2 x refs = 2 times the gymps

[DINGb@T]

After watching both games I reckon the Broncos/Cowboys game was reffed a fair bit better than the Dragons/Storm, at least until the second half. Both Brisbane refs seemed to work together a lot better while Badger and Hayne seemed to be getting too close to the ruck, especially at the start of the game, and then tripping over each other when making calls. You could really tell it was 2 different refs out there whereas you just didn't notice the Brisbane refs. By the end of the game the Melbourne refs were standing behind the ruck, rather than trying to get in close on the side (which was a rediculous position to stand in) and I think that helped a lot.

The Brisbane game was played at an absolute cracking pace too. Blokes like Bowen are really going to excel if the pace is maintained like that for the rest of the season but you could tell in the Melbourne game that teams like the Dragons who dont have the fast little men could lack the counter punch both the Broncos and Cowboys had when everyone is worn out. Where Bowen's footwork was making forwards not even bother the Dragons lacked anyone who could dart around and cause havoc until big Dell wound back the clock and gave the one-two to Ingliss and Turner(?). In the replays you could see a Melbourne player running behind him- it was like he was running in slow mo, he just couldn't keep up he was so buggered. Like a mate of mine said, we could be seeing some much skinnier forwards by the end of this season. THey could be about to up their cardio drastically.

 

[joel caine number 1 fan]

i love the 2 ref thing its great
it will help the tigers heaps

 

[Kiki]

i thought it worked really well in the dragons game. was so nice not having the video ref constantly.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

i thought it worked really well in the dragons game. was so nice not having the video ref constantly.

a definate plus!

 

[Whats Doing]

I think it will definitely help to reduce lop sided penalty counts and claims that the referee was only reffing one side.

I think it will be a definite plus and will only get better.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I thought both games moved on very nicely, seemed to flow much better than over the past few seasons. And how good was it to not go to the video ref every 5 minutes.

So far I'm in favour.

 

[gaterooze]

I thought the 2 refs worked great in both games. A couple of dud calls as usual, but the games flowed very well and the refs paradoxically became LESS of a focus in the game.

 

[gong_eagle]

worked pretty good IMO

 

[LordLeague]

I was super skeptical but after watching the first 2 games I must say I have been converted.

Game was fast, there was less crap going on around the ruck, I barely even noticed the refs on the field. Also agree the reduced use of the video ref is a massive step forward.

LordLeague

 

[doggone]

plus Quinn = 3 Gymps

.

Lol

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

The Broncos v Cowboys game is very free flowing. Id call the 2 ref system a success tbh

It was mid last year. I was watching a game and thought "the ref is overwhelmed".

Thank god for 2 refs. Great flow and much better games.

A success!

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Im with LordLeague, before I was against it, but after watching the two games last night I was quite impressed. Maybe because when they used the two ref systems before, the second ref used to be in the way most of the time. So they have improved the idea, so that there is a control ref and the assist ref.

Im just glad this wasn't in when Clark, Simpkins and Hampstead were around.

The two games were free flowing and most of the decisions were almost 100% correct.

Good job.

 

[adamkungl]

I'll leave a few weeks before saying i've got egg on my face (I thought it was a rubbish idea originally) but so far i'm glad to see it's going smoothly. Seems to have sped up the game a tad too.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

Great idea.
Anything that stops the ref from checking with the VR about every dropped ball is a bonus....speeds up the game. A decision is made & the players get on with it.

The wrestling/holding down seems to be minimal,(was making alot of games very very boring).

Nothing wrong with great defence but it is good to see fast play the balls & darting runs from dummy half.

It's only early days but i think it is an improvement.

 

[Parra]

Two referees in the NZ v Parra game were both well out of their depth - even basic decisions were wrong.

At one stage they both made different decisions at the same time - both wrong.

