Referees boss Jared Maxwell has rejected claims he has been stripped of his power by the NRL.
The fallout from Canberra’s controversial loss to Brisbane continued on Monday, with the NRL defending several crucial calls in the 29-18 loss.
The league is also weighing up whether to add to the $160,000 in fines Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has racked up throughout his career, after post-match comments raised eyebrows at head office.
Unhappy with several decisions in the loss including a late escort penalty, a furious Stuart believes there is a reason why Canberra has seemingly been on the wrong end of multiple calls this season.
“(Referees boss) Jared Maxwell is a very good operator. He is a very good boss of the referees,” Stuart said on Saturday night. “I reckon power has been taken off Jared in a number of areas because they’re not improving.
“It happens every game on these escorts, (but) I just don’t understand why it’s been us … well I do understand, but that’s probably the part I can’t talk about.”
Asked about those comments on Monday, Maxwell flatly rejected the suggestion.
“No (my power has not changed),” Maxwell said. “I’m not really sure the angle that was made in relation to the point made by Ricky after the game the other night.”
The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley also insisted Maxwell had not had his authority diminished.
“The one thing that we don’t as an administration is say this week, we’re going to crack down on escorts,” Annesley said.
“(We don’t say) ‘this week, we’re going to crack down on anything’. We don’t give specific directions unless it’s around something like foul play.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
“Jared is the referees head coach. He works with them seven days a week, goes to games, goes to all their training sessions.
“Give them advice, coaching, feedback and instruction. No one in the NRL administration does any of that. I don’t do it. Andrew Abdo doesn’t do it. No one does.”
The most controversial call in the match came with the score at 24-18, when Hudson Young was penalised for an escort on Selwyn Cobbo as Canberra regathered a short Brisbane line dropout.
After Canberra reviewed the call and lost their captain’s challenge, Brisbane went upfield and Reece Walsh scored a match-winning field goal to deny Canberra a victory that would have locked in their finals spot.
Maxwell defended the call on Monday, stating that while Young had not made significant contact with Cobbo, he had erred by looking at the chasing Brisbane players before rushing into the line of the Brisbane flyer.
“If there’s a position taken up early enough by Hudson Young the responsibility is on Selwyn to go around him,” Maxwell said.
“That wasn’t upheld by Young. There isn’t a great deal of contact on Cobbo. However, that’s not the assessment.”
King of Kings
Roar Rookie
Going to be a lot of Ricky type rants on here when another team gets shafted with an escort for looking at a kick chaser. He talks plenty of nonsense and plenty of facts just like plenty of opinion on here. So careful to those that whinge about the whinger :silly: except for Broncos fans you'll be sweet. (Penalty Broncos)
steveng
Roar Rookie
I’m not beating myself at all, I couldn’t care less, I’ve seen it all in the last 60 years, If it was the linesman that’s even worse, as they can’t even call a forward pass that they are in line with right. The way things are going the NRL will end up like the AFL and a 3 hour game
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Wasn't called by the bunker. Called by the touch judge. Spend 5 mins over on NRL.com and learn about what the refs are assessing, save beating yourself up.
Funkthebunker
Roar Rookie
I didn't hear Ricky complaining when the raiders were handed two games earlier in the season. One against the Titans and the other against the Tiger's. Graham Annesley openly admitted mistakes were made which cost them the game. Ask players and fans from these clubs about being dudded Ricky! The Raiders do not deserve to be in the 8..in a bunkerless world using common sense they are on 26 points. The for and against then makes a lot more sense.
