How to fix it...

[El Diablo]

suspend Ryles and ring Gids

 

[Dave_]

Rong Fred

 

[Jimmy Clark]

Put Bwaith Anasta in charge

47 txta2s

 

[snickers007]

1. One referee, two touchies, two in-goal judges.

2. Captains Challenge introduced. To be adjudicated by video referee in full speed only. If inconclusive, original decision stands.

3. Broadcasters and accredited media outlets to be banned from using slow-motion footage during live broadcast, and after the broadcast for the purpose of dissecting the referee decision.

4. Communication between referee and video referee to be one way only (ref -> vr).

5. Remove 'On Report' system and mandatory sin bin for punching. Referee to penalise, sin bin or send off as appropriate. Match Review Committee and Judiciary to continue to operate as is, however only using full-speed footage.

6. Games to be played under International Laws

7. Broadcasters to display snippets from the rule book on screen from time to time, to educate fans on the actual rules

Basically, empower referees to own the game, and make a decision. Remove the availability of slow-motion footage which allows commentators and fans from nit picking. Reduce the amount of 'noise' surrounding referees and their decision making process - allowing them to referee, rather than game manage. And educate fans on the laws.

 

[davi]

You do know the captains challenge in cricket isn't perfect and there has been some dodgy stuff over the years with it. Look at the 2013 ashes series in England as an example. Just imagine unlimited captains challenges with Smith and Gallen using it repeatedly.

But I do strongly believe in going back to 1 referee. 2 just creates confusion and over referees the game leading to the mistakes we have seen.

Nobody who supports a captain challenge system says you will have unlimited use of it. If it was brought in it will be limited to one or two unsuccessful challenges per half.

"Each team will be allowed one incorrect challenge per half but there will be no limit on how many times a captain can contest a ruling by the match officials if he continues to be proven right."

https://www.nrl.com/news/2016/09/01/captains-challenge-trial/

 

[dogslife]

Bring in topball already!

In the event of a draw after 80 minutes, the apex's fight to the death

 

[TheVelourFog]

they will not, and should not ever, remove the video ref

if you are calling for that then give yourself an uppercut

1. Remove all ex-players from officiating immediately
2. Write clear and concise guidelines. Remove as much subjectivity as possible.
3. Train new officials with said guidelines
4. Profit

 

[TheVelourFog]

6) Go through the rule book and remove every rule that contradicts another rule, e.g. loose carry, dominant tackle, etc, get rid of them as not only do they contradict other rules they just cause confusion and are extremely subjective. They are a grey area when we should be aiming for black and white.

7) At the same time that you're getting rid of the contradictory rules re-word or replace any rule that requires an degree of interpretation and replace it with a black and white ruling. Broadly speaking this has already been done by the NRL, like in the case of obstruction where for a little while there every ref played the rule differently until they came up with a black and white universal way of ruling it (that was completely different to how it had been interpenetrated for 50-60+ years, but still it was an improvement), but there're other examples of this causing problems e.g. what constitutes offside is a good example as some refs like to stand ten meters back at the play the ball with the players behind them being onside, and others like to stand 13 or so meters back with the players in-front of them at roughly the 10 meter mark so they can see them all. The point is streamline all that shit, and make it very clear how it is to be interpenetrated.

Beat me to it, but yes these two a billion times

 

[TheVelourFog]

8) People are probably not going to like this one, but grant Geoff Toovey's wish... Have a complete investigation of all the current refs bank accounts details and their betting accounts, etc, cause though I'm not suggesting that any particular game is or was fixed it would be incredibly easy for a ref/refs to fix a game in the current circumstances of the NRL and for nobody to blink an eyelid when it's happened. While doing that introduce rules that the NRL has the right to access refs and other officials financial information (and other relevant stuff as well) just like they do with the players to keep them honest. It's sad that we are at that point, but we are at that point where we have no choice but to make sure that we actually can say for certain that some of the goings on in the game have been because of incompetence and not by design.

this one not so much

there is no conspiracy to have certain teams win matches

 

[T-Boon]

3. Broadcasters and accredited media outlets to be banned from using slow-motion footage during live broadcast, and after the broadcast for the purpose of dissecting the referee decision.

In terms of "fixing refs blunders" this, plus getting rid of the usual suspects (Gould, Johns whoever at Fox does this whinging business) is all that is needed.
I was watching a bit of a Panasonic Cup game from 1986 (Eels v Illawarra) on youtube and there were no instant replays and the commentator did not mention the refs decisions once even though I could scroll the game back and pick up numerous epic refs errors. Also there were only two commentators, a young Rab's calling the game and one "expert".
Get rid of this panel of experts all trying hard to find something to comment on. Refs decisions are just too easy a target for these fools who are fighting to find something to say to justify being there.

 

[The Great Dane]

this one not so much

there is no conspiracy to have certain teams win matches

I never said there was a conspiracy or anything of the sort... I said that in the current climate it would be ridiculously easy for a ref to fix a game and get away with it without anybody having a second thought about it.

I mean can we honestly say with 100% certainty that e.g. "penalty Broncos" was just the refs being incompetent? I don't think we can and if the NRL can't say that then they have a big problem waiting to raise it's head...
It would be incredibility easy in the current climate where almost all of the refs are incompetent and almost no game goes by without controversy for a ref to feign incompetence to get the result he wants and make bank.

It happened in the NBA 20 or so years ago under very similar circumstances to where the NRL is right now, and I see no reason why it couldn't be happening in the NRL as well.

