After last nights debacle I started to think of some of the worst and best referees that I have seen.
Recently I think that Ben Thaler has improved to the point that he is now the best referee by a country mile. Early on in his career I thought he was woeful but to be fair I think now he is pretty consistent and endeavours to keep going rather than blowing his whistle for every minor incident.
The worst referee at present is Childs. He is frankly pretty useless.
Historically Stan Walls took some beating as the worst but the clown on Sky was consistently bad over his entire career.
The best referee for me ever was Alex Murphy. He refereed ever game I watched him play and not once did he use a whistle.

SL - Thaler by a mile
NRL - Gavin Badger

Bentham let's games flow nowadays and Thaler is ok (but can be inconsistent IMO). I've also been quite impressed with the young lad (Cobb is it?) on the couple of occasions I've seen him.

Silverwood and Child both come across as arrogant idiots who don't give much respect so therefore don't get much back.

Thaler best by a country mile IMO
Silverwood is the best "Homer ref" without a doubt
Child is the most pedantic referee
Cobb looks a very promising Referee and definitely one for the future,unless the Aussies lure him over to the NRL

Sinfield , Wilkin, Peacock then Thaler and Bentham forget the rest and nobody coming through poor state of affairs and not going to change any time soon.

Itchy, (why do I start scratching myself when I see your user name) Alex Murphy when trying to ref a match had a few bad games when it was the best of the lot Sargent Major Clay who always put Murphy in his place, he would stand for no nonsense but he had a good rapport with the players.

You avin a laugh..Thaler is a Yorkshire biased ref...the Yorkie teams always get the rub with that lad in charge.

Silverspud was the best a while back but has gone well off form.

Child is a joke, makes it up as he goes along.

Bentham would be my shout, but it's a pretty bad bunch.

The Aussies are no better either.

Not so sure about the young bit, he's 28 so older than most of the players

Isn't the question its own contradiction? None of them have ever played the game (I sit to be corrected, but I'm pretty sure that's the case), they're to a man 3 or 4 stone lighter than most of the players they're being bullied by, they're not paid enough, they don't train enough, they don't enforce the laws and are let down by myopic flag carriers who they either instruct not to bother them, or might as well sit in the stands for all the use they are.

In comparing, all you can say is that some are worse than others, none deserve the title of "best". Maybe "least worst", but that's as far as I can go.

Looks about 14 from a distance! He's doing well anyway.

As long as you feel my first name but not my last you will be champion.
Aye the major forgot about yonmon!

Think you will find 99.99% of refs have played at some level. You even have ex-SL Jamie Bloem refereeing in the Championship. Suspect you have no idea how much they are paid, how often they train or how much input touch judges have either. Don't let all that spoil your mindless rant though. Maybe you should take up the whistle and show everyone how it's done?

Joe cobbs hasn't played also Thaler ,hicks

Are you sure? Just because they haven't played professionally doesn't mean they haven't played.

Positive

All three wouldn't be good enough for a girls U12 team

Thaler used to play for his school, comes from a family of players from the looks of it.

Hicks played for Saddleworth as a junior, grandfather was president there

Can't find anything online for Cobb

Don't be so obtuse.
Mindless rant or otherwise, if everyone had to spend time on here explaining every minutiae we'd be here all day (& night). If you can't get past the point I was trying to make that they haven't played at top level, and aren't given the resources to be properly professional, then excuse me for breathing.

If someone was playing top level rugby, they are hardly likely to suddenly stop playing and take up refereeing during their career. So your pool would be restricted to retired players, leaving guys starting to learn the ropes at 33+ years of age, possibly not being fit enough to ref at top level by the time they have spent a few years finding their feet, whereas currently many officials start as teenagers. I don't see how your point would benefit the game. If you don't think any refs are good then you either have unrealistic expectations or don't properly understand the rules

My dad always used to say "You don't have to have been a horse to be a good jockey!".

I see no reason why a ref needs to have played the game. He just needs to be fit, have good eyesight, know the rules inside and out, and finally be a good communicator.

Of all the refs I like Thaler. He makes mistakes, as would anyone, but he refs the game with a sense of humour, and takes no messing. He seems to have the respect of the players.

The worst is Child. He doesn't yet have the players respect. I don't know if he ever will. But I hope for all our sakes that he is able to improve.

Child has a "i'm a wee guy your not going to bully me" mentality. Bit like a Jack Russell

Ref's need a good rapport with players and a sense of humour as well . Thaler has that . Always remember Mr Ganson saying to a Bradford player who was complaining about a decision "Look son it's not my fault your are at Rugby League" . Silenced him lol

Regards , EW