'Frankly, it's rubbish': Annesley blasts criticism from fans over refs while giving bunker green light over dubious decisions

Yeah I don’t disagree with any of that mate, but I just think the impact of one refs decision is being way overblown If one call rocks a team’s world that badly, that’s still on the team, not on the ref Coming back to the Gutho strip… it happened with 26 minutes to go and the Eels scored three tries after it. A coach rewinding back to that and blaming the loss on that one call - which was a strip v loose carry decision, the most 50/50 of all onfield calls - is bordering on delusional Refs have always made mistakes. There was no golden era of perfect refereeing. The thing that has changed is how people are (over) reacting to mistakes

I dont see errors as having the same effect that a poor rub of the green may have. Errors are within your control. Yes I agree that they should be able to handle it as pro athletes but scorelines running high after a couple of contentious decisions would suggest otherwise when the losing team were previously competing well in a match. It could also be fitness of the winning team of course but the lesser team may be digging especially deep to compete and a couple of bad calls that change the momentum - couple of quick tries, penalties and the clock watching begins

The bunker was brought in because the fans whinged about ref mistakes. The multiple replays were brought in because an angle would validate the gripes of the fan. It was slowed down because fans got upset knock ons were missed. Fans like commentators blaming refs. If they didn't, then Phil Gould would be unemployed by now. Touchies already have empowerment and agency to intervene.

About 98% I reckon. The remaining 2% would just be plain old boring "we woz robbed" bias by fans.

I dont think it can be quantified but certainly when pro athletes are pushing themselves to their very limits an umpire or referee can break them. You would hope that it doesn’t but it can. After that it can be a different game. Nup. The players are also actively looking to cheat, exploit and bend every rule that they can, at every single tackle. They are more culpable than any ref. It's a two way street Robbo.

Rule 3: The customers are idiots. Ignore rules 1 and 2 when they are wrong.

Yeah, but so can a drop ball, a knock on, a forward pass, a missed tackle… all of those things happen way more frequently and have far more impact on the result than one 50/50 call by the ref Count all the errors, missed tackles, etc and compare those to one refs error. If an umpire or ref can “break them” I’m not sure they can be called pro athletes

I dont think it can be quantified but certainly when pro athletes are pushing themselves to their very limits an umpire or referee can break them. You would hope that it doesn't but it can. After that it can be a different game.

I believe that's the case, so those interested in their health can track how far they run, etc. I don't know how accurate these are though, ie could it tell whether a plater was in front of a kicker when there's often only a few cms in it?

So there's pretty clear footage on 360 showing how easy it is to check by the cutting edge technology of line at 90° to the sideline . So why cant the bunker do this with there multi million dollar tech . No one can argue with the line

No, but the Dragons gave up 16 unanswered points after one 50/50 went against them, so pinning the loss to that one decision and not their own failings on attack and defence is clutching at straws How many points does it have to be to not blame the loss on one that one decision and on the ref? 20 points? 30? The Dogs had the most wretched run of 50/50 calls go against them on Sunday that I’ve ever seen. Lost by 36. Can I refs fault that one? :laughing: :laughing:

Better off with the bunker than without - they get far more right than wrong

The problem is that the decision can change the balance and momentum of pressure that a team has created. So the final score being a difference of more than 4 or 6 isn't particularly relevant.

Don't the players have GPS in that rectangular thing on their jersey?

I saw it that Lattrell's back foot was onside and front in the air? Is that ok?

Get rid of the bunker. Get rid of multiple replays. Watch 1 only at real time. Get rid of commentators that get off on blaming refs. Bring back touchies that do something. Simples.

Absolutely, Tallis Duncan was the only player called offside at the Illias kick by the ref and he immediately complied. Basically, if you’ve made up your mind and aren’t prepared to listen to all the evidence in these weekly responses to media criticisms of refereeing decisions, then you’re only in it to throw stones at GA. The return serve to J. Soward and the reporter who called the Dragon no try in the NRLW game a try ‘everyday of the week’ is a prime example of the importance to the fan of the communication and angles we aren’t privy to during a broadcast yet so significant to quell the ‘another club dudded by referees ‘so lazily prevalent these days.

Maybe it is at an all time high but it's technology that will gradually reduce the errors further, like it already has. Humans can't do it. Watching them use technology to help determine offside and penalties in football has made a huge difference.

I dont gamble, but I do wonder how much gambling contributes to this 'outrage'.

Exactly. He basically saying they can’t rule on people in front of the kicker? So how have you allowed the bunker to do so? He’d make a good Politician. Zero accountability and full of ….