How NRL created ‘real problem’ before Bunker crisis erupted

The rugby league fraternity came together last week to celebrate the latest inductees to the Hall of Fame and Ron Coote’s elevation as the 14th Immortal, but as I walked into the SCG and past the historic members stand, I found myself questioning when the code started to move away from its roots as the working class game.
Don’t get me wrong, the NRL and ARL Commission should be applauded for transforming the code into a multi-million dollar organisation which is continuing to expand and try new things like the season opener in Las Vegas. You can’t fault the vision from those at NRL HQ, however they can’t escape the spot fires they’re struggling to extinguish.
Enter the Bunker or as we call it on radio, the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ and the inconsistencies from the NRL match officials when it comes to high contact. The only thing missing over the weekend was lawyer Dennis Denuto and his jammed photocopier from the iconic Australian movie, ‘The Castle’. My reaction to some of the decisions in round 25 were much like Mr Denuto clearing the paper tray. Did we miss the memo to the referees which included the term “mitigating factors”?
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Isn’t that a term that should be used by the NRL match review committee? Aren’t they the officials who are charged with deciding whether there are “mitigating factors” and whether certain tackles warrant a fine or suspension?
Referees have one job and that’s to enforce the rules of the game which have stood the test of time since 1908. If a player breaks those rules, they are to be dealt with via a penalty or if serious, that player is sent to the sin-bin or given their marching orders.
Where in the rulebook does it say “mitigating factors”?
The referees and the officials in the Bunker need to decide whether contact is made with the head and whether that contact is punishable by a penalty, 10 in the bin or a send off.
Somehow the lines have been blurred and the match officials are now adjudicating on these tackles like they are the match review committee and in my opinion, that’s wrong.
It’s up to the lawyers and barrister to argue the “mitigating factors” when a player decides to take his or her case to the NRL judiciary, however it’s now become part of the referees vernacular.
They’ll soon be known as Gerard Sutton SC or Ashley Klein KC.
In my opinion, it’s reached a point where the NRL and the ARL Commission need to take the necessary steps and make required changes to alleviate the pressure on these officials. We have referees backing up to work in the bunker and act as touch judges. There are also match officials who are restricted to carrying a flag when they have risen through the ranks with a whistle in their hand as well.
I’ve spoken privately with some of the touch judges and they have all said “of course we want to referee, who wants to run the line for the rest of their career?”
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My question to the NRL is; why do you employ professional touch judges when they are capable of refereeing themselves?
My other question is; why aren’t their specific bunker officials employed to adjudicate on the 8 games across the weekend. If the league is striving for consistency, wouldn’t it be wise to have the same people acting as video referees across each round?
We’re instead chopping and changing between referees. For example, Liam Kennedy fails to take the appropriate action from the Bunker on Friday night after Stephen Crichton makes contact with the head of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, but it’s only a couple of days later that he’s running the line at WIN Stadium in Wollongong during the local-derby between St George Illawarra and Cronulla.
Where’s the accountability? If the referees are held accountable for their mistakes, Kennedy would have been stood down, but the NRL has created this problem because they are turning away whistleblowers who are desperate to force their way into the professional squad.
Cameron Paddy has been regarded as one of the top referees in the NSWRL over the last few years, but the time came recently for Paddy to ask whether he’d be promoted to the NRL squad and the answer was no.
What do you think he did? Yep, walked away from the game to chase a new career. I would have thought the NRL should be holding onto these experienced match officials and promoting them to the full time squad. If they need to create more full-time positions, do it. If the NRL clubs have budgets for full time staff to work with the footballers themselves, why isn’t there more money being thrown at the referees to create more opportunities?
The other issue facing our match officials is the robotic way in which they are being coached. I’ve written column after column over the last few years to highlight the ridiculous methodology and points system that’s used to score referees.
It’s also been rolled out across the Junior Rugby League Referees Associations meaning we are creating a generation of robots without referees with a feel for the game. They are told how to speak to the players and what to say when identifying tackles.
Could you imagine telling the former decorated referees like Greg McCallum, Bill Harrigan and Tim Mander to follow the same guidelines. I reckon ‘Hollywood Harrigan’ would have repeated his famous line to Gorden Tallis “don’t talk to me, just go”.
This all started under former referees boss Tony Archer, who’s still employed by the NRL and it’s continued under the likes of Bernard Sutton and Jared Maxwell.
Scrap it and get back to what works.
As you’ve seen over the last decade, the whistleblowers who dare to show some personality in games or refuse to conform to the new way of refereeing are driven out of the game, like Matt Cecchin who was respected by everyone including the players.
Shouldn’t the NRL be trying to develop the same styles adopted by Cecchin and someone like Bill Harrigan who was last week inducted into the Hall of Fame? ‘Hollywood’ was renowned for a minimal penalty count and he let the game flow.
We’ve now got the likes of Ashley Klein who ruined the local-derby in Wollongong on Sunday when he decided to make himself the centre of attention by blowing the pea out of the whistle. The NRL has the best referees in the world, but the way in which they are being coached and told to officiate is the real problem.
Let me know your thoughts by sending through an email to the WWOS Radio Show on 2GB by clicking on this link; https://nineradio.jotform.com/70601482897867
Wide World of Sports Radio is heard from 6pm AEST on 2GB 873 with Mark Levy and co-hosts Brad Fittler (Monday), Paul Gallen (Tuesday) and Ken Sutcliffe (Friday).