Our Officials

[rifraff]

Why are they so bad? Touch judges won't do anything unless it's a kick for goal.

Video refs come up with so many crazy decisions.

Main ref, pocket refs are so inconsistent. Everyone of them seem scared.

Too many rule changes? Too afraid to be seen as the major factor in games?

I watch a lot of sport and no matter how you sugar coat it, ours are ****e.


Why?

 

[manlyfan76]

And yet international matches with one ref are so much better to watch, even the lower ranked teams.

 

[Loobs]

The best refs are probably what - in soccer? But that's a much more open game. I suppose it's tough in the middle at the speed it's played to catch a lot. Dunno.

 

[manlyfan76]

Afl have it right. The game barely stops when a free kick / penalty is awarded.

 

[Loobs]

How are Union refs? Do they change rules 50 times a year mid season? That should be the closest comparison and frankly, you'd imagine rucks would create scenarios whereby infringements are more likely yet you never seem to hear about ref controversies there...

 

[Pablo]

In years gone by when all decisions were made in real time we were more forgiving of human error. Now with TV replays we pretty much expect perfection.
I don't think today's officials are worse than ones in the past but there's just so much more to police now. When you watch old games (90's and earlier) there was heaps less scrutiny on the ruck/play the ball area for starters. Players drop the ball and kind of step over it and commentators and opposition players not even mention it. Play on.
No wrestle too, so if a player loss the ball getting to his feet the decision was easy....... The tacklers were already standing at marker so easy clean ruck to referee.
It has simply become a really hard game to officiate. So much going on and things to look for in every facet of the game.
Howlers like last night are a clear cut mistake, how chicken legs didn't call held 5 seconds before the ball even touched grass is poor refereeing by him and the video ref being unable to overturn the decision is bad policy by the NRL, but it's the snow ball effect of lots of little decisions being wrong during games that has fans frustrated and hating on refs. So maybe either the rules or us need to relax? Either way it's become a damn hard game to officiate and we've become damn hard fans to please.

 

[HoldenV8]

I still maintain that the biggest problem is the two referee system. Because of the need to have double the amount of refs in the top grade there are too many who simply would never see the light of day in first grade if there was still only one ref in charge.

 

[EaglesDontTweet]

Have said it before but I think the captain's challenge in top grade would go a long way to easing both the player's, fan's, and captain's frustration and possibly take a bit of pressure off the referees. I understand it has potential to add a bit of disruption to a game but it seems to work well in the U20's and looks well received. Everyone wants to get it right, why not have the key stakeholders on the field involved.
I also found the video review refs in the Rugby League World Cup stating their deliberations live helped with accepting the decision (and same with cricket). We are just sitting here waiting for the outcome anyway, seems an obvious thing to do.

 

[sheridanstand78]

The refereeing has worsened ever since referees were coached to outsource their decisions to other officials. The days of a strong referee making the tough call are gone and referees like Hartley and Harrigan wont be seen again.

The folly that you cant rule on forward passes is the worst rule in the game as is the stripping rule which is a lottery. The fact that a try can be scored like in the 13 grand final that not only had a big influence in the result of that game could not be pulled back for an obvious forward pass is an example of this.

The fact the dogs copped last night makes up for all the crap decisions they have enjoyed over the years. The NRL have to clean up the refereeing of games as the fans have had a gutful of this!

 

[The Who]

Touch judges don't earn their keep. Rarely do they seem to help the refs.
Two refs has never worked. I like the Captain's Challenge.
Video reviews should never be in slow motion as it distorts reality. If the naked eye can't see it in real time then it never happened. Move on with the game more quickly.

 

[Chip and Chase]

It's the inconsistency that gets me. They police the rules depending on the score and the time left in the game. The other really frustrating thing for me is how easily they allow themselves to be milked on play the ball penalties and strips. They should look at getting sponsorship from Dairy Farmers.

 

[HoldenV8]

The folly that you cant rule on forward passes is the worst rule in the game as is the stripping rule which is a lottery. The fact that a try can be scored like in the 13 grand final that not only had a big influence in the result of that game could not be pulled back for an obvious forward pass is an example of this.

The video ref is the only one who can't rule on a forward pass (though they sometimes get around it be calling obstruction if there has been a missed forward pass). On field refs and touch judges (who can advise the ref, not that its always acted upon) can call a forward pass. The problem is that they usually let the obvious ones go (like with the RTS try last night, there were 2 in that play) and they pull up the ones which are at worst flat.

