The referees’ union insist their voices were not properly heard before the NRL made the decision to go back to one whistleblower for the remainder of 2020.
The NRL confirmed on Wednesday night that the pocket referee would be gone for the rest of the season, turning back the clock by a dozen years to 2008.
Under the changes, the NRL will save money by no longer using touch judges, who are employed on a casual basis.
Instead, those roles will be filled by those who are normally full-time referees, ensuring no officials are made redundant.
The change will be reviewed at the end of this season before the start of 2021.
But the Professional Rugby League Match Officials said they were unhappy with the change, and would not rule out considering their options further.
It comes after the union’s chairman Silvio Del Vecchio earlier this week refused to rule out industrial action.
“We are obviously very disappointed at tonight’s decision by the ARLC,” the union posted on Twitter.
“A lack of meaningful consultation and proper consideration around such a significant decision remain an issue.
“We will continue to consult closely with our members and reserve our rights at this time.”
Gerard Sutton. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The union has previously questioned how much money will be saved in the move, amid claims it will be in the millions.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys on Wednesday night claimed the move would help stop the wrestle and ensure the best match officials are always on the field.
“The decision shouldn’t been seen as taking one referee out,” he said.
“It should be that we are using three full-time experienced referees controlling the game, which will ensure greater surveillance of the ruck and the wrestle.”
But there has been opposition from coaches ever since it was first suggested last week, as well as fears from players it would still slow down the ruck.
Coaches Des Hasler, Michael Maguire, Paul Green, Paul McGregor, Stephen Kearney and Justin Holbrook had been among those to speak out against the change.
But by Wednesday night, there had been softening from some players.
Parramatta enforcer Nathan Brown reasoned he was ready for the game to shift to one on-field official.
“Most of the NRL players have played their whole careers with one ref so I don’t think it really matters,” he said.
Former South Sydney star and now assistant coach Sam Burgess also claimed he hadn’t noticed the difference in Test football, with his view at odds to many other international players.
Meanwhile Queensland coach Kevin Walters has been a vocal supporter of the move in the past week, arguing the game had previously survived fine for 100 years with one referee.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Disco Des shouldn't worry about one ref , last time that happened was in 2008 , it didn't go so badly for his team.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Start of the season played with two refs, the rest played with one Another reason to chalk up a big asterisk next to this season... :stoked:
Big Daddy
Guest
I've got no problem with the one referee system but the six again is a big alteration which plays into the quicker, faster ,fitter players hands. By going to one referee the bunker has to be more accountable. By having 1st grade referees as linesman/touch judges conveying information to the referee helped, but I do hope the rotation of referees is not controlled by Sutton as we'll get to see the same guys week after week.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm not clear if the ref's noses are out of joint because they felt they should have had more consultation or because they think the change sucks? I sometimes think there's too much talk about rule changes, not only in the NRL. but with sport in general. It's safe to say for every person who thinks this particular changes is a good idea there'll be at least one who doesn't. Why don't the players, officials & coaches just suck it up, learn the new rule and play with it, instead of whinging about it? Complaining ain't going to make anyone change their minds, not with the season ONLY 14 DAYS AWAY!!!!! :happy: :happy: :happy:
eels47
Roar Rookie
By definition employees are in fact stakeholders.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
It had to happen sooner or later and the empire building within the NRL had to stop. The current situation has forced V'Landy's hand earlier but I reckon these changes were always on the cards for we forget the survey stuff that the NRL carried out late last season. I agree with Kevvie and have always preferred the one ref.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
This the latest NRL experiment will be reversed in the future once everyone sees the ruck out of control and the ref blowing “6 again” again and again with gay abandon. Some teams may even coach their player in the ancient art of pulling a penalty in the ruck.
Sam
Guest
Silly move to do this once the season has already commenced, and given that there may be new sets of eyeballs on the NRL given the lack of other sports on at the moment it's not the time to be experimenting. If they revert back to two refs next year then they're admitting they got it wrong this year. The game has become too fast, one ref simply can't police both the 10m and the ruck at the same time, especially now that teams have wrestling coaches. Internationals you can get away with one ref because the coaches in charge of rep teams don't spend enough time with the playing group to focus on the ruck, it's more about creating a cohesive team.
Brett Jason Allen
Guest
Contrary to their obvious belief, referees are not stakeholders in the game, they are employees and do not have to be consulted with rule changes.