On average a game of 80 minutes of Super 14 rugby, has just 34 minutes of playing time.
The rest of the 46 minutes is directly attributable to the referee and how he blows the game.
The standard of refereeing this 2010 Super 14 competition has gone from bloody awful to absolutely flawless. However, no team or coach is permitted to criticize the referee, so it is basically left to SANZAR to have this oversight and management of a system that has way too many variables.
In short there is a gag order out about any criticism for a referee by any player or coach and that leaves the ref beyond reproach without any real accountability. And that is not good for the game.
There has to be a degree of scrutineering of the refs every Monday by SANZAR that is made public, to vouch for the impartiality and fairness of the referee, who in turn is assisted by two Assistant referees on the touchline, plus a TMO.
Referees have to be publically graded and assessed, not to necessarily censure them publically, but definitely to educate the players, coaches and fans, as they are front and centre of the game and woeful decisions can cost the game millions of dollars.
It also removes any suspicion of bias if SANZAR established a score card of criteria, so that defuses any hotbed emotional outbursts.
Take this past weekends Super 14 games.
1) Pollock in Reds vs Stormers: 3/10. He wrongly awarded the Reds 2 penalties against Vermeulen and Louw which were converted into points. That swung the entire game around. Biased in favour of the Reds. At one stage the penalty count was 7-1. The late shoulder charge on Habana should have earned the Reds a yellow card and even though it was out in the open he still conferred with his linesman. It might well have been a penalty try.
2) Kaplan in W Force vs. Crusaders: 8/10.
He was steady and consistent and carried no bias.
3) Walsh in Waratahs vs Brumbies: 4/10.
He was definitely biased against the Brumbies and instead of awarding them a try, penalised the try scorer for a ‘double movement’. The modern accepted ruling is that even if you are tackled and held you can stretch and place the ball.
4) Jonker in Bulls vs Lions: 8/10.
He was consistent and fair and missed very little. His only questionable decision was when Vermaak kicked a Bull, in that he awarded only a penalty instead of a yellow card and penalty.
5) Lawrence in Sharks vs Blues: 4/10.
Quite obvious bias shown towards the Sharks. Twice when the Blues captain approached him with a penalty query he didn’t answer but advanced the penalty 10 metres for chirping. Once when two Sharks were lying on the Blues side blocking the ball the Blues all appealed and he awarded the penalty to the Sharks!
Suggestions:
a) Specific, clear and vocal signals should be given by the ref indicating what the penalty was for plus the number of the infringing player.
b) The linesman should be the arbiter of ‘straight’ lineout throws, leaving the ref to concentrate on other aspects. If a crooked throw happens the linesman would merely wave his flag in the direction of the offending side.
c) Refs were told two years ago to check crooked balls at scrum put in. Some scrummies are still throwing the ball under their locks’ feet without penalty. This could also be a linesman’s call.
I am not the only one who feels this way about this seasons refereeing and I would welcome receiving your comments and perspective on how refs could be made to perform better, to give us a better game of 40 minutes of actual rugby instead of the 34 minute offering we have now.
TonyM
To some degree I agree with your assessments but I also think that Referees have a damn difficult job, sometimes made more difficult by constant bickering from captains and players.
A more transparent and public scrutiny of Refereeing performances would certainly help and why there is the need for the “gag order” imposed on players and coaches who are not allowed to critisize Referees, goes beyond the stupid! Why the need for that in the 1st place?
My feeling is that if the Laws were gradually made less technical, ie. the tackle Laws and the ruck Laws and also the scrumming Laws, the less ambiguity there will be from Refereeing performances. Take away that “Interpretation-dillemma” with simpler Laws and there will be less to moan about referees!
Oh my goodness there is some bias permeating through this article…no penalty try most definitely.
That was not even a tackle with out arms…at most a barge (not a shoulder charge)..a silly one as it could have easily been misinterpretated..
How could it have been a peanlty try..if habana had been tackled which bulls player would have got there. If the 13 Reds players had used his arms…what then?
The ref and assistant ref…who was closest said only a penalty. No shoulder charge!
Of all the refs pollock and Kaplan were the best.
The stormers cannot blame their defeat on the ref.
GBS
If there was not a gag order on players then there will be misconduct on the field. 50/50 calls will turn into a riot.
Come on Tony. You can’t be serious about Jonker. He was as biased as they come.
In fact I’m of the opinion that the referees have a collective vendetta against the Lions.
I think that with less biased refereeing throughout the competition, the Lions could well have been in with a shout for a home semi.
Just ask Kevin and Manie. They’ll agree. (Oh and maybe Tricky Dickie as well!)
2@ Walla – Heads up Walla…. Habana is not with the Bulls anymore….
3@ Walla – The “Gag order” refers to the fact that Players and Coaces are not allowed to critisize Referees AFTER a match… it is forbidden and some players and coaches have been diciplined for that…
GBS, Did you see P3’s fore-arm smashes into the ruck on Saturday? Deserved to be on WWE Smack Down as a highlight of the week.
I think that was the turning point in a close game!
Jonker definitely turned a blind eye to it.
GBS
sorry…I did mean stormers but wrote bulls.
Sorry Bulls supporters.
7@ Scrumdown – Huh??
No man, the Bulls were like slow poison on Saturday… by the end of the 1st half they had already had 62% of possession… and by the end of the game it was more than 65% possession.
