The Bunker

[El Diablo]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25597773-10389,00.html

Expert eye on video ref
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

David Riccio

June 07, 2009 12:00am

THE video-ref system is about to get a revolutionary overhaul, with the NRL investigating a "big-brother" style of judging panel to overrule contentious decisions.

In the wake of Jarryd Hayne's no-try in last Wednesday night's Origin opener in Melbourne, The Sunday Mail has learned of a plan for a "war room" of ex-coaches, players and referees that would assist the video referee.

The system is based on a successful model used in the National Hockey League in the US and Canada and is said to have an astonishing success rate of 99.2 per cent.

"It's the most radical change since the video referee was brought in for Super League," NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said yesterday. "I must stress that it is still early days and, if we are going to introduce it permanently, it's going to take a bit of time to set it up.

"Whether it's going to be feasible or not remains to be seen.

"But I think we have an obligation to explore improvements provided they don't have a negative impact on the flow of the game."

The move has the backing of NRL chief executive David Gallop and referees coach Robert Finch and could be trialled within weeks.

The system, which has never been used in Australian sport, would involve:

A panel of highly qualified judges watching matches live from their bunker, not at the ground, with the NRL providing sufficient manpower to cover all games simultaneously. People such as Finch and former coaches Stuart Raper and Graham Murray joining ex-players and retired referees in the war room.

The panel having no form of communication lines with the video referee at the ground.

However, they would have the ability to listen in on his calls and overrule before the video referee makes his decision.

The revelation follows a season marred by a series of refereeing blunders that have earned the wrath of almost every coach, player and fan.

The idea was initially sparked in the hours after video ref Steve Clark's no-try ruling that cost the Bulldogs victory against the Dragons in Round 10.

With the new system, the panel of judges would have had the power to overturn Clark's call. "It's a very simple concept," Annesley said.

"You have guys off site who aren't under the direct pressure that the video referee is, who aren't talking to a TV director requesting alternative angles, who aren't talking to the on-field referee, but who are just sitting there observing.

"And while the video referee is going through his own process, the guys off site are having their own discussion.

"The only time he (video ref) hears from these guys is if they want to intervene and prevent him from making what they think is a mistake.

"Look, it won't be universally accepted and that's why I think we need to test it and see if it does take the pressure off the video referee."

 

[El Diablo]

so long as it doesn't take ten minutes to make a decision

can't see how it wouldn't though :?

 

[fatshark]

haha what a joke. first they needed a vid ref, then a second ref, now back to the vid ref stuff ups, and now this.
Origin had 6 refs, yet still poor decisions. It just goes to show the second ref is a waste of space, and the older video refs need to give it up.

 

[fatshark]

so long as it doesn't take ten minutes to make a decision

can't see how it wouldn't though :?

pends where the bunker is and if the communications are working ..haha

 

[El Diablo]

but these guys may have to watch two replays from two different games at the same time

there's two at 7:30pm on Saturday and the Sunday 2pm and 3pm games would overlap for a while too

can't see how it can be done

 

[fatshark]

I was thinking maybe the commentators, but some of these fox commentators are jokes.

 

[Dragon]

A panel of highly qualified judges watching matches live from their bunker, not at the ground, with the NRL providing sufficient manpower to cover all games simultaneously. People such as Finch and former coaches Stuart Raper and Graham Murray joining ex-players and retired referees in the war room.

 

[Apey]

good to get some extra protection.

 

[Glenn]

When the mentioned BB, thought viewers would be able to ring up and vote try or no try.:lol:

 

[Spike]

Might as well scrap the video ref and only have the judging panel. The only thing that the video ref will do would be to make sure they press the right button which they would f*ck up anyway.

 

[Twizzle]

so we've gone from 1 ref to having a room full of them

where will it end ?

 

[LeagueXIII]

We are having just as many if not more controversies now with all these refs when we had just one.

How about we stop trying to be perfect.

 

[gaterooze]

I've said it before, but what they really need is better technology. If the video ref had a synched feed from all on-field camera angles *simultaneously* (on multiple screens and/or screen-in-screens), his accuracy would be MUCH better.

 

[hillbillyjazzer1954]

imo, they should get rid of the video ref and just have the two on field refs and touchys

if the refs and touchys make the decision at the time, you will find that because there is no time for the tv stations to have endless replays and analyse every single single second of an incident people will move on, and if a decision goes against you cop it and move on, you will get a dodgy decision go for you in the same match or the next week.....as has happened every single week for the last 100 years

the more perfect you try to make the game and analyze everthing, the less people will talk about the footy eg :wednesday nights state of origin it was a brilliant match but all anybody talked about was the hayne incident

imo, if the touchys and refs had made the decision and awarded the try without relying on their video ref crutch.....it would have been forgotten pretty quickly

one of the best things about footy is how unpredictable it is

 

[Glenn]

Indeed Hilly, the introduction of a video ref supposedly brought into reduce human error, and move the game forward into the 21st century however the analysing of incidents to the nth degree just sees more errors being made.

 

[yawn]

I used to think when i was a kid if there was a mistake by the video ref fatty,sterlo,etc. so march out onto the field in their suits carrying a piece of paper waving their hands to stop the game.

 

[Blind Freddy]

How about have 3 judges like boxing? They can be a mix of old players and coaches plus old referees like we have now up there.

The 3 judges sit in the seprate boxes with no contact with each other. They push the "no try" or "try" button and the majority vote wins the decision.

Would sort of diliute the chance of error with it needing 2 of the 3 who would have to get it wrong.

 

[Binga]

how good was Phil Gould's response to this 'bunker' idea. I am liking that guy more each day.

 

[Crippler]

How about have 3 judges like boxing? They can be a mix of old players and coaches plus old referees like we have now up there.

The 3 judges sit in the seprate boxes with no contact with each other. They push the "no try" or "try" button and the majority vote wins the decision.

Would sort of diliute the chance of error with it needing 2 of the 3 who would have to get it wrong.

yeh thats what I have been saying for ages.

if one vid ref feels pressure and stuffs up then more than likely the other 2 would get this decision correct.

 

[Hanscholo]

LOL explayers are the answer to everything arent they. Yet week in and week out we see ex players make the must ludicrous of calls on commentary. Just get rid of the f**king video ref, its not helping, and its not getting any better. You cant tell me a war room of people are going to rule that hayne try correctly. The facts are this. That try was disallowed because of pressure placed on video decisions all season. Harragan thought he saw hayne's foot hit the line, yet didnt realise that it was partly an optical illusion and partly because his heal didnt touch the ground. So sh*tting his pants, he declares it a no try. It was a lack of intelligent and calm thought that was the problem there, and the 'war room' will be under the same pressure.

Just get rid of the system, it doesnt solve our problems.