Only in Rugby League...

[langpark]

...spend 1000s of dollars to fly an English referee out to referee the, wait for it, Fiji vs PNG match! There are dozens of qualified, neutral (Aussie) refs there, so why on earth did this happen!?

They put an Aussie to ref Aus vs NZ then an Englishman to ref the Pacific Test. Now I know we've become used to some pretty bizarre 'logic' over the years, but for me, this one takes the cake.

 

[deluded pom?]

Obviously Australia doesn't trust a Pom ref to do the job correctly.

 

[roughyedspud]

Remember when ganson reffed a anzac test and only blew his whistle 3 times...bet KFC where fuming

 

[Foreign Legion]

stupid... really stupid

 

[langpark]

Remember when ganson reffed a anzac test and only blew his whistle 3 times...bet KFC where fuming

Also Silverwood reffed one a few years ago and did a good job, I see no reason why it couldn't still happen. But if he's not reffing this one, then don't bother flying one out at all as there are loads of Aussie refs that can ref the Pacific Tests.

Not saying Sutton was biased, although I still believe the Radradra incident was worthy of a penalty try.

 

[The Partisan]

French ref flown out for the Lebanon v Cook Islands game ??? :sarcasm:


Actually didn't even think about the ref nationality last night.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I agree. It's ridiculous.

The NRL conditioned refs are used to being out there with a mate, and they struggle to keep the teams apart. Pom refs don't. I'd much prefer a pom ref, but alas the ARLC had to have their way and stack the deck.

 

[Pommy]

I honestly believe the standard of refing is much higher in the SL than it is the NRL. Any idiot can run around and when something happens have a guess and then send it to the bunker. They don't always get it right in the SL but they're not petrified to make a decision as seems to be the way in the NRL.

Souths first effort of a try in the Wests game was the perfect example everyone in the ground knew it was a dropped ball. I was sat in the Burrow and not even the most deluded close minded souths fans thought it was a try. The ref still sent it to the bunker though.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Rugby league has badly lost it's way.

In the 80's it was always a neutral ref no matter what, even the 1988 World Cup final was refereed by a PNG'er.

Infact the other day Fox sports had the 2nd Test from Gt Britain and Australia from 1990 and during the game David Morrow is having a massive whinge about the French referee not calling offside on a kick when you pause the play the ref got it right. The media is the problem with league and their constant whinging it doesn't happen in any other sport.

 

[Evil Homer]

No different to an Aussie ref being flown out for last year's test series and then the matches being reffed by Ben Thaler. It's stupid and should be stopped, but sadly neutral refs isn't one of the things that Collier believes in.