Biff Tannen wrote:
Don't like to harp on about NRL and SL difference but the gap is so wide you cant ignore it.SL refs so inconsistent, hence this thread.Too many games being decided by the standard of the refs,it needs addressing big time imo.
I think there are big issues in the referees department, mostly stemming from underfunding from grass roots up to SL level.
We don't have enough refs & touch judges and the ones that we have aren't paid enough and not trained/developed well enough.
There are huge issues with how refs are developed from a young age. Firstly they're put in to reffing games at too young an age in the amateur game. We have refs refereeing their own age group. I'm of the belief refs should always be at least 2 years older than the age group they're reffing. Also, as we've heard previously from Roy Haggerty, the issues surrounding pay, expenses and how refs are treated ie lack of backup/support from the RFL and refs societies. Then add in the ridiculous, backward and unnecessary violent & intimidating atmosphere many refs experience in the amateur game from any number of feckwits who are bizarrely allowed to operate and attend amateur games, then it's no wonder we have trouble recruiting and keeping referees.
Ontop of that I think we need some kind of 2nd ref. Maybe not in the NRL sense of 2 full referees, maybe have 1 ref and 1 "roaming touch judge" to help the ref make decisions and provide him and the players with information. The game is too fast and too highly scrutinised now for 1 ref in my opinion.