The NRL have secured a significant win, with the referees’ union dropping their threat of industrial action and the pocket official scrapped just as their feud threatened to go nuclear.
After a dramatic day where both sides fired shots at each other, the referees’ union eventually relented on Friday night and called off weekend arbitration.
Under the deal, 22 full-time referees will be employed both this year and next with the one-referee system to be a “trial” that is reviewed at year’s end.
A working committee of players, coaches referees and management will be set up, with their feedback handed to the commission before a call is made on 2021.
The development came after the union infuriated the NRL on Friday by accusing them of overlooking player safety and labelled them “arrogant” and like a “bull in a china shop” in rushing to make changes.
“It’s simple: Today’s game is safer with two refs,” the Professional Rugby League Match Officials said in a statement.
“On numerous occasions, the second referee has picked up potential causes of harm to players, which were not detected at the same time by the other three match officials, nor the bunker.
“This includes tackles, holds and throws that can cause significant injury.
“Identifying and responding to these incidents promptly is crucial in ensuring player safety, and in complying with concussion protocols where a head injury is suspected.
“But this does not appear to concern the league’s bosses.”
The union claimed that 80 per cent of ruck penalties are spotted by the pocket referee, who has been eliminated in the NRL’s new model.
They also said the NRL had ignored the pleas of coaches of players during a May 11 Project Apollo meeting in moving to the one-referee system.
“The league bosses were simply arrogant with this one-ref decision,” the statement said.
“They were like a ‘bull in a china shop’.”
The comments angered ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys, who immediately said the referees had lost all credibility through the claims.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
He insisted that under his plan there will be extra qualified eyes on the ruck, with officials who have previously been pocket referees now acting as touch judges.
Both they and the bunker will be given license to communicate with the central referee on the ruck as part of the changes approved by the commission.
He also attacked claims that the game would save “peanuts” by eliminating the pocket referee, arguing the figure would be close to $2 million in a full season.
“I think the NRL knows what the cost savings are more than an association would,” V’landys told AAP.
“The commission should be allowed to change its rules and policies to maximise its revenues.”
Hours later V’landys had seemingly won the battle, with confirmation just before 8pm the PRLMO had called off a Fair Work hearing following meetings with the league.
“It is a constructive sign that the NRL have agreed to do this on a trial basis until the end of the year,” PRLMO chairman Silvio Del Vecchio said.
“Our case in the Fair Work Commission will be resumed, if necessary, and can be revisited, following the ARLC Commission’s response to the working group’s deliberations at the end of the season.”
Vlandy’s praised the actions of “individual referees” following the news.
“It was heart-warming to see their desire that nothing stands in the way of the 28th May commencement of our great game,” he said.
Butch
Guest
Its all about entertainment and the 2 refs system saved the 2019 GF from probably being decided by ref error. How the refs with EBA on their side let it go is beyond me. All codes are going to more arbitraters to get decisions right because obvious errors (eg will be more mistakes with stripping the ball decisions which decide games) on excellent TV shots make the game look stupid and unwatchable. Should the touchies have been allowed to have more input in decision making as a compromise? Putting all key decisions in the hands of 1 person whose career depends upon maximum viewers and entertainment means the ref will be conflicted in making key decsions. Roy Masters has written about this often.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
I never saw the benefits of two referees. All that it delivered was more controversy and double the wage bill.
Walter Black
Guest
I have read a few of your comments recently Edward and you really do not like Mr. Vlandys do you. The end of the 2020 season will see how good or not he really is. While he has made a few stupid statements borne out ignorance no doubt, But for the first time in a long time, I look at our sport and I look at the AFL and have a smile on my face. So right now I would give him the benefit of the doubt and back him to the hilt.
Walter Black
Guest
"“Our case in the Fair Work Commission will be resumed, if necessary, and can be revisited, following the ARLC Commission’s response to the working group’s deliberations at the end of the season.” or in other words, if we don't get our own way by season ends and this one ref is a success then we will just start the whole thing up again. I must say that it is the refs organisation that is sounding arrogant. I never liked the 2 refs idea and when 2 refs still allow debacles like the Storm v Raiders Finals game last year then I can well understand the move to one ref. The big thing that we have now is the Captains challenge which makes the second ref redundant in my view. Maybe it is this that has the refs running scared. Seriously though, I just cannot understand why the refs are so put out by this decision. Any business has to have the right to change how it operates and even more so in these difficult times. I reckon the 1 ref and 6 again plus the Captains challenge will be a roaring success this season.
Paul
Roar Guru
It's obviously great that the last major hurdle has been overcome and the games can restart (assuming CV-19 doesn't flare up). I wonder about that working party though. It concerns me that people will take their personal bias into that group and fail to consider other points of view. I also hope views aren't swayed by talking heads like Gould & co. The end result has to be a balanced look at the rules with thoughtful recommendations, not some knee jerk to a Gould podcast. I'd also like the NRL to get some feedback on the two changes from people interested in the game. Obviously they don't need to be on the committee, but a simple survey might be a useful tool to see what the public thinks.
Paul
Roar Guru
Is this your Nostradamus prediction, Edward? Not sure how you can make these calls when they've not been implemented yet?
Nick
Roar Guru
I guarantee Phil Gould at some stage this year will say "I've always said two refs are better than one....." in another of his revisionist statements that spew from his mouth.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
I'll call it. One referee is a dud, 6 again is a dud and the angry old ex-players will be ranting against them by seasons end.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Valandy's is looking more like a Benevolent dictator every day. Many punters are squirming and frothing at the mouth while brushing the cob webs off the pitch forks but the penny might drop at some stage. I'll forgive the odd mistake if it happens but in the mean time let the dictator ship roll on. If the rugby crowd are smart they'll try to poach him as he has no trouble understanding that the game needs to be great to watch and is willing to take action. Bozo was similar but a harsher and unpopular benevolent dictator when called in to sort out Manly but like Valandy's his ability is way above his critics ability to understand a good thing when they see it. Has Valandy's done anything so far which hasn't been heavily criticised by the mob? I can't think of anything. Apparently I'm that naive that I actually believe we will have worthy premiers later in the year. Lets see if that's true.