Kirkpatrick switches

[ozbash]

After cross-code players, coaches and conditioners, the advent of the cross-code referee. Karl Kirkpatrick, who took charge of last year’s engage Super League Grand Final and was the 2005 referee of the year, is taking his whistle to rugby union.
Kirkpatrick, 42, who has 14 years’ experience at the highest level of league, was sounded out by the RFU before the 2006 Grand Final and has decided to take up the other code’s renewed interest after the RFL’s introduction this season of six full-time officials on 12-month contracts.

A business development manager with the Bank of Scotland, Kirkpatrick was reluctant to accept the RFL’s offer to go full-time. Since then, he has been relegated to weekly rounds in the Northern Rail Cup and lost much of his enthusiasm, which he hopes to regain in a “massive challenge” presented by refereeing in the rival code, of which he has no experience.

Kirkpatrick dropped his bombshell during a BBC Radio Lancashire interview last night. He will start by officiating at schools and junior matches, with the specific intention of refereeing at the highest level in union. He has begun work on the rudiments of the game at the West Park club in St Helens. Among those advising him are Denis Betts, the former Great Britain league forward and Wigan Warriors coach who joined the coaching staff at Gloucester last year.

The league rulebook is dwarfed by its union equivalent and the lineout is only one of many minefields, but Kirkpatrick is confident that he can adapt. The RFU specifically admired his man-management skills in matches. “Just like Jason Robinson, Andy Farrell and coaches crossing over, it’s a question of taking a structured path and, if possible, rising through the ranks. It’s something that’s never been done before and it’s got my adrenalin going,” he said.

After refereeing about 1,000 amateur and professional league matches, Kirkpatrick has heard his last cry of “gerremonside, ref”. Apart from a feed to a union scrum nearly as crooked now as that in league, there is a world of difference. But in Kirkpatrick's case, have whistle will travel.

www.TheTimes.co.uk

 

[Jeffles]

It'd be harder than switching codes as a player. The rules are quite different.

He's well past it (what RU seems to look for) and is probably looking for a slower game (which RU is). It's win win for both of them.

Is RL the loser? To an extent it probably is. I hope there are good referees coming through the ranks to take his spot.

 

[bartman]

Interesting how The Times presents it as League's loss...

League appointed six full-time professional referees for the first time ever this season. Kirkpatrick didn't want to give up his day job - probably a pay cut from the financial sector. The League filled his spot without much trouble or fanfare. My feeling is Union can have him if he doesn't want to rise to the levels require by the league.

 

[The Electric Horseman]

Agreed, the positive here is six full-time professional referees have been appointed. If Kirkpatrick didnt want to adapt then bugger off.

 

[deluded pom?]

Kirkpatrick was pi$$ poor when he first came into SL but improved greatly to become one of the better refs. I see it as a loss to the game . He could still have kept the six pro refs on their toes. As it stands now the six pros are guaranteed a SL game regardless of how they perform on a weekly basis.

 

[bartman]

Hoepfully the next step is developing so that there are say 8 pro refs, and then that will keep them on their toes to keep their SL games?

 

[roughyed8]

Kirkpatrick was pi$$ poor when he first came into SL but improved greatly to become one of the better refs. I see it as a loss to the game . He could still have kept the six pro refs on their toes. As it stands now the six pros are guaranteed a SL game regardless of how they perform on a weekly basis.

You wouldn't be saying that if you had been on the end of his decisions last week, in the world according to kk a 2 man tackle is no longer so 4 seconds after a man drops off it, and is not complete even when momentum is halted. Union is welcome to him the vast majority of ths fans have no idea of the rules so they wouldn't know if he stuffs up or not.

 

[Evil Homer]

Couldn't wish a nicer man on Union

 

[deluded pom?]

I hope you get Richard Silverwood for all of your remaining games now spud ;-)

 

[Perfect Pimbletts Pies]

KK threw his toys out of the pram. Clearly he has a personality clash with the Director of Refereeing and expected preferential treatment. If he hung on a bit he'd probably start getting SL matches again when one of the full time refs is injured or has another commitment.
His reaction to getting NL1 matches is actually quite insulting to a league that improving all the time.

Tough. No big loss. At 42 he's only got a year or two left at SL level anyway. He's lost a lot of respect amoungst the RL community.....

 

[deluded pom?]

I hope you saw the decision by Silverwood and his touchies on the Danny McGuire flick pass against the Dobbins spud. How they gave him a professional ticket I'll never know.

 

[roughyed8]

I hope you saw the decision by Silverwood and his touchies on the Danny McGuire flick pass against the Dobbins spud. How they gave him a professional ticket I'll never know.

Sure did,i am just thankfull that none of the full time refs will be "wasted" reffing in NL2:roll:

 

[deluded pom?]

What about the Lee Briers tap penalty? Not only are the actual game refs blind but so are the video refs. You're better off staying in the NL spud ;-)