TBH I think Cod'eads contribution and opinions on the refs situation are valuable and often grounding, he has ref'ed and often offers a sensible opinion when we are all ranting and our opinions are clouded in frustration/anger, he is experienced in the role he performed and just because we may not want to hear what he says does not give us the right to just dismiss it.

Look we all know rugby league is the worst refereed sport in the country, with the possible exception of the Olympic boxing. We also know, because we can see it with our own eyes, that the standards are falling alarmingly.

As Voodoo says there are clues as to why that is within Cod Ead's posts – if you criticise or slag off the referees you're doing so either because you've lost the match or because you don't understand the rules or how hard it is or a combination of all three. That's the attitude of match officials and the people in charge of them. There's not a lot of looking in the mirror here. No doubt this opinion makes me an imbecile as well.

The problem here, as I see it, is a petty fundamental matter of numbers. If we had thousands of people wanting to be Rugby League referees then the cream would rise to the top and there would be a better quality of referee at the top level. It would also enable us to drop referees who are in poor form – officials have form just the same as the players do as we've seen with Thaler who started this season well but has been dreadful in the past few weeks.

The lack of numbers means we are promoting referees like Child, Hicks and Roby who are simply not good enough.

It also means that the referees believe themselves to be beyond reproach. Where's the incentive for improving standards when you know that however well or badly you do you'll be back in the saddle next week?

You can see the effects of this week by week. Take Mr Ganson for example. What a pleasure it is to be at his games sometimes, and what a sodding nightmare at others. Depends what mood he's in. Sometimes he decides he's going to randomly punish players for not playing the ball properly for a half, then not in the second half and not again for several weeks. Some days he decides we're going to have a quick ruck and awards 20 penalties in the first 20 minutes of a game to make that happen. So what hope does anybody have if the performance of the referee is based on his mood from week to week? Where's the consistency here? Ganson knows that he's not going to be dropped, so what does he care?

The other problem is Cummins being in charge – because he wasn't a good referee himself. He showed last week that even if the chance to replace out of form referees was there he wouldn't take it. On the Friday night we saw a video referee decision from Ian Smith at Saints Catalans that was simply wrong on every level. What was his reponse to this? Fly Ian Smith back to the UK and make him the video referee for Hull KR v Hull on Monday of course. Like I say, where's the incentive to improve performance there?

The solution is long term. Pay our referees well, make it an attractive career option with a solid salary and pension, advertise, go into colleges and unis, go to career days, make it an option for people. Flood the system with numbers, train them well. Numbers are the only way we're going to solve this, but sadly we can't even attract enough players to the sport never mind officials.

Sadly you read Cod Ead on here, you listen to the rare bits that Cummins says, you look at the declining standards, you watch the arrogant and wildly inconsistent way Ganson, Silverwood and Childs approach matches and you quickly realise that not only is there not the money for this, there isn't the desire either. They don't care.

As far as the refereeing fraternity is concerned it's not them it's you and me. They're all we've got and we can like it or lump it. We're imbeciles. We don't understand. We're biased. And we can be ignored. Hand your £20 in at the turnstile please, then sit down and shut up.

Bill Harrigan might be out of work shortly. I'd offer him Stuart Cummins job.

You (and quite a few others) obviously don't "read Cod Ead(sic) on here" then, otherwise you'd have read this post on the 5th page of the [url=http://viewtopic.php?f=34&t=533653&tsmp=1344359127&start=40Hicks Injury thread:[/url



Or any of the various others both on this board and the VT.

You should actually start reading the words that are in front of you and not what you think they might be. I will defend referees from abuse and certainly from abuse by clueless idiots in the 50+ years I've watched, played and officiated in the game, I have never found a referee to be bent. I have seen levels of aptitude that range from superb to totally inept but never bent. Most refereeing mistakes come from poor positioning and concentration and it's a battle to keep your concentration at times. Certain players make it a mission to break a ref's concentration and they usually do it by constantly chattering - not criticising or being abusive, they'll ask about your last or next holiday etc. It's a game and one they play well, there's never enough to penalise them, it is simply a ruse to break the ref's concentration.

