- 2009 Season
We were told things would get better, not worse. We were told having a second referee was supposed to mean they would make less mistakes.
Yet, it seems that doubling the referees might be doubling the errors, and tensions are running high throughout the NRL. Coaches and players are screaming about the bad calls. Fans are getting into the act too, as one tackled referee Jared Maxwell after the game between Wests and Brisbane. Although not condoning what happened to Maxwell, Wests coach Tim Sheen was none to pleased with the officiating either, especially after the sin binning of Benji Marshall with 15 minutes to go in the game.
A questionable call also affected the outcome of the match between the Eels and the Rabbitohs on Friday. With nine seconds on the clock, and the score knotted at 16-16, referee Brett Suttor called time as South Sydney tried to feed a scrum. Suttor restarted the clock, but Souths’ halfback Craig Wing was too far from the scrum to feed the ball before the horn sounded to end the match.
In the match between Manly and Brisbane, video referee Paul Simpkins made two questionable calls – most notably ruling that Jamie Lyon had grounded the ball for a try when all evidence showed it to be a knock-on. A subsequent ruling against Brisbane, awarding a try to Jamie Lyon when he obviously had deliberately batted the ball over the head of Broncos centre Antonio Winterstein, assured a Sea Eagles victory. Ironically, a similar play by Parranatta’s Jarryd Hayne the week before was ruled no-try
And them, of course, we have Steve Clark. Clark made perhaps the worst video referee call ever when he ruled that the Dragons’ Greg Eastwood obstructed the Bulldogs’ Jamie Soward from tackling Luke Patten. Patten then delivered a pass to Idris who subsequently scored what many believed to be the game-winning try. But, Clark disallowed the four-pointer, allowing the Dragons to record a 20-18 victory.
Referees boss Robert Finch has admitted that Clark blundered, saying, “From my review of the video, I am of the opinion it should have been awarded.” Stories are flying now that disgruntled fans are threatening Clark’s family, and his firing might just be on the horizon.
Lest we forget, the NRL has issued “the Cameron Smith rule” censoring criticism of the referees? NRL COO Graham Annesley has said, "We don't believe we should be stifling all comment on these matters. But each case will be judged on its merits." Yet, the league has issued a list of acceptable and unacceptable statements.
All of this makes the NRL leadership sound like parents who have lost control of their children, so they just want the kids to be quiet and sit in the corner.
The NRL doesn’t need all this. In a time when unprecedented scandal dominates the headlines, what the NRL needs is a focus on the games themselves. But when that focus reveals the actions on the field to be inadequate, what do we, the fans, have left?
Yet, it seems that doubling the referees might be doubling the errors, and tensions are running high throughout the NRL. Coaches and players are screaming about the bad calls. Fans are getting into the act too, as one tackled referee Jared Maxwell after the game between Wests and Brisbane. Although not condoning what happened to Maxwell, Wests coach Tim Sheen was none to pleased with the officiating either, especially after the sin binning of Benji Marshall with 15 minutes to go in the game.
A questionable call also affected the outcome of the match between the Eels and the Rabbitohs on Friday. With nine seconds on the clock, and the score knotted at 16-16, referee Brett Suttor called time as South Sydney tried to feed a scrum. Suttor restarted the clock, but Souths’ halfback Craig Wing was too far from the scrum to feed the ball before the horn sounded to end the match.
In the match between Manly and Brisbane, video referee Paul Simpkins made two questionable calls – most notably ruling that Jamie Lyon had grounded the ball for a try when all evidence showed it to be a knock-on. A subsequent ruling against Brisbane, awarding a try to Jamie Lyon when he obviously had deliberately batted the ball over the head of Broncos centre Antonio Winterstein, assured a Sea Eagles victory. Ironically, a similar play by Parranatta’s Jarryd Hayne the week before was ruled no-try
And them, of course, we have Steve Clark. Clark made perhaps the worst video referee call ever when he ruled that the Dragons’ Greg Eastwood obstructed the Bulldogs’ Jamie Soward from tackling Luke Patten. Patten then delivered a pass to Idris who subsequently scored what many believed to be the game-winning try. But, Clark disallowed the four-pointer, allowing the Dragons to record a 20-18 victory.
Referees boss Robert Finch has admitted that Clark blundered, saying, “From my review of the video, I am of the opinion it should have been awarded.” Stories are flying now that disgruntled fans are threatening Clark’s family, and his firing might just be on the horizon.
Lest we forget, the NRL has issued “the Cameron Smith rule” censoring criticism of the referees? NRL COO Graham Annesley has said, "We don't believe we should be stifling all comment on these matters. But each case will be judged on its merits." Yet, the league has issued a list of acceptable and unacceptable statements.
All of this makes the NRL leadership sound like parents who have lost control of their children, so they just want the kids to be quiet and sit in the corner.
The NRL doesn’t need all this. In a time when unprecedented scandal dominates the headlines, what the NRL needs is a focus on the games themselves. But when that focus reveals the actions on the field to be inadequate, what do we, the fans, have left?