Finals determine the outcome of competitions and – because of that – often alter the course that sports take as a whole.
Given the NRL decider was only a couple of days ago, this might still be what the kids describe as a ‘hot take’, but we might have had one of the most influential play-off weekends in history just passed.
Real changes will happen as result of events in three countries.
I would have happily focused on the Roosters’ win over the Raiders at ANZ Stadium on Sunday night but in just 48 hours, this site is awash with great analysis about Ben Cummins’ ‘six more’ and The Hand of God* (*where God is a Sydney Roosters’ trainer).
I can see trainers being banned from the field while the ball is in play from next year as a result of this. Yes, this is a rule that will be exploited (let’s all fall over when the opposition are running away to score) but rugby league loves a knee-jerk reaction and there’s an easily assembled one here.
It’s harder to envisage a response which would please even some of the people some of the time to the wave of the arm from Cummins.
One of the most difficult aspects of corporate life – and the NRL is a corporation – is that supervisors are held responsible for their underlings’ errors. But disciplining the referees’ department or changing the coaching structure for whistlers? Does anyone seriously think that would prevent a similar error occurring?
Professional sport is human endeavour in an artificial environment staged for entertainment. Referees are not really there to entertain but they are among the humans endeavouring.
If the referee is not part of the entertainment – as I have seen argued since Sunday – then perhaps he or she shouldn’t be characters in the pantomime either.
Each time we watch a match, we suspend our sense of disbelief that grown men are wearing short-shorts with their socks pulled up and blindingly bright shirts and running into each other for no apparent reason but to make us go “whoa! Wow! See that?”
We cheer the guys in our colours – what a primitive appeal to basic cognisance that is – and boo the other others. But we can’t snap out of it at will when the referee gets involved. He must be a baddy too.
In fact, the referees are like the guy who introduces a play and tells you to turn your phone off. He’s not actually in the show. Then again, if the spotlight doesn’t work, you might boo the lighting guy.
In the end, referees have about has much chance of being loved or even respected as parking police. You can have all the post-mortems you like but that’s not going to change.
AAP Image/Brendon Thorne
In Toronto, it’s all about change, with the Wolfpack winning their way into Super League on Saturday night.
Of course, the recidivists in the pit towns are out in force saying rugby league is a northern game for northern people and all that comical Andy Capp stuff that we really should pull up a deck chair and point and chortle at rather than take seriously.
This has a relationship – in the minds of some, anyway – to a club which was the second-poorest in Super League, Salford, making the grand final this Saturday night against St Helens at Old Trafford.
The line has been pushed – using a young Red Devils fan in the stands crying as an emotive illustration – that if Super League was full of big cities like Toronto Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott says it should be, such dreams would be crushed.
Of course, it’s the other way around: if Super League had more big cities, every club would get a bigger grant and Salford coach Ian Watson wouldn’t be helping the video guy run cables before first-grade matches, which has been one of his duties this year.
Tradition and history is worth what new clubs are willing to pay to be part of it.
Cronulla, Manly, Wests and Newtown helped create something of such value that the Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand Warriors wanted to be part it. Newtown and Wests couldn’t keep up but Manly and Cronulla now benefit from the wealth the Warriors and Broncos brought into the Australian competition.
How much would the NRL get in media rights and sponsorship if it was still 12 Sydney teams? Imagine Salford with twice or three times the grant from central funding!
I was recently shown minutes from an international board meeting in the 1950s. The discussers were exactly the same – rules, referees appointments, expansion into America – rugby league is one big Groundhog Day.
Toronto in Super League is potentially us waking up and it’s not yesterday again.
Or maybe we’re just dreaming. Given that only four teams have ever won Super League, we’ll know things have changed forever if Salford win at their local Theatre of Dreams this Saturday night.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
PS, I'll be buying a wolf pack cap
Birdy
Roar Rookie
I think the NRL will be very jealous of the SL in a few years for having the wolf pack and wonder why they didn't get them instead .
