Archer is the NRL’s referees boss. He knows the only thing more painful than walking over and smacking his forehead into the coathook on the back of his door is picking up that phone, for at the other end is an angry NRL coach.
On Tuesday it is Brad Arthur. A day earlier Arthur sat through 70 minutes of hard-slog football as Parramatta hung on to a skinny 6-4 lead and tried to defend its way to victory.
Then the Tigers went left, a standard block play, before the ball found Pat Richards and he sprinkled a little star dust on a dour afternoon.
“It wasn’t a try,” Arthur said.
Archer and Arthur argued for a while, before at some point it was pointed out that it was only one try in a 22-6 result.
Arthur’s despair zoomed to DEFCON 1. The reality was the try broke his Parramatta Eels. After defending for so long they no longer had anything left to come back with and besides, it shouldn’t have been a try anyway.
Archer went away and looked at the vision and came back and called Arthur, telling him yes, he was right.
It should not have been a try.
Under the criteria, James Tedesco took the ball behind a lead runner making the play illegal.
Since round one Des Hasler has sent “18 or 20” queries to Archer, small video clips with a small note: Why wasn’t that a penalty for incorrect play-the-ball? What happened with that obstruction?
Forty-eight per cent of the time Archer has called back, according to Hasler, saying they made the incorrect call.
At some point we need to end this.
By seeking perfection in an imperfect game the NRL and its referees have created a problem that is worsening.
Just this week NSW Rugby League chairman Dr George Peponis said officiating had worsened in the past 18 months.
There is no doubt it was catalyst for last Friday’s madness, even though just a small revision was required to show the referees got that one exactly right.
Still, by going through their checklists on every try, and almost every decision, are we really making it better?
Advances in technology for the home viewer have reached the point where they no longer add to the spectacle as much as provide fuel for their anger.
Accuracy might have improved a couple of percentage points, but the feel for the game is being lost, arguing the overall product is worse.
“What they need is empathy,” Hasler said on Wednesday. “That’s what’s missing.”
Thankfully, Hasler has a solution. It is no Band-Aid so immediately you like it.
He believes the NRL needs to look at developing coaches at younger levels, through school programs and into university programs that could run as part of existing sports degrees and be a pathway to professional officials. It profiles personalities at each level, weeding out the ill-fitting and developing the right people for a career in the game.
Certainly officials are being left behind, as hard as they work.
Replies
On video ref decisions coaches should be able to ask for an aspect to be reconsidered - like in cricket.
The game is relying on too many people to make decisions or to pass the buck.
How did the single ref, two touchies and a single video ref ever get a correct decision back in the day?
They said on NRL 360 last night, in front of Greenburge, that Morris`s try in the 2nd half was scored off the 7th tackle!! They provided video evidence. Greenburge said virtually nothing because it meant that the Dogs had nothing to complain about.
How many times have calls gone against us the last 4 or 5 years only for refs to come out afterwards and say it was wrong???? Doesn't help us now you farking twats!!
“What they need is empathy,” Hasler said on Wednesday. “That’s what’s missing.”
Says the man who ‘Since round one ... has sent “18 or 20” queries to Archer, small video clips with a small note: Why wasn’t that a penalty for incorrect play-the-ball? What happened with that obstruction’?
He should probably look up the meaning of the word before he uses. I’ve never been able to stand that man.
If Archer was so quick to agree with BA, it is time to sack or suspend the video ref.
I'm sure all the refs get together and talk about what is a try and what isn't. Clearly, our friend on Monday wasn't paying attention.