With rare exceptions blaming of referees is just a good distraction from a teams problems. When a side is having a shit year it's a way for a coach to deflect some of the blame from himself/his team by saying the refs have it in for them. When a side is having a good year and drops a game they'll fall on it. Hell when a team is good opposition fans will blame refs for getting them over the line.
I reckon referee effect on the game is miniscule, bar the occasional howler. Better teams are generally quicker, get a better roll on and draw more penalties because they catch the opposition flat footed, not back in time, opposition tries to hold em down longer etc. Which sees shitter teams give away more penalties because they often can't match others on football alone so they resort to tactics that push the boundaries more out of neccesity (holding down, leaving a hand in the ruck in the hope of a dropped ball etc), and then give away more penalties.
But they are a great deflection from a teams flaws and coaches /players are happy to use that shield whenever possible.
I think it's kind of shit. For one, they get one look at general play and thats it, rather than the multiple slow motion looks that others get. Two, the lack of respect flows on the field too often (Graham and Klemmer for example, and others). This flow on though down to grassroots sport is really bad. When refs get abused in junior sport for example. Or in very low level amateur sport that I play in and some people just give these guys absolutely heaps. It's bullshit. Can't have a game without refs.
I'm not a great fan of all of Cameron Smiths on field play, wonderful player but there's some definite grubbiness in there, but he's an excellent captain because he just doesn't approach the refs in an agressive manner like so mnay others. He's very calm and level headed when he speaks to them and it's good for his side IMO.