steveng
Roar Rookie
The refereeing and especially the bunker is a rabble and changes like the tides and winds! The NRL unfortunately is unrecognizable from the game that I grew up with and is becoming unwatchable, that is if the NRL will continue the way that they are with rukle changes and adding rules to confuse the fans. How can the bunker adjudicate on itself? When at the end of the game and at a very crucial time, they pulled the Cobbo incident up and it was called by the bunker to the referee as an obstruction by the bunker, and the Raiders were penalised, then the Raiders challenge the decsion, and then the referee brings it up as a challenge to the bunker, so that the bunker can adjudicate on their own previous decision WHAT :laughing: ??? This is when it was clearly shown in the replay, that Cobbo jumped the highest and his arms were never ever showing that he had any intentions of catching the ball, but it was clearly showing that Cobbo was going to palm the ball backwards, and then the bunker comes up with this nonsensical dedication that "Cobbo was impeded from catching the ball" WHAT??? Come on these blokes think that we are all dumb. The NRL is becoming very hard to watch with the many and continual 6 again, then these nonsensical bunker calls, as the NRL will get to a stage wher eit will be utterly frustrating to watch and unwatchable, as it won't be a contest, but a game that you will have a nervous breakdown if you watch 80min of it that will take 160min of video replays, bunker calls etc etc etc :laughing:
TJ
Roar Rookie
The game (and the Raiders) will be much better off once Ricky is no longer an NRL coach. His childish rants have become so boring and predictable (much like the Raiders attack). He's well protected by the media but surely his position will be under threat if they miss the 8 this year after being in the top 4 just 6-7 weeks ago.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Well we never hear from Raiders management BG so how would we know? Is silence a signs of tacit agreement or tolerance? Ricky appears to be above scrutiny here from either the media or the Raiders board. The fans are a different story.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Sorry Geoff, I made that comment because I'm not hearing any talk about Ricky being asked to move on by anyone in the Raiders management. They presumably still love him!
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
"They love him in Canberra" is a pretty broad assumption BG. There are numerous Raiders supporters who aren't happy with the coach. The fact there are 84 pages of comments on the Coaching Issues topic on the supporters website should tell you something. Much of the recent discussion is about his latest sulking performance at the post match press conference along with puzzling player selections and on field tactics. Don't for a minute think we are all happy campers down here.
Poss
Roar Rookie
Yeah no stopping him Andrew01..Its just something we've all got to put up with if we want to watch the Coaches press conferences..It actually spoils the game with his incessant complaining.. :angry: I guess I can just switch off when he comes on,simple I suppose..
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Coaches must be able to get 3rd party payments, though I'm not sure I'd want to own the company that pays the fines when Ricky shoots his mouth off. Not exactly great advertising.
Nat
Roar Guru
You mean take responsibility for the way the team played? No mirrors at Ricky’s house.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Jared M.'s clarification of escort indicators at yesterday's weekly was super and essential if you want to have an idea of what defenders can't do... as actually taught to them by referees when they visit clubs. Defenders need to run to the ball NOT an attacker and secondly, take up a position there early. There's the Young penalty. Outcome is significant, had Cobbo retrieved it, he would've played on. Why aren't the coaches down there training these, dealing with kick offs landing near the dead ball line, time clock on drop outs, settling Rapana. As Ricky said, somebody's not doing their job.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Just another 3rd party payment !
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
At what point do you stop the fines since they do nothing to change him, and start suspending him? Actually they did that to, and look at him still going.
Poss
Roar Rookie
How about the NRL just make special rules for Canberra & only Canberra,that might make Sticky a bit more tolerable at Press Conferences... :laughing: Then we wouldn't have to put up with his pouting, sulking & attacks on Refs decisions..Sorry Ricky I like to watch all the Coaches round up of their game but to watch yours is absolutely frustrating!!!!
Poss
Roar Rookie
Yeah actually that crossed my mind too BigGordy.. :thumbup:
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Stuart admitted players perform (illegal) escorts for kicks every game, then in the next breath is surprised when a ref gives a penalty. If the player's being coached to do that, surely that penalty's down to the coach, not the player who was following instructions. And how can a ref be criticized for making a call that was within the Laws of the Game when the player put themselves in that position for that call to be made. They love him in Canberra but while he's there, I reckon they're no chance to win a premiership.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I wonder how much of that he paid versus the Club paid?
Stewy76
Roar Rookie
He's a sook and bad for the game. At a junior level we are working at educating our kids that the refs call is final, and while sometimes we don't like it, we always accept it. Then, at the most senior level we have pathetic, victim infections like Stewart. I hope the NRL protects the brand and comes down heavy!