Apart from the first 14 minutes, the Lions were never in the game….
8@ Walla – Stop drinking…. hehehe
By the way, how is Mrs Walla and little Walleroo… damn, little Walleroo must be 3 or 4 already!
Scrumdown 7
I am beginning to wonder why players have these forearm guards…most have them on their right arms.
Is there a reason other than them being right hand orientated and thus putting this guard on as they use their arm as a sledgehammer in a tackle. The bulls and Lions and sharks game you saw heaps of the sledgehammer tackle…the right arm swing!!
TonyM
If you want consistency then there are only a few things that need to be done.
1. The IRB should sit the worlds top 50 ref’s down in the same place and time and thrash out the interpretation thing.
Northern Hemisphere / Southern Hemisphere B Shit should be eradicated. The tackle “daylight” interpretation supposedly being used in the SH is definietly not being used in the NH.
2. Have open and honest assesments of referees weekly, and make the results public knowledge. Much the same as any company asseses employees.
If a worker in a company continually screws up, they’re soon moved sideways or down. (Occasionally upwards, but hopefully not too often except in Doornfontein)
3. By continually assessing the performances the “Elite panel” can then become a “living list” that continually changes.
If a particular ref’ shows continual bias either for or against any team (or nationality) he / she can then be removed from the “elite panel” without too much moaning and groaning.
Everyone in Rugby wants an honest and fair contest. If referees are not able to give the sport that, then there is something wrong somehwere.
This same simple structure / procedure could also be applied throughout the sport so that even primary school under 9b’s are all treated fairly. (I’ve seen some shockers at club level)
GBS
I am having a indifferent night tonight had a few wines for dinner with my neighbours. It was a holiday today in Aus land. Now back to the grindstone…early morning tomorrow for me.
I will be heading to bed soonest.
They are well…little one is growing up too fast and is now trying to set her own boundaries. Missus is good.
How you and you family…your son… has he been selected for the baby boks yet?
GBS,
It did happen, but I’m sure had no outcome on the overall result. (Just being full of SH1T)
Halfway through the 2nd half the Lions were klaaaar. Even I could have slipped through their defence.
Wallabie
Holiday in Swaziland as well today for those of us lucky enough not to be assesed and judged on performance. (Unlike referees!)
13@ Walla – BonzaiGBS has just turned 17 (18 April), so no he has not played for the baby Boks yet… the young man plays loosehead prop….
In Afrikaans we say that he is full of “Muisneste” which basically means girls are now very important in his life… and I hope it does not take some of his rugby focus away….
He is in his 2nd last year at High School.
GBS
Which school is BonzaiGBS at?
17@ Scrumdown – He is in School in George in the Southern Cape….
GBS
If you dont mind me asking why schooling in George and not closer to home?
GBS
A far cry from Varkpan! Any particular “rigting” he’s studying? (Sorry couldn’t paraphrase in English)
19@ Walla – Long story… basically it comes down to the fact that my Ex-wife is a very confused individual who lives in Pretoria and BonzaiGBS, myself and his grandmother on his mother’s side colluded to have him stay in George, far from his mom. He stays with the grandmother on a farm right on the coast (10km from George) and I fly him up and down for all holidays to me…
20@ Scrumdown – He wants to go study Graphic Design after School….
GBS
Makes sense.
22 Soos sy Oom!!!!! Hallooooo julle
All
I think I’m going to take my sorry Lions supporting backside down the mountain, hit a couple of buckets of the worlds kakest driving range balls then settle down with the Captain for an in depth discussion about F all in particular.
At least I won’t get any arguements.
What k@k weather for a Public Holiday!
Cheers all.
Scrumdown – you nailed it there with the panel of 50.
But there are the hardcore elite professional referees.
Another way of treating this as a global game of unity and factoring out the bias, is to have the NH refs do the SH games and vice versa and not just leave this principal for the tests.
We will see tomorrow how the SANZAR Lynton Bray handles the request for Steve Walsh to stand down from reffing the Brumbies match against the Reds.
Either way it is or will become a flashpoint and questionable appointment for Walsh to blow the match and Bray would be advised to do your sideways switch you proposed in #12 above.
Because if Walsh and his reffing colleagues were really on form and unbiased anyone of them could stand down and be replaced by a colleague who was of equal professionalism.
Hey GBS…I’ve been to Herolds Bay near George a couple of times…had an awesome new year’s party there once. Your son must love it there. They have or had a girls military base or something there right?
27@ Os_botter – Ja, die Staatsmatrasse (Woman’s Army College) is daar op George.
As mens van Heroldsbaai met die kus langs na Victoriabaai en Wildernis se kant beweeg, gaan my seun tuis reg op die kus, tussen Heroldsbaai en Vic Bay, net langs Oubaai (waar daar nou daai fantastiese nuwe gholfbaan is).
Hy sien letterlik die walvisse van sy kamervenster en is so naby hy kan hulle hoor Blow-hole blaas.
Nodeloos om te sê, die seun wat ‘n mooooosa natuurliefhebber is, is in sy element daar.
Die area waar hy by sy ouma tuisgaan staan bekend as Hansmoeskraal.
This has been my bugbear for many years. Refs seem to immune from discipline, though a small shift has been made this year. And the way refs in NH ref compared to SH makes one think they are reffing two different codes.
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