ARLC need a mandate out now to:
A) stop players talking to the ref, sick of hearing whinging players carrying on like soccer girls
B) stop refs being so chummy with players, your there to enforce the games rules not make friends
C) "encourage" commentators to not disect every single decison from 20 different camera angles then decide the ref was wrong and slate him for the next 10mins
D) stop refs coaching players, your there to enforce the rules not coach players
E) Get some people in control of the refs who know what they are doing
That should sort out the game for the better. Mentioned this before but watch a Chooseday night game from the early 90's and see how much better it was with no slating of refs, no backchat and no replays of every decision.
the issue isnt so much the refs....
its that our comp has become more level. now each team is scrapping for individual wins. you cant be 18 ahead (*cough....warriors...cough*) and simply expect to win. so teams are turning their attention to gain every small advantage. the biggest one being the refs.
so its not so much the refs have outright changed, we will always get weird calls. its that now those calls have a lot of weight behind them. getting a penalty in this day and age, more often then not equates to scoring.
personally i prefer when refs just leave the game to play itself out. judge the bleeding obvious penalties, but when it comes to the 50/50's just leave the teams to rough it out.
especially in the ruck when players like matt utai flip flop around trying to milk. its good theyre calling "milking", but quite a few times exaggerated dives still get them to blow the whistle.
i have no issue with people making criticisms of bad calls, i just say they make less calls and thats the solution. If you make fewer 50/50 calls chances are youre going to make fewer bad calls.
btw if they call play on during play....they should not be allowed to go up to the video ref if a try is scored. technically the titans should have been awarded that try. by waving play on the ref has already made the call and the video ref shouldnt be allowed to "un make" it.