"Raper Slams Simpkins"or"Raper deflects blame

[blacktip-reefy]

Raper slams Simpkins
By David Riccio
April 25, 2005

SHARKS coach Stuart Raper will seek verification this week from referees boss Robert Finch on two crucial rulings that turned the game in their loss to Brisbane on Saturday night.

Match referee Paul Simpkins could again find himself under fire following the Broncos 16-12 victory, too.

Simpkins faced heavy criticism after sending off Roosters forward Adrian Morley last weekend.

Raper's quest for answers stems from Simpkins' decision to penalise the Sharks' Paul Mellor for a flop with the scores locked at 12-12.

The crucial call came with 20 minutes to play when Brent Tate was tackled just short of the line and lost the ball.

Simpkins ruled that the second man in the tackle, Mellor, was guilty of a flop.

Numerous television replays clearly showed Tate had lost the ball before Mellor got involved.

The call swung the momentum in the Broncos' favour.

"There's no grey error on that call. It's black and white," Raper said.

"It was an inspirational tackle and I can't see why the touch judge couldn't have acted.

"The fact Darren (Lockyer) missed the goal is irrespective. We should've been punching our way upfield."

The decision only added to Raper's disappointment after remaining at a loss to explain the 26th-minute "no try" ruling against Nigel Vagana.

Vagana was ruled to have been held up over the line by David Stagg but Raper said several replays proved "inconclusive".

"It was very inconclusive so where was the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team?" Raper asked.

 

[millersnose]

The call swung the momentum in the Broncos' favour.

i like that

wasnt the call after the broncs made a long break and nearly scored :lol:

 

[The Nulla #2]

dave riccio, the author of that news item, is one of our very own on beer hill..

well done david

 

[blacktip-reefy]

He wasnt in the "swing" there at the end was he?

 

[Shark]

Fair comment, don't try to suggest that Rapes is deflecting blame...

Fact is, the Broncs scored 16 points of a maximum 20 on offer, with the two missed goals. The Penalty attempt is questionable.

If you factor in the no-try, we were looking at putting 18 on the board.

Even with the real scoreline of 16-12, we hardly got flogged.

Not a bad effort against a bloody good team that was actually sitting on the SAME number of wins as us going into the game.

They have had one shocker - hence their bad +/-, while we have also had one shocker, against Manly.

We're in this comp, and despite what Reefy might suggest, the Coach is doing his job the best way he knows how. OK, we might get confused by some of his selections, but a close loss like Sat night is no reason to make wholesale changes. It was still a fair performance.

 

[blacktip-reefy]

We're in this comp, and despite what Reefy might suggest,

What have I suggested? As far as I can remember I have only highlighted issues that will prevent us from winning the comp. i.e. Poor defensive record & poor selections. things easily fixed by the coach.

the Coach is doing his job the best way he knows how. OK, we might get confused by some of his selections, but a close loss like Sat night is no reason to make wholesale changes. It was still a fair performance.

Do you think Brian Smith is doing his job the best way he knows how?
&
who is calling for wholesale changes?

 

[Shark]

Don't bite Reefy...I actually agree with you on most of the footy stuff!

As for Smith...His side has been getting belted. We're not. We got done 16-12, not 48-12.

If the scorelines were consistently like the Manly loss, Id be furious. But they're not.

 

[blacktip-reefy]

Don't bite Reefy...I actually agree with you on most of the footy stuff!

As for Smith...His side has been getting belted. We're not. We got done 16-12, not 48-12.

If the scorelines were consistently like the Manly loss, Id be furious. But they're not.

Scores are irrelevant to me at this stage of the comp.

I actually reckon parra are going better than us.

 

[sharkmachine07]

i think we could of wone with the botd and the loss ball by tate and the scrum win we would of scored. i agree reefy

 

[Shark]

I see your point about scores...But surely close scorelines are better (and more promising) than blowouts?

Our team really thought they could win on Sat night, right up until the final minute.

OK, they took some silly options, and I would have preferred to see Noddy take more control instead of letting Vags and Peach getting carried away, but the important thing is they REALLY thought they could win. No heads dropping, no white flag.

It won't show up in any stat, but I reckon that spirit counts for something. Just gotta control it better... :?

 

[mr_sharks]

I just hope that Raper pushing the benefit of the doubt rule won't come and bite us on the bum with close calls in the future! The call cost us, but yeah, we shouldn't have benched Gallen, and maybe Bailey

 

[mr_sharks]

I just hope that Raper pushing the benefit of the doubt rule won't come and bite us on the bum with close calls in the future! The call cost us, but yeah, we shouldn't have benched Gallen, and maybe Bailey

 

[spirit of league]

looks like raper's going on the front foot with the media

let's see how it works out. there'll be some knockers but also plenty who'd be upset if he said nothing.

btw does it matter if mellor flopped after tate lost the ball ? it's still an illegal / possibly dangerous play, but tate has already knocked on. hard to know without reading simpkins mind / this week's revised rule book.

 

[spirit of league]

alright i've seen the replays courtesy of nrl scoreboard.

now having seen the footage i'm going to say i think raper was quite justified in feeling hard done by. he also managed to get his point clearly across without stepping out of order or risking a fine. and was sure to include that the sharks lost the game for themselves with poor handling and executions. well done.

nigel's try - no way vag's 'try' could have been ruled 'no try' definitely either a ref's call or benefit of the doubt to attacking team. that's not to say nige shouldn't have finished stronger or that he even actually scored, but given the footage they showed that's the only 2 results the video ref could've returned as his second attempt is blocked from the cameras by a defender.

mellor's flop - i don't even think it was a flop. mellor was chasing and coming in at speed, tate looked to be trying to break free of simmon's tackle and mellor was making sure the tackle was completed. that's before we even get to the fact of tate's knock on which happened before mellor even touched him.

but forget about it now. that's history and winning in melbourne this saturday must be the focus.