How to achieve better officiating?

[madunit]

Make refs full time and pay them more. Most of them have jobs outside of RL.

Give them more games to officiate, even if its NSW Cup or something. Practice makes perfect.

Have them graded internally, anyone who doesn't perform is dropped for a set time.

Send them to areas where officiating will be difficult, like Country areas or other countries, where the ref is on his own in the middle.

Give video refs, full HD screens.

Remove benefit of doubt to attacking team.

Benefit of the doubt should go back to refs call.

 

[jimmee007]

Challenge System

I dont know how it would be implemented exactly but a challenge system would take the pressure of the refs and put it back onto the captain/coaches.

If a referee makes a mistakes and its not challenged then the focus is taken away to from the ref and placed onto the captain coaches. No longer can a coach complain about a refs mistake in a press conference because he had a chance to challenge it.

There is so much that would have to be worked in the process of it, like when and how to challenge, stoppages of play ETC. But, generally i would have 3 challenges per side if you are correct you keep it, if you are unsuccesful you lose an interchange. (I think if you actually lose something there is less chance on nothing challenges).

NOTE: the stoppages in play would also allow TV breaks for ad revenue.

 

[Frailty]

Challenge System

I dont know how it would be implemented exactly but a challenge system would take the pressure of the refs and put it back onto the captain/coaches.

If a referee makes a mistakes and its not challenged then the focus is taken away to from the ref and placed onto the captain coaches. No longer can a coach complain about a refs mistake in a press conference because he had a chance to challenge it.

There is so much that would have to be worked in the process of it, like when and how to challenge, stoppages of play ETC. But, generally i would have 3 challenges per side if you are correct you keep it, if you are unsuccesful you lose an interchange. (I think if you actually lose something there is less chance on nothing challenges).

NOTE: the stoppages in play would also allow TV breaks for ad revenue.

The use of the challenge system should not be considered IMO. It slows the game down another notch, could be used by Captains to stop momentum of one side, allow the referees to get even lazier knowing they will have a back up, and doesn't account for anymore mistakes than the three that can be challenged.

It removes further accountability from the referees which is why we are in the current situation that we are in.

 

[juro]

Electrodes attached to the scrotum...

 

[david36]

Sack Harrigan and go back to one ref.

 

[***MH***]

The use of the challenge system should not be considered IMO. It slows the game down another notch, could be used by Captains to stop momentum of one side, allow the referees to get even lazier knowing they will have a back up, and doesn't account for anymore mistakes than the three that can be challenged.

It removes further accountability from the referees which is why we are in the current situation that we are in.

Since we don't have time-outs like the NFL do, there isn't much we can take away from a team at the moment for making a failed challenge call.

You would have to introduce a risk for getting a challenge wrong against you. Perhaps a kick for conversion could be moved directly infront of the post or an additional point awarded for the conversion when the defending team challenges a try.

Should the attacking team challenge a no try call, the restart of play could be from the 30 instead of the 20, or a free kick awarded should they get the challenge wrong.

 

[northwest9]

Start by dumping maxwell and whoever was in the video refs box back to group 20... Permanently

 

[juanfarkall]

Sack Harrigant & Roper and employ a trainer who knows the rules.

 

[Nerd]

Increase the talent pool of refs to choose from.

At the moment all refs are NSW based meaning if your a ref in QLD your no chance of becoming an NRL ref unless you move to Sydney.

This immediately wipes a large percentage of potentially good refs from being selected.

Have a look at the QLD Cup one day and you will see some good refs getting around.

Also go back to one ref in the middle and change the stripping rule so that the player carrying the ball is responsible for ball security.

 

[Danish]

Hire a referees boss who doesn't think it is his right to "reinterpret" the rules however he damned well feels each season

 

[dogslife]

I don't get why the rest of us have to inhabit the earth with the likes of Jared Maxwell

 

[Marshall_magic]

Have Bozo run over Harrigan in his cement truck.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Have a "power ranking" ladder which shows who is the best performing referee. These refs are typically vain and love to be recognised. If they are worried about shaming the extra shit refs, only show the top 3.

Introduce a monetized bonus structure which rewards accuracy in ref calls, 50-50 calls in particular. Money seems to work as an incentive, it can also attract a higher quality individual to the role.

This ladder would be shown at the end of the round and sponsored by Clayton Utz (just an example, Top 6 Aust. Legal Firm for a legal angle)

Ideally you would hope the sponsor of this would be big enough to kick in to the development of grass roots refereeing as well for future development.

Money and acknowledgement for Refs would go a long way in improving the officiating standard required for the NRL to take the next step.

What's wrong with showing who is the best performing Refs? They may be reptiles, but they are competitive reptiles who would respond to their egos being stroked.

 

[Card Shark]

Here are my ideas on how to improve:

- Revert back to one referee in the centre - The amount of errors has increased since this. If we revert back to one referee and limit the NRL Referee squad to a smaller number, we end up with more competition for first grade spots. More competition usually equates to better performance.

- Removal of Video referee - This has been a major (and yet overlooked) cause of referee poor performance. Referees know it is there, so will not make a decision and will not work hard to get in that better position to make a decision. The attitude is 'I can always check it, so I that extra metre is not needed' which is a poor attitude.

