The NRL has vowed to throw its support behind under-fire referee Ben Cummins, with the furore which erupted after Sunday’s grand final blunder raging long into Monday.
The official at the centre of the six-again call has been criticised by everyone from Russell Crowe to Wally Lewis and Johnathan Thurston after Sydney Roosters scraped home 14-8.
Cummins himself admitted just last week he at times doesn’t want to go out in public after “a dusty game” to avoid copping it from unhappy fans.
And as ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie said on Monday, Cummins wouldn’t have been feeling good following the grand final.
“Sometimes things happen that are no one’s fault,” Beattie said.
“Nobody is saying Ben went out there to make a bad decision. Of course he didn’t.
“We will support him because at the end of the day if people keep vilifying referees no one will want to do this job.”
Beattie mirrored the view of NRL head of football Graham Annesley who insisted the correct call was made even if the process was wrong.
Regardless, it can’t be denied that it came at a crucial time, with possession awarded to the Roosters after Jack Wighton saw six-again signalled before it was reversed.
“I can understand why a lot of Raiders fans were unhappy with what happened but the reality was a mistake was made and it was corrected,” Beattie said.
“When you’ve got a linesman and the assistant referee giving advice, you can’t ignore it.
“He’s not going to feel terribly good today, of course he’s not. There is controversy around … (but) we’ve got to be sensitive about these things.
“These people are not robots, they are people.”
Not that any of that will appease Raiders fans.
Wighton has since insisted the six-again call changed the way he treated the crucial play, before he was forced to hand it over and the Roosters scored in the next set.
“I saw it (six-again motion), I would have put it on the toe or threw the ball if that was not the instructions,” Wighton said.
“I saw the call so I held onto it and kept it safe and he’s gone back on his decision.
“I watched him wave his arm and I told my forward Emre (Guler) to hold the ball because there was six again.
“He threw it at me and I definitely wasn’t passing it because I knew it was six (again). For the call to get overridden, it was a massive moment in the game.
“But we’re definitely not going to blame a ref for our loss, we had more than enough opportunities.”
Cummins doesn’t use social media and is usually able to avoid seeing criticism.
But the blowback from Sunday’s decision would have been hard to miss.
“It’s not easy but you do get used to (abuse),” Cummins said last week after being appointed to the decider.
“It’s definitely not right and I found that the hardest part to deal with as I came through as a younger referee with that sort of stuff.
“If you’ve had a dusty game sometimes you don’t want to go out in public because you know people will say things.”
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
By saying it was OK they are giving the green light for the same error to happen again. Abusing refs is wrong but manipulating an error with political hogwash is achieving nothing. Seems to appease a lot of people but will they be so content if they cop it in a GF?
catcat
Roar Rookie
It seems to me the rules of the game are the problem....not the refs. We allow them such little discretion. For 6 again the ref has to react quickly for the attacking team...then the decision is over ridden by another ref. Can't the ref use some discretion, apologize and play 5th tackle again. I can't think of too many other rules this would apply to. We have seen late calls on forward passes and head highs, but with 6 again timing is everything. Next this bloody trainer...they should be making there way off the field after tackle 3 unless treating an injury... anyway again I say play the tackle again or play on if minor impact to game - ref can decide and explain that decision to us. This was a great grand final battle bar these two incidents. Some rule changes are required.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
I don't think this is about not holding him to account for this, as they would for any wrong decision in the post game review. I'm sure he is being dealt with as any ref would. This is about giving him support from the death threats and constant abuse he is now copping from countless keyboard warriors. The man made a split second decision and corrected a wrong call (which he shouldn't have done), that doesn't mean he should be attacked for it.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
It was an error, no doubt about it. Refs will make mistakes, so will players and coaches. I think the media, especially TV commentators, keep replaying the mistake and being way too critical. Go back to one referee and just stop replaying everything in slow motion looking for a mistake.
WarHorse
Roar Rookie
Why do they keep defending the error. It was an error. Ive watch it a few times now on close up and I can see it hitting tedescos shoulder first so it should have been 6 again and Cummins first instinct was correct. Cummins should have stuck to his guns and ignored the other ref(s). Maybe it should be Sutton that should be copping the criticism for making the wrong call. Sure it is hard to tell when its at full speed but the trajectory of the ball when it comes off the players can only mean its bounced forward off tedesco first.
Pickett
Guest
You'd have to stop play then because it takes time for both refs to synchronize. It probably would've been appropriate on Sunday night but it could set another controversial and unpopular precedent for future games.
Insider
Roar Rookie
Harden up mr ref, you accept your mistake you front media cause where you a player it’s exactly what would happen, ask Jurbo it hurts but it builds respect and character something all of you lack
rebel
Roar Guru
The physical signal should not be applied until both refs confirm 6 again. In a game played in front of 10s of thousands of people, physical sigals are easier to go off than someone shouting. It was a monumentous stuff up, but one that could have affected both sides depending on how it played out. They need to sort out the process, same with the ball hitting trainers.
Clanger McClunk
Guest
Too much technology, far too much. Reports say that the refs have different people talking to them through their earpieces, "helping" them throughout the course of the game. Maybe it's about time to go retro, one ref, no earpieces and minimal use of the bunker. When the magnificent leader of our game Todd Greenberg gave his bunker the green light it was the birth of many problems to the game. Rugby League is a game of human endeavour but has been taken over by technology which has retracted from the spectacle. We don't have players with earpieces receiving directions so why the refs?
Walter White
Guest
I agree. There needs to be accountability. They deserve more respect and should get more credit for the difficult job that they do but there has to be accountability and demonstrable accountability. If a player stuffs up in a massive way, drops the ball over the try line in the last minute say or perhaps pulls a players jersey over his ear, the press never let it go, there is no hiding place from the relentless criticism. Now I am not saying that is the answer. I feel for Cummins and his stuff up but we have to have public accountability. What is so wrong with Annersley or even Cummins himself standing up and saying "Sorry guys, I was wrong to do that" ? He would get a heck of a lot more respect and support.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Let's step back for a second. Take away the Roosters vs Raiders mentality. We can all acknowledge he made a colossal stuff up. Outcome aside, you have to agree with that yeah? So the question is, why do we not punish it? Why do we defend it?
Brendon
Roar Rookie
But...why?.... Why are they supporting him when he made such a crucial error? This is what sucks about situations like this. He made a serious error. Did it rob the Raiders? Who knows. But it was a blatant error. If I make an error, one with such a costly outcome, at my job, I get performance reviewed, I get out on probation, I cod even get fired. Why then do we allow such a large scale error which has once again brought the game under media scrutiny to go completely unpunished? Has anyone ever thought, I don't know, maybe he is just a crappy ref and we need to get new ones in the game? Of course not because we are too busy defending errors...
RudyZarzoff
Guest
Cue the irrational, Roosters haters again. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.