Refs lower team bias

Well, we have all thought for years that lower placed teams get the rough end of the referees penalty wand. At least Richo is now expressing these views openly. I would go further and suggest that the NRL have an agenda and need to keep certain teams winning to maximise interest in the sport.

See article on ABC

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-13/tigers-ceo-claims-nrl-refs-have-inherent-bias-lower-teams/105414512?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf277621309&utm_campaign=abc_grandstand&utm_source=m.facebook.com&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR5kBGfmMUChCeEFDNGSehWcMCrB2NU-XkYbSYs5AMlISNCrOouSYqCJEdDC_g_aem_G4P6R3NjrK6ZpEs2hngB8A

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  • Better teams with higher end talent will usually dominate the game as well and get more calls in their favour but he's not totally wrong either. 

  • Totally agree. I listened to that game on the ABC and the commentars were going ballstic over some of the calls, even when the aDogs played Parra, we were hard done by...By the way, we won't get the spoon. Though we've lost our key player, Moses, I still beolieve we'll end up around 12th by the season end. Next year will be better. No Brown, No Carty, No Matto, no Lane. We have young players coming up through the grades, thanks to Nathan Brown and Ryles

    • Where is Matterson going?

  • The majority of commentary was that Moses milked the penalty when Kikau hit his leg after the kick last weekend. It was a clear cut penalty under the rule that was brought in a couple of years ago. In the game we actually got the penalty, however no-one thought it was deserved and subsequently Kikau got off the charge. It is a similar example of sub-consious bias, like they are a shit team so it doesn't matter.

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