "Rabbits" Warren brings to a game when he isn't being constantly interrupted by anecdotes about their golf days and trips up the freeway! :unhappy: Zzzzzzzz
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
And I was going to get the kids to look under all the seats for loose change as well. It could have paid for the petrol back to the Central Coast! Too bad those days are gone. There was more money to be made than doing a paper run. :laughing:
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
"....Redfern oval is less than a shadow now of it’s former glory. I took the kids there..." ....damn you and your superb parenting skills PS! ;)
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
...then there is always the Raiders There not their... Good grief!
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Redfern oval is less than a shadow now of it's former glory. I took the kids there a few years back and it is just a shell now. Gone is the old scoreboard that used to partially obscure some of my view of Redfern oval from the housing commission flats I grew up in that stood behind them. The younger generation will never understand how vibrant and full of life the old suburban grounds used to be. With the hot dog stands, the pick the first try scorer competitions, the old black and white programs for sale at the ground, the team coloured streamers, the fence banging, the swell of the hill and trying to find a position, the round the ground live updates over the loud speaker of other games being played with a chorus of supporting boos or cheers. Then there was the chance to run onto the field after the game and pat your heros on the back and then playing a game of footy in the in-goals after the game. Before tge game kids lined up waiting for the players to arrive and sign an autograph on the way in. Back when players would drive themselves to a game instead of all arriving on a coach en masse and disappearing through a back entrance, unseen. The sound of Dragons fans stomping on the wooden floors of the southern grandstand at the SCG during the finals in unison and ending with a cry of "St George!" over and over again. The same tribal rhythm being banged on the metal fence that surrounded Redfern oval by Rabbitohs supporters but ending instead with "South Sydney!" The fans were connected to the tribalism which had a physical presence at times. Happy times! Happy times! Gee I miss those days.
scrum
Roar Rookie
Madmax - just like his suggestions in the past. I will give you some of Gould’s suggestions- more technology, less technology- put ex-players in as video refs - always have to have 13 on 13 which ended up with blatant professional fouls because of lack of consequences.As Mary points out he changes his mind continually but that is the beauty of the media- while holding everybody to account there is no accountability for the likes of Gould. He is a serial referee abuser as are many others who have no concept of the pressure that NRL referees operate under- the public scrutiny is immense with every error being highlighted as incompetence. It is impossible for Refs to get every decision right and when they make really great decisions there is little praise. And the abuse they cop- in what other social or workplace situation would that be tolerated.
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
Scrum, that quote is my favourite of all time.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Why am I in denial of the rules for saying that Gagai milked it for all it was worth? Pray tell, if you bothered to read what I have written about the topic (Which I doubt) I have stated that it was a penalty BUT it was not a professional foul or a sin bin offence.