They must have been the only people in the stadium that thought it was a try. I was sitting with Tigers supporters and they didn't even bat an eyelid to the no try call.
http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/the-referee-howlers-coming/
AS long as our match officials keep making howlers like James Tedesco’s ‘No Try’ that was really a try, it won’t matter whether they watch the game in a bunker, in Tony Archer’s man cave or in bloody Siberia.
While ever video refs insist on backing the on-field referees guesswork just so he doesn’t end up looking bad, then we’ll keep getting clangers like last night.
The message that should have gone down to Gavin Badger was: “Not a bad guess, Badg, but we’ve got this, mate. We’ll fix this.”
But after watching five replays – all five of which looked like TRY to everyone else except the video refs – they inexplicably backed Badger’s stab in the dark and posted NO TRY.
Later in the game Badg had another crack when he ruled TRY for a leaping Kevin Naiqama in the corner. Maybe the ref was so impressed with Naiqama’s acrobatics that he thought he must have pulled off a miracle so he went upstairs in the affirmative.
Another guess, another blunder, but at least this one was corrected by the video men.
Seriously, this business of the on-field referee being told to make a ruling before he sends the decision upstairs has to stop.
We’ve had far too many instances lately where the referee has clearly got it wrong but the video referee stays with the dud call because he is supposed to have irrefutable evidence to overturn.
The system is a joke and needs to be fixed.
Our referees either need to make a call on the spot and everyone can live with it, or send the decision upstairs for a ruling because they’re not sure whether a try was scored or not.
But please, no more of this guesswork before the decision goes upstairs. It’s only muddying the waters for the blokes in the video box and that can’t be a good thing for players, coaches and fans sweating on calls that will affect the result of big games in the run to the finals.