I have been critical of referees in the past and certainly will be again in the future. What I will defend though is the job that they do overall, simply because I have done it and recognise the pressure.

The job they're doing overall this season is indefensible. You undermine your points by trying to defend them for it. I'll watch three matches a weekend at the moment - the two TV games and the Hull match. I cannot recall a weekend where all three were even competently refereed. In fact I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the weekends where two out of three were done competently - not well, just competently.

You were on here after the Magic weekend talking about what the definition of blatant was after the infamous Rovers try. A blind chimp could have spotted that forward pass and yet both referee and touch judge missed it. That's inexcusable, inexplicable, indefensible incompetence of the highest order but rather than say it you and the rest of the refereeing fraternity talk about the pressure of the job, only getting one look at it, you do a better job etc. Totally undermines what few salient points you do make.

summer holidays end soon, thankfully.

Without trying to stick up for the refs they are not on whole to blame. What use really are the touch judges? At times i think they are either told by the ref what decisions they are there to make or they just dont totally want to undermind the refs call.

Im sure its not easy being a ref and if they had a lot mor help from the TJ's then maybe they would start getting more things right. At times you can see when a ref is guessing on a decision. Also rules dont help them or definitions of. Im sure alot of the players are unaware of what is a penalty when pushing/tackiling/dragging a player into touch.

Something needs to change though as way too many game are being influenced or even just spoilt and decisions from 1 game to the next vary.

If you never saw him ref you missed a real treat

who would referee? just to suffer abuse week after week (sum of it deserved), i watch the NRL every week and the standard of refereeing over there is far far better, why? better training, money, respected? who knows, but the players and fans deserve a decent standard every week. Every one makes mistakes but the mistakes Roby Childs Hicks make are undefendable at times. Should the RFL be looking at persuading ex players take up refereeing, they no all the little tricks etc that goes on better than anyone. Why are Union referees respected so much by players, players dont argue with them or constantly talking in their ear, when they make a decision its accepted, so are league players partly to blame for not respecting the referee and moaning etc?. We can all have our views but that wont change anything. Until the RFL admit there is a big problem with our referee's it will continue to infuriate fans and players alike.
Also how the hell does Ganson pass the fitness test? no way is that bloke fit enough

Why do you think he'll be out of work?

No, but being a pontificating old fart doesn't give him the right to casual abuse someone whenever they disagree with his, frankly, biased rants.

No they don't. If you had kids you'd know they're not even half over.

Quote ="Sheldon" Quote ="Wildmoose"Bill Harrigan might be out of work shortly. I'd offer him Stuart Cummins job.'" Why do you think he'll be out of work?'" www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/t ... 6440658383

Quote ="Sheldon" Quote ="Wildmoose"Bill Harrigan might be out of work shortly. I'd offer him Stuart Cummins job.'" Why do you think he'll be out of work?'" www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/t ... 6440658383

So he'll be out of work because he's doing a job.

Why the would we want him?

Because the standard of NRL refereeing is a lot better than it is here.

Is it? Have you read the report you posted?

Yeah I've read it. The standard is better, certainly better than what we currently have.

How much do the full time refs get paid? (too much, I know but £'s?)

Based on?

Klein went back, after getting hammered here, and got a job.

There's 2 of them and their still getting called abysmal.

Around £30k I believe

Ashley Klein and Russell Smith were both considered by many to be crap refs over here, until they went to Oz, then they were suddenly the best we had. Similarly Karl Kirkpatrick wasn't well thought of until he jacked because he couldn't afford to go full-time.

Some people should be careful what they wish for

I'm not going to constantly explain things, only to be met with RL Fans answer to Vicky Pollard

I'm crushed. No, really.

Edited for accuracy

Ganson told me and a couple of other guys that they get £50k. May have been bull. That was a couple of years ago.