Though this is a bit of an aside there's also the unconscious bias problem, that is definitely a problem in the NRL, where teams/players that are perceived to be better than others get away with more or are assumed to be in the right more, which wreaks havoc on the officiating of the sport, what can be about that though I don't know.

 

[Cherry_poppins]

In terms of "fixing refs blunders" this, plus getting rid of the usual suspects (Gould, Johns whoever at Fox does this whinging business) is all that is needed.
I was watching a bit of a Panasonic Cup game from 1986 (Eels v Illawarra) on youtube and there were no instant replays and the commentator did not mention the refs decisions once even though I could scroll the game back and pick up numerous epic refs errors. Also there were only two commentators, a young Rab's calling the game and one "expert".
Get rid of this panel of experts all trying hard to find something to comment on. Refs decisions are just too easy a target for these fools who are fighting to find something to say to justify being there.

You must go for a team who is a refs favorite

 

[no name]

When did they start letting players take a tap again if a team mate is in front of them and offside?
Letting things like that fundamental rule of the game slide has contributed to where the referees are now.
We’ve all said it a thousand and one times each, but go back to calling players by number and refereeing the game instead of trying to be the players mates and coach them through a game.
Harrigan mentioned on Controversy Corner that refs get marked down on performance if they don’t send a close call to the bunker even if they get it right. If that is anywhere near the truth, it’s gonna be a long journey to get the refs back to confidently refereeing a game and not ‘managing’ it.

 

[tripster]

Harrigan mentioned on Controversy Corner that refs get marked down on performance if they don’t send a close call to the bunker even if they get it right. If that is anywhere near the truth, it’s gonna be a long journey to get the refs back to confidently refereeing a game and not ‘managing’ it.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the refs were encouraged to send things to the bunker by the NRL due to advertising revenue.

KFC obviously pays a certain amount to have its advertising when the TRY or NO TRY thing is announced.

The amount KFC is willing to pay the NRL for that is either a fixed amount per season or a “per bunker decision amount”. If the latter then there is a clear incentive for more bunker calls. If the former there is still an incentive because the fixed amount they are willing to pay would still be based on an expected amount of video ref calls.

If we went down to very few bunker calls per match the value of that advertising would decline and the NRL would have to make up the money elsewhere.

 

[Exsilium]

The NRL and it’s management team are too dumb to think of other revenue streams so they just whore themselves out to the media, KFC, Telstra and so on. Regardless of whether they ruin the game or not.

They assume we, the fans, are that naive that we don’t notice the dumb shit they do.

 

[Springs09]

First of all have everyone shut up with the hyperbole. 'Worst refereeing ever', 'referees in crisis' - we literally hear these every year. Referees do one thing,and its the worst ever, they do what everyone wants and they are the worst ever. Like in 2017 - everyone complains about refs not enforcing the rules, allowing teams to be blatantly offside, lie all over the ruck, give away deliberate penalties and play the ball wrong. Referees are the worst they have ever been and they need to do this this and that and so on.
2018 - Referees penalise blatant offsides, awful play-the-balls and holding down and use the bin for deliberate penalties like everyone wants - the referees are now the worst they have ever been and we need to go back to 2017 where the football was so much better apparently.

This shit about fans walking away from games because of refs is bullshit and been going on forever. Of course the officiating can be improved, but the levels of hyperbole are ridiculous. That said a couple of things that could be done:

1. Limit the Bunker/Video Ref. They have seemed to be in most refereeing controversies for the last 20 years. Limit it to groundings, as we need it to determine split second groundings before touch line etc. Everything else should be officiated the same way it is in the middle of the field. Offside, obstructions etc. should be ruled on in real time by the refs and touchies. People will still complain when decisions are proven wrong by replays, but at least we will have a consistent rule. It also brings top level footy back in line with lower levels.

2. The NRL is officiated by how entertaining the product is to viewers. Cut that shit out and referee to the rule book.

3. Instead of constantly bitching about referees, how about YOU go out and referee juniors or local footy and actually help out your sport for once instead of being a little bitch about everything. This will also give the NRL more referees to choose from as I don't know where the NRL are going to get all these referees from since according to the viewers every single NRL ref is complete shit and should be sacked. There aren't a bunch of brilliant referees just waiting around. My local comp this week had 11 referees for 17 games. If the abuse of referees continue to get worse, the numbers will continue to get lower and games will not be able to be held at all.

 

[Springs09]

Hell NO! Under Bill Harrigan it was abysmal in fact I remember the video refereeing considerably improved when Daniel Anderson took over. A lot people tend to forget Anderson brought certainty and commonsense when he took over then the farce under Harrigan.

A lot of people remember the obstruction rule he brought in that everyone bitched about. The black and white rule meant players took a dive all the time. It was a good decision, the refs just needed to ignore the obvious dives, but everyone bitched and the game was being ruined and lifelong fans were walking away etc etc

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

I thought the captains challenge worked really well in the Knights vs Dragons a few years ago. But I’m true NRL style they haven’t tried it again since

 

[umina panther]

Sacking Ben Cummins would be the best place to start

 

[big hit!]

You're probably right.

I just think touch judges are the biggest waste of space in the game.

I'd go the other way. They should aid in referring the game on more than just sideline shit and kicks for goal.

Go back to one ref, call the touch judges assistant referees and get them to adjudicate on stuff if they're in the best position to do so