NRL puts a city offside
Comment by Ray Chesterton
August 15, 2006
THE NRL has now become even more myopic than its referees and touch judges.
It is classically short-sighted to all but derail Newcastle's premiership chances by exposing their captain Andrew Johns to probable suspension despite the crudity of him calling a touch judge a "f---ing. c--t."
Johns, amazingly, now faces a draconian suspension of four matches for swearing. Yet he wasn't even suspended after pleading guilty to striking in round 23.
Suspending Johns is like shooting a cannon to subdue a butterfly.
Balmain Test prop Steve Roach only got four weeks and a $5000 fine in 1990 for calling a referee a "f---ing wombat" and patting him on the head."
Johns' outburst was the by-product of refereeing ineptitude.
If the decision-making had been accurate it would not have occurred.
Touch judge Matt Cecchin and referee Paul Simpkins may feel aggrieved at Johns's language but the whole Newcastle community is in shock because of the lost opportunity from their ruling.
A potential four-match suspension will end Johns' season in the cruellest possible way given Newcastle' lack of achievement when he is not around.
This whole fiasco has evolved into an embarrassing farrago of ineptitude and abstract silliness because the NRL has failed to correct deteriorating refereeing standards this year.
Undetected forward passes are common, players don't have to make contact in the play the ball, goal-line restarts are taken a metre into the field of play, stripping has been exploited and knock on rulings can be inexplicable.
Last weekend, the Manly-Knights game ended in controversy following a referee error that has been confirmed by the NRL.
Other games had their moment of mystery decision-making as well.
Johns's tirade, as indefensible as it is, has to be measured not as an isolated incident upsetting the tranquil relationship between players and refs.
It has to be seen as a human reaction to myriad mistakes by referees that are scarring the game.
They are creating anger and frustration among players, coaches and supporters driven to absolute distraction by crucial mistakes.
The NRL has enjoyed an essentially unruffled reign since its creation and past transgressions and heartache have been allowed to heal as the game scaled new heights.
Such acceptance has now ended in the eyes of many supporters, sick of seeing their teams chances of winning go into a refereeing lucky dip each week.
