We have a very popular game because it is fast and the players are amazing. The rules or game management are developed or have evolved to showcase the players. The players are the focus. In rugby union they marvel at the referee. " Oh the referee had a wonderful game tonight. He blew 58 marvellous penalties. He really nailed that one where the hooker failed to hold onto his tight head prop's jersey correctly after the scrum was reset 16 times in the 32nd to 38th minute. "
We, as supporters along with the journos and talking heads have an unhealthy fixation on the referees. It doesn't matter which team is favoured people f***ing whinge like they've been wronged. Exhibit A is a post or two above mine. Somebody is complaining about the bunker getting a decision correct. Anderson in front of the kick on the restart. The decision is correct. Yet a fan of the game is complaining about a correct decision being made.
What I think is a genuine gripe is the administration of the game making regular rule changes that make things much more difficult for the referees. A 40/20 ... okay let's make a 20/40 as well. No stripping of the ball... hang on, what about if tackler 2 and 3 let go and in a split second tackler 1 is allowed to strip the ball. Let's make up a rule that instead of penalising teams we'll give them 6 more tackles ... yeah, yeah good idea. A year later. OK let's make it a penalty if it's done in this section of the field but outside of that it's a 6 again. Oh and let's add further indiscretions to the mix.
The administration is the problem. Changing the rules constantly to, sure make the game a better spectacle but it just makes it more difficult for the referee. You have Annesley blindly supporting the bunkers f**kups. Last week Panthers won a game off the back of a potential obstruction/block runner taking out a Parra player. Annesley comes out and says its fine. Then last night Cleary is taken out in a similar fashion. Bunker let's it go because possibly (?) Annesley said the decision last week was correct. In a few weeks a team is going to get totally screwed over on an obstruction call - very possible it will be a finals game too. We have Annesley telling players not to 'milk' penalties but if they don't .... it's play on. The players and coaches aren't stupid, so they milk it. Everyone complains about the officials but nobody puts any blame on the coaches for manipulating the rules to win a game. Bellamy is a prime example. Great coach but the wrestling shit was incredible. As soon as one wrestling move/hold was outlawed he's creating new ones. That's unreal to me. We had this incredible spike in pec injuries because of all that wrestling shit.
But to provide balance cast your mind back nearly a decade and our game was becoming pretty tough to watch. We had the top teams ... roosters, storm and sharks wrestling the absolute shit out of every team. And because it was successful for the top teams every team was adopting the shit. The game was a struggle to watch. Credit must go to the administration and the referees for coming up with, and implementing the 6again rule. Was/is it perfect? No. But it has gotten rid of the God awful wrestling. The game is good to watch again.
I think as fans we need to step back and have a more balanced opinion and conversations about the state of the game. The Talking heads create this bullshit hysteria to get clicks and we all buy into it too much. As fans we need to stop listening to these dickhead journos who create this noise.