Can't agree with these.
2 refs relieves pressure & that causes mistakes. Maybe restructure each refs responsibilities.
Taking away the video ref also places more focus on the man in the middle. They will make more wrong crucial decisions. Whilst the VR makes stuff ups, they get 90% right - the ref making a decision on the spot would only get 50% if suspect tries right.

I'd encourage more ex-grade players to become refs - give them something to do after retirement to keep them in the game.

 

[woodyk2]

alot of those refs are egotistical people who were bullied in school and out to get revenge by asserting their authority on a footy field.. quite sad really

brett suttor is the typical example of this

What rubbish.Why make crap up like that?

 

[skeepe]

Preventing Jared Maxwell from controlling Manly matches would go a long way to eliminating howlers.

Sacking Maxwell altogether would go even further.

 

[Frailty]

Can't agree with these.
2 refs relieves pressure & that causes mistakes. Maybe restructure each refs responsibilities.
Taking away the video ref also places more focus on the man in the middle. They will make more wrong crucial decisions. Whilst the VR makes stuff ups, they get 90% right - the ref making a decision on the spot would only get 50% if suspect tries right.

I'd encourage more ex-grade players to become refs - give them something to do after retirement to keep them in the game.

The two referee system has been a failure. It was brought in under the guise that the game was two fast for a single referee to handle, and that two would allow a fresh man in the centre to control the game. Problem is that it wasn't the pace of the game that attributed to poor refereeing. Instead, now, we are left with different interpretations in the same game, often conflicting calls, and more mistakes then ever. If we just permanently make one referee the key referee and the other a permanent pocket referee, then it doesn't reflect the original reason of introducing the two referee system.

What the two referee system does do is increases the NRL squad to twice the size, meaning referees who would struggle to make NSW Cup centres were now borderline making NRL games. It seems the argument against expanding the NRL based on lack of quality players is fine, but not when it comes to referees.

Referees have always made mistakes, and I don't know about anyone else - but I can cop them. But when a Video Referee makes a mistake, I can not cop it whatsoever. The problem is, referees are making more mistakes now because they don't have to get into position to clearly see the grounding, or the knock on, or the challenge for the ball because they know they can just go to the Video Referee to check.

Take away the video referee, and get the referees to work into proper position and you will end up with better officiating. There will be calls wrong, no doubt, but there always was and it wasn't a problem and no body questioned the level of officiating. Given they wouldn't have the video technology we are willing to give the referee the benefit of the doubt - and the best indicator of this was in State of Origin. Jennings knocked the ball out of Tate's hands, and the wrong decision was made. But there was no uproar - watching in live play it wasn't easy to tell.

If we want performance, we need accountability, and competition. The video referee take most accountability away from the referee, and the two referee system decreases competition for positions.

 

[Pierced Soul]

The use of the challenge system should not be considered IMO. It slows the game down another notch, could be used by Captains to stop momentum of one side, allow the referees to get even lazier knowing they will have a back up, and doesn't account for anymore mistakes than the three that can be challenged.

It removes further accountability from the referees which is why we are in the current situation that we are in.

this is my concern with a challenge system. say a sides up by 4 in the last few mins and they have 3 challenges remaining, they may just keep "challenging" over things like 'that bloke knocked on' in order to reset a defensive line

Since we don't have time-outs like the NFL do, there isn't much we can take away from a team at the moment for making a failed challenge call.

You would have to introduce a risk for getting a challenge wrong against you. Perhaps a kick for conversion could be moved directly infront of the post or an additional point awarded for the conversion when the defending team challenges a try.

Should the attacking team challenge a no try call, the restart of play could be from the 30 instead of the 20, or a free kick awarded should they get the challenge wrong.

but getting a challenge wrong shouldnt result in punishment. a captain may legitimately believe the wrong call was made and if it turns out it was the correct call their team shouldnt be punished as a result. as well as this there are the 50/50 calls which potentially come down to a video refs interpretation which may go either way

Hire a referees boss who doesn't think it is his right to "reinterpret" the rules however he damned well feels each season

this would help. I cant believe this dickhead in the last few years of his refereeing career and his role as refs coached has changed what a try looked like for 100 years to suit himself

Have Bozo run over Harrigan in his cement truck.

as much as i dislike bozo i think this idea should ahve been implemented a few decades ago

Preventing Jared Maxwell from controlling Manly matches would go a long way to eliminating howlers.

Sacking Maxwell altogether would go even further.

when you ebcome refs boss you can make that your first decision ;-)

 

[ANTiLAG]

Heh - the idea of referee scouting made me smirk. I guess it happens, but just an odd occupation to do.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I scout referee's. Going over to Levin this weekend, got a guy reffing in the in the U16's with the pace of a winger and no sin bins all season, thus far. Really controls the ruck area keeping it clean, gives a decent ten, and has a great whistle blowing technique, could really kick on to first grade, if not city v country in his first year in the majors, havn't been this excited since I saw a young Harrigan."

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

It's been said but it bears repeating.

The answer is: Get rid of Bill Harrigan. He's a monumental wanker who should never have been allowed near a football field, let alone allowed to ref, then coach other refs. The bloke is more interested in being a celebrity than being good at his job.

The prat has his own website FFS...