my apologies if this has already been posted but i couldn't see it anywhere

[urlhttp://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_6028398,00.html[/url

Maybe if enough players and coaches speak out, the RFL will make enough in fines to start recruiting and training some decent refs.

Referee's are poor and haven't kept up with the pace of SL and the RFL as a governing body are pretty poor too. Needs a full overhaul imo.

think we ned to go the way of the nrl system, 10 interchanges, we all know scummings won't let his refs be criticised by anyone, its a closed shop that way

Totally agree Agar was as fed up with it at half time as we were then!

FWIW i agree that ref's should not face public critiscism. I do however think that Cummings needs to step aside and let someone with new ideas come in. The first priority needs to be to increase both the capability of refs and the pool to choose from. How could we move to 2 refs per game for example with the number of average refs we have now.

Wont happen though. Agar will be fined and maybe face a touchline ban, the RFL will deny that refs are poor and normal service will resume for the forseable future.

Didn't Leeds officials confront the ref at half time during the world club challenge, are any of them facing the possibility of getting charged? Is there any systems set in place to voice your opinion at the refs performance without directly confronting him? i.e. talking to a matchday commisioner or something.

Agar speaks the truth and is shot down, likewise Morgan last year.

But Morgan did it publicly and quite rightly got shot down for it. I wouldn't complain about the same happening to Agar cos imo, you shouldn't be able to confront the ref at half time.

He's naieve, he should have known he end up on a charge, and rightly so, public criticism of the mod (sorry I maen refereeing) process will not be tolerated



He is right in what he says, we all know that.

Good on him

Why can't we run it similar to football? They say the refs in the lower leagues are not up to SL standard but until they are getting a chance with these games we will never really know. If a ref knew a poor game would mean a spell in the championship and a drop in match money i am sure we would see a better overall performance.

Problem i see is that all the refs seem to be of pretty much the same standard in SL, and if that is the standard of our best referees then it is obvious to everyone but cummings that something needs to be done.

I think most supporters would be happy if refs were consistent in the decisions they give but it is obvious to everyone they are not. This means teams are always second guessing a ref.

How many times have you watched a game seeing the players stood a yard in front of the referee set after set and then on the 10th set he gives a penalty for them being offside, he then lets them get away with for another x amount of sets. Instead of penalising them each and everytime the players would quickly get the message. It is these inconsistencies that gall supporters/players and coaches.

There's no accountabilty for the referees. I'm frustrated as a supporter so god only knows what the players and coaching staff must feel like. We pay good money to watch games and the referees are having far too much influence on games. There's no consistency whatsoever and it needs sorting out.

Out of interest, do you, or anyone else, remember a time when these boards weren't full of people bemoaning the quality of refereeing and the lack of accountability and consistency, it's as old as the hills.

I agree to certain extent,referees will always be a discussion point but I honestly believe the standard's got worse. I never thought the day would come that I would want Steve Ganson to ref our games every week or that I would miss Ashley Klein and Russell Smith. I don't think Cummings been in charge helps.

Indeed, he was crap on the pitch so what made them think he'd be any different off it!!

Indeed. When I first starting watching the game 25 years ago I commented on the poor quality of the refereeing and got told that it had always been that way.

The difference now is that we're supposed to be a professional sport with full-time professional referees. And there's a lot more money at stake.

Rich knows the rules you can not have managers, players and anyone else connected to the game criticising the match officials. Now I agree and relate 100% to what he stated as do most of us, but he can not say it and be allowed to get a way with it. The club has access to the director of referee's and that should be there one and only point of complaint.



Football has different rules, lets face it the players ( wages) run that sport and criticising the ref on and off the pitch is mandatory. Complaining about referee's has always been the fans perogative and has gone on since the first time WEBB ELIS PICKED THE BALL UP

But this avenue is clearly flawed as nothing changes so what option do coaches have, I try not to get on Ref,s back but the inconsistency flowing into the game needs addressing, it is a problem which needs to be dealt with if the only way to do this is to speak out, so be it.

But in todays game the referees are now Full Time Professionals

and they appear to be worse in the overall consistency from game to game and ref to ref. Senior was right when he said about Silverwood and the arrogance as Cummings and Co have this in abundance due to the fact the sport couldn't run without referees.

The fact we are still so short of refs for the SL tells its own tale about it being a closed shop etc.

The game is moving on every season yet the officials dont or WONT!

Here here!

You help with a youth team and you drill them not to argue with the ref and
they call him SIR ( even thought we all know his name is *@&*#~!$ ) . The club can bring this up at the monthly SL meetings as well, they after all pay the wages of these refs. I just do not agree with speaking out publically because all itrs going do is Rich will get a fine and he will make a public apology. The next time that ref is at what of our games he is ahrdly going to give us 50/50 calls is he.

Net result = zero

Away teams definately get the rough end of the stick

For me and I hear what Ian P has to say, but Agar has shown a bit of passion and some frustration at what was going on and I say good on him!!

Referee's as I have said before are now the power brokers in the game…no chance to criticise, no chance to comment, and immune from being sacked/disciplined! OK there are limited channels but when it comes to the fans views they are bombproof! When did you last hear of a Referee being brought to book by the RL?

The fact that it is also a closed shop, with just the chosen few allowed in, smacks to me of nepotism, and they really do need a shake up, although it seems that as far as the RL are concerned, they are totally above any sort of sanctions. Their actions of late at the play the ball concerning laying on are totally against the spirit that the season started with, and who knows what the 'Rules' will be this week?

Every home crowd boo's the opposition for laying on, why? Because they don't know what the tacklers are allowed to do and not to do!

Wigan got penalised on Friday for not playing the ball properly when the player concerned clearly waived his foot at it! What was all that about? If we went back to touching it with your foot everyone would be clear on the rule. It used to be the rule and players trained to do it properly it did'nt slow the game down, because they trained for it! Again as fans we don't know what the rules are, or we do, but we don't know what the interpretations to the rules are to be by any given referee on any given weekend!

Four things I think should happen

1 The referee's should have a clear promotional structure through the leagues so that the good referee's can break into the closed shop!
2 The rule book should be adhered to, to the letter, it might cause a few whistles at first but eventually everyone will know what they are doing on the field as we would do on the terraces.
3 Referee's should stand in line with the defending team and not two yards behind at the play the ball. then we would all be able to see when folks were on side. Some stand back some don't what chance have we and the players got!
4. The current referee's should not do everything, Video refs. should be selected in panels of three and be made up of ex players and ex referee's all trained up etc.
5. There should be a panel of ex players and referee's who watch games throughout the season and then make recommendations at the end of the years as to ways that the rules could be simplified FOR THE BENIFIT OF THE PAYING PUBLIC.. Rugby Onion has done this to great effect! Our game has a lot of grey areas as it it (Forward passes, knock on's and players playing at balls that are kicked at them, being just three) without us inventing more areas for conjecture by bringing interpretations to rules into it.

I don't say these things will stop every problem in the game but it would I think be a start.

just my thoughts! (Too much time on my hands)

P.S. Well done Agar!

Of course we teach youngster to respect the ref..however this issue has nothing whatsoever to do with respect, it is about challenging inconsistencies within the game, as I have already mentioned the correct procedure is failing and if it takes coaches like Agar to raise the issue via other channels so be it. I pay good money to watch my team, the minimum I expect is consistent reffing, so well done Agar for raising the issue for the fans.

Net result for inconsistent refs=zero!!