When it comes to rugby league and refereeing, there are many fans and members of the media calling for consistency.
Consistency is a buzzword. Whenever there is a perception that two referees have made different decisions on separate occasions or that a rule is not as black-and-white as it seems, people scream for consistency.
I find it baffling that despite these increased calls for consistency, there has been a narrative emerging over the last couple of days that would give rise to complete inconsistency in the way the game is refereed.
Prior to the preliminary final between the Canberra Raiders and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Andrew Johns came out and said that in the final ten minutes of big games, the referees should put the whistle away and let the boys play.
These comments were in response to the Jake Trbojevic sin-binning the previous week.
But Johns is not the only person to hold this view.
We all knew the game between the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm would have fireworks – I just didn’t think they would go off so quickly.
Within the first 30 seconds we had two players sent to the bin for some push and shove in the opening plays – Nelson Asofa-Solomona from the Storm and Sio Siua Taukeiaho for the Roosters.
Both decisions were correct, particularly because the slapping rule was introduced in response to calls from fans and the media to get rid of it from the game.
Asofa-Solomona struck Taukeiaho twice in the face with an open hand. Taukeiaho clenched his fist, ready to throw a punch but didn’t manage to connect. This brought in both teams for a bit of push and shove.
In response to the sin-binning, social media erupted with several high-profile people suggesting that there was nothing in it and that in games like this, the players should be able to sort these sorts of incidents out for themselves.
When it comes to comments like these, particularly the ones Johns made, I have to call them out for what they are: absurd.
(Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
I don’t even really know what Johns was trying to say.
It seems that he is suggesting that in the last ten minutes of big games (whatever they are) that referees should referee the game differently and allow the players to determine the result.
This approach raises more questions than answers. What constitutes a big game – is it a Round 25 fixture where two teams are battling it out for the final top-eight spot? Is it a game of significance for a club or a player or is it just finals footy and State of Origin?
If I understand correctly, it also means that referees shouldn’t enforce the rules for the final ten minutes or be able to decide which rules they can and can enforce.
Could you imagine what such an approach could lead to?
If players know that they can decide the outcome of the final ten minutes, it could lead to deliberate professional fouls, foul play and unnecessary niggle to get a result.
But additionally, which rules are referees meant to enforce in the final ten minutes and which are they supposed to let go according to Johns?
Should a slightly forward pass be let go? What about a shoulder charge? A professional foul?
So many commentators are blaming referees for not being consistent enough. So the solution is to put referees in a position where they can decide which rules they can and can’t enforce but only during a certain period of the game? Makes sense.
The problem with people that think referees decide games is that in most cases, they seem to forget that there are 26 players on the field that at any given point have the ability to make decisions that will impact the final result.
The referees are not responsible for results. Johns’ comments completely absolve the players of any responsibility for their actions.
The referees have a responsibility to uphold the rules, and in the case of Trbojevic last weekend plus the three players sin-binned this weekend, the referees were doing just that.
Rules are in place for a reason and our game will be a better one when the focus shifts from referees making the correct calls to players behaving illegally or making silly mistakes on the field.
This weekend is the NRL grand final. We have quite the spectacle ahead with the people’s team, the Canberra Raiders, up against the reigning premiers, the Sydney Roosters.
For once, I urge the people commentating this game to do just that: commentate the game.
Don’t lose the plot about a referee call. Don’t talk about the feel of the game (again, whatever that means) and don’t encourage referees to forget about a rule just because it doesn’t suit a particular narrative.
Both teams have 80 minutes to win this game. Let’s see which team is good enough to do just that.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Forums have being debating this point for years and I don't understand how anyone can watch a game and think the ref blows the whistle every single time he sees a rule breach. Once that is understood the debate can move on.
Jewboy
Guest
Thank you Forty Twenty....that's what I was trying to express to Mary in my post..."feel" is probably one of many word that could be used... maybe 'common sense 'should be used more.
Nat
Roar Guru
"Logic is based on reason and sound ideas" Baaahahahahahahaha. Yes dear, what ever you say dear... :laughing:
rden
Roar Rookie
why does rugby league (officials, administrators) spend so much time apologising for it's rules?
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
..hahaha...there's nothing quite like good mates! :stoked:
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Mig ..Sinbinning is a very arbitrary situation.The Refs have a loose guidebook on what constitutes a Sinbinning.I shudder to think if and when they bring in 5min Sinbin V’s a 10min one.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Yeah it’s all Welsh to me too,mate
Higgo
Roar Rookie
Spaniard King, You are right. It would be a terribly difficult job. Neither team and their supporters are on your side. And they are all looking for a reason to attack you. It must be an extremely stressful career and they should be respected for what they do. It is wonderful seeing players shaking their hands after games, and something that i have always demanded my kids do after a game. But, I also feel the referees are being let down by the NRL and the TV commentary. Two refs? How often do you see one ref on the field make a call of knock on, to be overruled by the other ref who calls a strip? I would like to go back to one on field referee. I don’t understand the furore on this site regards Johns comments about slow motion replays. I think Johns has a valid point to make. It is as though we are finding reasons not to award a try – should we not be encouraging attacking football. Why not base all video ref decisions on replays in live speed? Maybe if the on field ref has no opinion of try/no try, he then can go to the video ref and say “I’m not sure”, then slow mo is allowed. But if the on field ref calls try or no try, then it can only be viewed in live speed. It would be seen as being more supportive of the on field ref, rather than looking for a reason to prove him wrong. Which is where i think the video ref system is flawed – it has the appearance of judging the on-field ref. I love it when an on-field ref makes a decision and blows try, or no try without referring it upstairs. And if it is wrong, well the game has moved on and so should we. And this is where the broadcasters have a responsibility to not continually harp on the errors that referees make. It is disrespectful to the referees and incites the vitriol directed towards them. What do we say to our children when a referee makes a poor decision in a weekend sport? We tell them (or at least we should) to not worry about it and get on with playing the game. And that is exactly what the viewers, commentators, broadcast directors and journalists should all do. Watching the Wales v Wallabies game is a case in point where the game is being over-analysed to the detriment of the game. Let it flow. It seems the fear of making a refereeing error is ruining the contest. Players are allowed to make mistakes. Why not referees?
