N
RL to consider three referees
The NRL's much maligned two referees system could be scrapped with the possibility of a third onfield whistleblower and even microchipped balls to detect forward passes as the code considers a major overhaul of the game.
League Immortal Bob Fulton and former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan have been appointed by the NRL to oversee a review of refereeing with potential changes to be introduced in 2016.
The overhaul includes establishing a central command, revealed on Wednesday, where all video referee decisions would be made away from grounds.
NRL head of football Todd Greenberg says the possibility of a third referee being introduced to officiate onfield is under consideration as part of a review of the two-referee system, according to a report in
The Sydney Morning Herald.
"When I say we'll look at the two-referee model, we could look at three referees," Greenberg said.
"The game is so fast that there are more decisions; two referees are under significant fatigue as it is.
"We look at the model and see how we can improve the model. I'm not suggesting we throw two referees out at all. There are other ways we could potentially make it better."
The dual official system has been much maligned by NRL coaches and players since its introduction in 2009 with the biggest complaint the lack of consistency between interpretations by the two whistleblowers.
Initially the referees shared control with the pair swapping the role of leading officiator at opposite ends of the field.
It was then changed to have one commanding referee the whole match, presiding over the ruck and the overall decision making and the second acting as a pocket to assist with issues such as offside and forward passes.
The potential of introducing a third whistlebower would be certain to divide coaches.
The review will also see the NRL examine microchipping balls to assist with detecting forward passes – the one area video referees currently cannot rule on.
Under the plan for a central command video refereeing would be taken away from grounds and handled by a smaller pool of officials who would also conduct match review and charge players for foul play.
It would allow coaches to be issued with a charge sheet at fulltime.
"A coach could one day sit through a press conference and take the early guilty plea on a grade one if he deemed that was the appropriate decision," said Greenberg.
Greenberg denied the bunker would lead to more stoppages, predicting it would speed up the decision-making process.
"It's got such an ability to be a game-changer, it could be rugby league's biggest improvement since the introduction of video refs," he said.
The introduction of Buchanan is left field, with the former Australian cricket coach seen as valuable for his take on the use of technology.
"I'm obviously a fan of technology, but at the same stage there's a real balance in keeping up the integrity of the game with the entertainment value," Buchanan told the
Herald.
""How you use technology in that process, I'm not 100 per cent sure, but technology is there to be used, so we need to do that in the best possible way."
He said the possibility of microchipping balls to pick up forward passes has merit.
"Everything, as far as I'm concerned, is on the table," he said.
" If you look at English Premier League, there is a laser technology used for that very purpose.
"It will be a very interesting job in looking around the world in different sports and how technology has benefited, and not so much so. We'll see how it best works for rugby league."