 

[StuBoot]

I think a big factor is our commentators and media combined with the video ref.
They seem to have taken the confidence out of the decision making.

Take last night for example with the Evans "try". All the commentators expressed their opinions rather strongly for 4-5 minutes whilst showing replay after replay - and all talking themselves into a frenzy over whether he was short of the line, held, double movement etc.
But Gus made a comment after all that - along the lines of "well the ref was right there, he practically had his nose in there so he should know" and that's the issue.
In the ref's opinion he thought he'd scored but just wanted confirmation and there was no absolute definitive proof that he didn't get it down on a blade of grass that was painted white so they've got to back the ref.
Not one of the other commentators backed up what Gus said - "yep, fair enough he was right there, he's got a better view than us so we'll live with it". So all we hear and read about is the initial banter.
In my opinion he was held but...
Whether the decision is right or wrong is a moot point, it's the system that is weakening the referee's ( and touchies ) authority. They are scared to make a decision incase it's not right, there are umpteen forward passes a match and the touchies do bugger all when really all they've got do is offside, touchline, forward passes and back play.(Look at Blair holding down Thurston last week as an example, four officials but none of them did anything - did they see it?)

Don't get me wrong, I yell at the TV with the best of them and replay stuff just to check that what I'm seeing is what I thought I saw - and the ref/s didn't.

How often do you see the AFL media rip into their own like ours do?

 

[Brothers manly]

Why do we have touch judges.....just to put a flag up for a goal? Or run in like idiots when players are tackled telling them to get off. Who listens to them. They should be policing the ten and forward passes. How they don't see them when they are in line with them is a joke. If they tell the ref why then are they not taken notice of.
Touchy told the ref that Reynolds was a mile off side in last year's semi.
Did nothing but penalise Farrah in golden point for nothing. This is why fans get infuriated.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

How often do you see the AFL media rip into their own like ours do?

Dissent should be rubbed out of the game. It wouldn't be that hard to do, just penalise a team whenever players remonstrate about a decision. Refs refer to players by number or surname only.

Of course this would require total change from established practice. Change for the better. The image of Graham and Klemmer abusing the ref was simply one example of an ugly attitude seen many times each game to a lesser degree.

Be professional. Accept the decision, move on. It is an attitude reflective of a culture, it's a professional sport which is a game and entertainment, having players argue and whinge only makes the game look a shambles, it winds up the crowds and encourages the media to play up to that.

Leave the fighting over decisions to the punters and bookies, and fat lot of good it will do them, also.

 

[Budgie]

Perhaps there are too many rules and rule changes. Also, the game is very fast now.
Maybe there's confusion between refs about which rule they're going to penalise and which let go?
When I watch Manly I always think we were hard done by to be penalised for something while I can call a million penalties on the opposition that go unnoticed. It's a dog's breakfast.
Good things about other codes:
Soccer doesn't seem to have so many rules.
Rugby has a bunch of them but complete respect for the refs.
AFL just keeps it moving.
NFL very strict regime.
And yes, NRL is a basketcase.

 

[Budgie]

AND ... wtf happened to the sin bin?

 

[HoldenV8]

(Look at Blair holding down Thurston last week as an example, four officials but none of them did anything - did they see it?)

How often do you see the AFL media rip into their own like ours do?

If the referee didn't see Blair holding Thurston down then there was something seriously wrong. He was no more than 5 metres from them the whole time and the front on camera shot showed he actually had to run around them to keep up with the play (I think it was Badger). He was that close at one point he almost fell over them. Yet he did absolutely nothing about it.

How often do the AFL media rip into their own? When it comes to AFL umpires, the media on the whole leaves them alone. Occasionally there is talk about stuffed up calls, but its nothing compared to the NRL.

The only time the AFL uses the video replay is to check on goals kicked to see if the ball has been touched before it goes over the line or if it has it the goal post (both of which would see a 6 point goal reduced to a single point). On average there would probably be one, maybe two video checks per AFL round.

 

[Fluffy]

its the pick and choose that is the worst.

How a team goes from perfect to shocking instantly or visa versa also does my head in.

Most of those of course are subjective and give a huge advantage.