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
My favourite is the old “they didn’t earn that penalty.” Line of thinking he often comes up with.
mushi
Roar Guru
I was more thinking the translation software but yes that's where the term originates (I wonder if he got paid for that...)
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Exactly
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I've seen plenty of games where the refs are one sided but not so may this season. The penalty count at the end of the game proves very little. I've checked back over some games in which I thought a team was badly treated by the refs and in which the score was greatly affected and you see the forward pass which was let go but when the other team threw the same one it was pulled up. Massive shift in the game with those two calls. Get a few more like that favoring the one team and the score can blow out and just about everyone says the ref had no influence on the result. I don't agree at all.
SpaniardKing
Roar Rookie
I challenge anyone that knocks referees to give it a go. These people in the middle are braver than any player or has been will ever be. They know absolutely nothing about officiating.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That’s a point well made. If the refs called every indiscretion the game would be a nightmare. There is a difference in what you’re saying and what Gould and Johns have been calling for. If a player is called offside and doesn’t get involved in the play the attacking side is not materially disadvantaged. If second row feeds and forward passes from dummy half are ignore consistently - and they are - neither side is materially disadvantaged. If a player on the other side of the field is a metre offside the attacking team is not materially disadvantaged. So you’re right refs need to have a feel for the game - or whatever we want to call it. But Johns and Gould are using that as an all encompassing term for any decision they don’t agree with. If an attacking player knocks on in the lead in to a try the refs can’t just let it go in the name of feel for the game. One team is massively disadvantaged by the rules being breached. That’s what Johns was literally calling for on the weekend. If an attacking player is deliberately held back without the ball in a try scoring situation the refs can’t just ignore that because one team is massively disadvantaged by the rules being breached. The refs can’t just let that flow.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That’s it in a nutshell ! Refs have always missed knock ons, made bad forward pass calls, etc The idea that because WE have super slow motion replays on our couch at home and can pick up more of these mistakes more easily, that somehow the refs should get better is ridiculous
Matt
Guest
I think they were the universal translators in hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
My views - the standard of NRL commentators is poor. There is no real commentary on strategies, positions, game analysis like you would in say the UK or Italy, Spain with their soccer. It's too much driven by opinions, outrage, emotions and one off cliche'. As for the standard of refs, that has gone down too since the referees are too scared to make their own decisions on the field because of the bunker. If a ref thinks its a try then he should just award it, if he misses a howler then he should be penalised like any other profession would. The refs should play with the spirit of the game promoting positive play. Eg Nelson Asofa-Solomona from the Storm and Sio Siua Taukeiaho for the Roosters sin bin in the fist 20 seconds of a semi final is a joke. The ref should know two big forwards are hyped up with adrenalin. He should have called both players and their captains up, given them all a warning and said " next time and you'r off". And if anything Taukeiaho should have been penalised for the deliberate knee which caused the fraccas. Same goes the week before when Cody Walker got sin binned for 'slapping' Gosieski - are you serious??? The ref should have penalised Gosieski for that grub act, I see no different to that and what James Roberts did to Corey Oates against the Broncos, and Jimmy got sent to the bin and weeks suspension. Yet Gosieski gets nothing except the opposing player sent off. Luke Keary's vicious hair pull, grub act, and then swing (with intention and force) arm to Felice Kaufusi's jaw is a send off offence, that is contrary to the spirit of the game and malicious. Sam Burgess was right - A Kangaroos Court.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
It's not proof and it's not about you. Only a two line response and no abuse, are you feeling a bit wobbly?
Rellum
Roar Guru
That is what you get when there is rule of the lynch mob
Andrew Lloyd-Phillips
Roar Rookie
I keep seeing conversations about the altercation between Taukeiaho and Solomona. They all say about the pushing and shoving also the slaps and (atempted) punches (with intent) but nonetheless why is there no mention of the raised knee by Taukeiaho when Solomona bent down to play the ball before it really started to kick off. If the Ref was paying attention to the game and saw this the wishlist would have been blown and the slaps and punches wouldn't be. I live in the UK (Wales) and like the NRL and try to watch as many matches as I can, but some times the refereeing is sometimes one-sided ie. penalising one team but not the other for the same offence. This kind of refereeing does to spoil the game. I am Welsh so am an independent and it doesn't really matter who wins, but I can see how one team can get affected by these decisions.