The inept performance did not cost the Eels the match by a long shot. But that doesn't excuse it. Ashley Klein is not up to NRL standard, and the other bloke had no reason to be out there, except to provide some balance with some bizarre mistakes of his own.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

You gotta give it a chance to settle man just like all the plaeyrs are a bit rusty, this new system at NRL level will take time and it wasn't introduced to make officiaiating perfect either

 

[Parra]

This is the NRL. There should be no room for 'rustiness'.

Just why were two refs introduced?

Depending on who you listen to it's :

- to get rid of grappling on the ground (overkill if that's the case)
- speed up the game (this one is clearly a joke)
- enable more penalties to be found (not an official reason- more of an obvious outcome)
- Sell more newspapers
- Make more mistakes ( another obvious & demonstrated outcome)


Instead of more sh*t refs, why not just have 1 good one per match?

 

[BrisVegas]

This is the NRL. There should be no room for 'rustiness'.

Just why were two refs introduced?

Depending on who you listen to it's :

- to get rid of grappling on the ground (overkill if that's the case)
- speed up the game (this one is clearly a joke)
- enable more penalties to be found (not an official reason- more of an obvious outcome)
- Sell more newspapers
- Make more mistakes ( another obvious & demonstrated outcome)


Instead of more sh*t refs, why not just have 1 good one per match?

Did you watch the Friday Night Football games?

The two referee system worked very well, providing a quicker game with less rubbish in the ruck, and vastly less time spent going to the video referee.

 

[Parra]

Yes I did.

Like all good matches, a referee will hardly be noticed.

Fridays matches were both good - due to the players, not the referees. The only noticeable effect a ref can have on a good match is to stuff it up. Two refs = twice as much chance of a balls-up.

Not going to the video for ball strip offences is a good thing that has nothing to do with how many refs are on the field. Going to the video for a try is no different - put 10 refs on the field - you still need the frame-by-frame to deliver the nittiness we have gotten used to for tries.

 

[DINGb@T]

Gotta say I'm loving the new reffing system. You don't notice the second one is there, the play the ball is faster and there are fewer video ref calls. Absolutely brilliant.

I don't know if anyone else has a theory but the 2 refs are speeding the game up to the point that I think the 10 man interchange is finally working. Seeing some of the play this weekend there's been some forwards dead on their feet out there. Watch the Sailor try; Sailor was running in slow mo by the end of it but everyone else was too so he still managed to make the break.

A lot of ground is being made on the counter attack as well. I'm putting this down to 2 things- the forwards are so buggered they're too busy relaxing on the attack that the change over and opposition breaks are just too much for them (see Zillman today at the Goldy) and the fact that the backs, who are doing less of the tackling etc, have a better set of legs by the end of each half so are able to run holes in any attack that isn't set properly. The little men are finally coming into their own and any team who doesn't have a fast, agile gamebreaker to unleash in the last 10 of each half could be found wanting this season.

Also, I think some teams were more ready than others for the change in pace. Just look at the way Newcastle and the Roosters caved. Both looked shell shocked at the pace of the game and, once behind, couldn't claw their way back into the game.

Other things- is it me or have there been a lot more offloads? I'm thinking this is brilliant and probably due to the tacklers being too tired to wrap up the ball, but it also could be the fact that I've still got the Rabbitohs caning of the Roosters fresh in mind.

The play the ball area is so fast the tacklers aren't even bothering to stand up sometimes, they're just rolling out of the way a lot more. That itself should be evidence of the faster play under the new system.

And finally, the video ref is not only used less but seems to be making their decisions a lot faster. THere were a few times this weekend where I was expecting them to take 3 or 4 more looks at various angles but they just made a decision and got on with it. It feels weird when things happen the way you think they should

So far I've only seen one pair struggle a bit and that was Badger/Hayne in Melbourne- they didn't seem to gel too easily at the start of the game and Hayne kept getting too close to the ruck (and got pushed out of the way) until he learnt that looking at it from the side was a lot more stupid than staying behind the play. Beyond that though I think the whole thing has imroved the game heaps.