Rupert
Roar Rookie
Exactly, MLP. However, the NRL has placed 'trainers on the field' (and other issues) in a very large 'too hard basket' for years. It isn't difficult to reverse 'trainers on the field' - a policy which has grown like topsy from the time when they were allowed onto the field to provide water in early season heatwave conditions. A poll of fans would show it to be one of the least liked policies. It has negative entertainment value, little functional purpose and can be iniquitous. NRL is already a great game and I think new boss, Peter V'Landys, after his successes in the racing industries, will take the game and its entertainment value to an even better place. I
damo
Roar Rookie
Here's my suggestion for the trainer issue, accepting that we either keep the current rules but enforce them properly &/or do away with them altogether & introduce something along the lines of the following: Trainers make contact with the ball, an opposition player, or are deemed by the refereeing team (video refs included to assist with adjudication) to have interfered with or affected play results in one of two options for the opposing team; 1. Penalty tap on a point of the attacking 10m line of their choosing , or 2. Kick for goal to be taken in the same manner as a try being scored, i.e. at any point they choose along the alignment of the infringement. Teams can choose their play depending on how they feel but the main point is that if a teams trainer affects play then they are possibly giving up points regardless of whether it was intentional or not. Flaws in the idea? It won't overcome the opportunity involved in random, broken play but then again it will overcome a situation like the Roosters being deemed the "attacking team" & subsequently getting the scrum feed when for my money, it was the Raiders who were attacking because they were best positioned to exploit the broken play. I have no stats of how many times trainers are involved in any scenario where the refs have to make a ruling about their actions or interactions, but I'm guessing it's actually quite minimal. I'm certain that this rule change would eventually become victim to a situation where it seemed that a team was harshly dealt with or unfairly penalised (perhaps accurate kickers will start kicking at trainers?) but hey, that's the price a team pays for having a trainer on the field.
My Little Pony
Roar Rookie
I could understand the NRL being reluctant to make changes if it was difficult to do so. This is what has frustrated many people regarding trainers being on the field. The solution, as you point out, is quite simple and easy to implement yet nothing has been done.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Not a bad idea. I think the simplest form is they don’t go on the field unless there is a stoppage in play.... drinks during tries/conversions/penalties like it was for 100 years - and then of course, generally the game will stop when there is an injury which is clearly a valid reason for trainers to be on there. I think automatic penalty as Matt has suggested below if they interfere at all.... if they aren’t interfering but just loafing around (30 seconds to get off after a conversion for example) - fine the club $10k, watch how quickly the trainers go back to staying on the sidelines.
Renegade
Roar Guru
One referee for sure
matth
Roar Guru
I say keep it very simple. Whatever limitations put in place will be circumvented so let’s just say that the trainer is on at the team’s risk and if he interferes with play it’s a handover (or six again if the other side already has the ball). Or if you really really want them to be careful an automatic penalty against that team.
matth
Roar Guru
But would you be watching or it no longer be on TV?
Bunney
Roar Rookie
Your description of our emotions when we watch our team Steve is peerless. Suspension of disbelief, our bright colours, running into each other, whoa see that?, and basal cognisance. Brilliant two paragraphs. Go Salford, and Go the Wolfpack next year!
Bunney
Roar Rookie
How do we get them off? My thought - An NRL official on the sideline oversees the comings and goings of the trainer's, and if they exceed their remit, inform the refs to blow a penalty for the opposition. Any other ideas?
Frank
Guest
How sad! The differences between Salford and Man It's now Freddie boy ????
Renegade
Roar Guru
The Wolfpack story is too good. Salford somehow claiming the title this week would be one of the great underdog stories in sport. Trainers only being allowed on the field when there are stoppages is a winner… the clubs can try their best to exploit it but there is no reason for the trainer to be on the field after 2 mins of free flowing play – get them off the field.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Each time we watch a match, we suspend our sense of disbelief that grown men are wearing short-shorts with their socks pulled up and blindingly bright shirts and running into each other for no apparent reason but to make us go “whoa! Wow! See that?” One of the best descriptions of sport I’ve ever read...
Fred
Guest
Go Salford! The original Red Devils!
My Little Pony
Roar Rookie
Steve, seeing that you closely watch both the NRL and Superleague, do you think there should be one or two referrees?
RobertAM
Guest
and living in a cave and eating raw meat?
Max power
Guest
How much would the NRL get in media rights and sponsorship if it was still 12 Sydney teams? Would I care ? I’d be just as happy watching the old 12 teams