NRL slams ‘unhealthy obsession’ over referees ahead of grand final
NRL head of football Graham Annesley says the game has an “unhealthy obsession” over the role of match officials and put the onus onto players and trainers not to milk injuries in the code’s showpiece event.
Gerard Sutton has been appointed to officiate his fifth straight decider, taking his overall tally to seven, despite a blunder that allowed Nathan Cleary to take a goal kick from the wrong spot in Penrith’s win over Melbourne last weekend.
The finals series has been mired in controversy over a series of incidents including Ivan Cleary’s claims that Nathan was illegally targeted while kicking, Wayne Bennett’s counter that the halfback was receiving illegal protection, trainers illegally stopping play to gain an advantage and concerns over the milking of penalties.
For some, the controversies add to the theatre of the biggest week of the season. However, former referee Annesley said the focus shouldn’t be on the whistleblower.
“There is too much of an unhealthy focus around what referees do,” he said.
“This game should be about the players and the best team winning the competition, whoever that might be. We generally have an unhealthy obsession in rugby league about match officials.
“We announced the referee today as we always do because everyone needs to know who the match officials are.
Referee Gerard Sutton will again control the grand final.Credit:Getty
“But after that we should be focusing on the 34 players who are going to take the field and the two coaches who are going to guide their teams through that 80 minutes.
“That’s where games are won and lost, not by who has got the whistle and the enforcement of the rules.
“Teams have got 80 minutes to try to win a game of football. While every decision a referee makes has an impact on the game, the players have got the ability in their own hands to turn the outcome of the game.”
In a blatant attempt to earn a penalty, Parramatta winger Blake Ferguson clutched his neck after a seemingly innocuous tackle in the finals loss to Penrith. It prompted Nathan Cleary and Ryan Papenhuyzen to claim milking could decide a grand final and that administrators had to step in to stop the scourge.
However, Annesley put the onus on players and trainers to do the right thing.
“Referees are not doctors,” he said.
“We saw the incident a year or two ago with Nene Macdonald who had a serious leg fracture and the referees didn’t stop the game.
“It was a massive controversy over why the referees didn’t stop the game. If trainers request the game to be stopped, they are going to stop it.
“It’s not the referee’s job to determine whether it’s a legitimate stoppage or not.
“It’s not something the referees can take a risk with in trying to second guess whether the players are seriously injured or not.”
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