This has got to be one of the stupidest articles I have ever read. Saw a link for it on Facebook. It's easy to manipulate stats for the intended result. Basically what the article is saying, is that Ref decision making is at an all time high, since new rules were introduced in 2013 regarding on field decision for a try.... wow all time record for something that's been in place for less than 3 years!
NRL referees are getting try-scoring decisions right at the highest rate since the edict to rule on tries before referring the final say to the video referee was introduced.
The referees had an 86 per cent success rate over the opening eight rounds when ruling if a try had been scored or not before sending it upstairs.
The rule was changed in 2013 to force the on-field referee to make a live decision before sending it to the video referee.
By the numbers: How the referees measure up.
The video referee must now find suitable evidence to overturn the decision by the on-field official.
Referees finished the 2013 season with 82 per cent success, a mark which lifted to 83 per cent last year. This season there have been 221 video ref decisions with the on-field referees getting it correct 191 times, meaning there had been just 30 incorrect calls.
Referees boss Tony Archer praised the amount of calls his team had got correct.
"Their live decisions are certainly quite good at this stage," Archer said.
"We want them to make that live decision to make the video referee a review process instead of a decision-making process. That's why on a number of occasions the referee is good to come out with the live decision.
"What we want them to do is have the capacity to get in the right positions and have good vision on the ball and come up with a live decision. If there is an aspect that needs to be reviewed [then send it to the video referee] to review it, instead of being the decision maker which they were.
"In the last weekend [of NRL] we had 94 per cent correct decisions and the round before it was 93 per cent."
Matt Cecchin has made the most incorrect calls having eight wrong calls this season with Adam Devcich next with six errors.
Jared Maxwell, Gavin Morris and Ashley Klein are ranked the best of the match officials who have made more than 10 live decisions with just two errors each.
The game's leading whistle blower Gerard Sutton has 24 from 27 decisions correct.
Archer said the percentage of correct decisions was taken into account when deciding which games are given to the referees.
"We take it into account in relation to the aspects involved in making a decision," Archer said.
"Their positional play, their ability to keep vision on the ball and their live decision in relation to other aspects of the play.
"It's an area they want to be accurate in. There is always the option that the review process allows it to be overturned. They are not criticised if they are overturned, if there is a reason [why it was incorrect] they aren't to be judged.
"To be realistic in a perfect world you want to increase [the number of correct decisions] and you want the referees to be in a comfortable position. I haven't put a figure around it."
Replies
It seems as though this article has been put together to balance out the fact that we are at an all time low for Ref standards.
So this year they are getting around 15% of video ref try ruling calls wrong.
Wonder what the stats look like for general play rulings coupled with this though?
On another note, thought the refs and video refs did a great job getting the consistency right in the Tonga v Samoa match last night. They seemed to really be making a huge effort in that game!
Shame it doesn't happen more often
Damn the NRL must think footy fans are so dumb. I'd love to see the stats for overall decision's and not just a hand picked stat. Fans have not been complaining about ref's decision's on tries before they are sent up stairs. Lets not forget if the ref makes a descsion before sending it up stairs then the vid ref has to clearly disprove that decision to overturn it. If its not 100% clear, which a lot of the time its not, then they go refs call. Of course the stats on these decisions will go up. Overall the refs are as bad as ever this year.