Well at least its official now :shock:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24059457-23214,00.html
Badger got it wrong, Finch says
From staff reporters
July 22, 2008
GAVIN Badger made the wrong decision in sending off Jason Ryles during Monday night's spiteful game between St George Illawarra and Melbourne, NRL referees boss Robert Finch says.
Badger was close to losing total control of the match before sending off Ryles in the 25th minute for what seemed a minor offence.
Finch admitted to Fox Sports that he didnt think Badger or any other current NRL referee had been so close to losing control.
"We havent something like that for a very long time,"Finch said exclusively to Fox Sports.
"Bill Harrigan was probably the last referee to have been involved in a game of that wild nature."
Finch refused to divulge whether Badger would be stood down from first-grade duties, with the referees boss to conduct a three-hour debriefing with the embattled whistle blower later in the week, but the whistle blower has not been handed an appointment for round 20 of the NRL premiership
Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart meanwhile ensured that Finchs week remains busy by claiming the Storm have reverted to their grapple tackle ways of wrestling players around the head.
Stuart claims the NRL has eased its policing of grapple tackles in recent weeks, enabling the Storm to go back to controversial wrestling techniques which he believed contributed to the ill feeling in their win over the Dragons.
"The month or six-week period where the referees are jumping on top of it is over," Stuart said on Sydneys 2KY radio station.
"Now they're (Melbourne) back into it again and it's coming into the most important stage of the season.
"We don't coach it, we don't train it. I, like any coach, will do as much as you have to do to win but I won't wrestle a player around the head.
"I'll put my chin out there again (by speaking out) to get it whacked but someone has to do it because it shouldn't be in the game."
But Finch hit back at Stuarts claims, stating that his men had not slackened their policing of the controversial tackle and that NRL referees would continue to make that area of the game a priority.
Stuart was also highly critical of the performance of Badger, with the Sharks and Australia coach saying the games administrators would be red faced when Ryles was playing again this weekend.
"It was unnecessary and nowhere near a send-off report," Stuart said.
"The thing you've got to look at now is how embarrassing it's going to be when (the NRL match review committee) let him off for a send-off decision.
"(St George Illawarra) lost the opportunity to win the game ... what happened last night was a joke."
