64 replies to this topic

[BatleyFanAndy]

Posting this after a poor show from my beloved Batley may look as if I'm a sore loser, but this is what I've been thinking for a few weeks now, even through the better results.

I'm getting tired of paying to see a rugby game, and having to sit through 'The Man In The Middle Show'. It's a poor state of affairs when we find out which referee we have before the game, and know, it will be a spoilt fixture. The officials that are being put in charge of Championship games are out of their depth. I think it's about time the RFL took a long hard look of who is in control of the games in the second biggest competition in UK Rugby League. Do the governing body think these people are doing a good enough job? The standard is nowhere near as poor in the Super League. I appreciate that they are mainly full time officials in said competition, but that doesn't mean there should be such a massive difference between them.

I know referees from the NCL and RLC competitions who I'm pretty sure could do a better job (although they may not want to) than some of the clowns who get graded by the RFL and given games at this higher level. I also appreciate the lack of officials for a large amount of games that now goes on through the summer after the big shift of seasons, so if we do have to make do with what we've got, can't something be done to improve them?

RFL, you can't keep appointing these officials without their improvement!

I'm tight as a ducks ###### as it is. Paying out money, just to get wound up by incompetance is not my idea of fun. I actually wish I'd sat on my ass at home and watched from the couch!

Dis-satisfied RUGBYfanAndy

[Chairman LMAO]

Must admit I share this frustration at the moment. Ronnie Laughton is consistently poor, as is Leahy and one or two others. I often wonder what is the point of referee's assessors as there never seems to be any action after dismal performances from officials. Having watched the Premier Sports games even the VRs have been found wanting and tonight was no exception. The standard seems to be getting worse and the major talking point after most games these days is the ref. Not good.

[BatleyFanAndy]

Chairman, you have hit the nail on the head. Are assesors watching the game, either live or video? If there is any advice given from it, they obviously aren't taking it on board.

As for the subject everyone talks about post match being the ref, is also so true. We can't get away from the fact that it's just not good enough to have a certain few in the middle of matches at this 'high' level!

[silverback]

i dont know about assesors but sometimes it would be better to simply sit the ref in a dark room and let them see the game dvd to see just how poor they are sometimes, have said it for donkey years that all the players put everything into the training and try to get things right but far too many games are spoiled by officials who cant see a simple knock on 6 foot away, how the hell ronnie played on from the elbow flop tonight beggers any understanding as the touchie was trying let him know before all the players got a bit heated.he pinned batley twice for head highs but played on a drop with the elbow 4 foot from the tg. a great game a rugby tonight and i still think we play better stuff than super league in championship, but how good would it be with officials who even looked like they were trying to get it right.

[NEW DOG]

Must admit I share this frustration at the moment. Ronnie Laughton is consistently poor, as is Leahy and one or two others. I often wonder what is the point of referee's assessors as there never seems to be any action after dismal performances from officials. Having watched the Premier Sports games even the VRs have been found wanting and tonight was no exception. The standard seems to be getting worse and the major talking point after most games these days is the ref. Not good.

Fully agreed Chairman. I said the same thing to my mate at the Fax game. Crowds are watched by the police, Players are watched by the coaching staff.....who the hell is watching the Man in the middle cos the same incompetent names keep showing up in the middle. And before DARE starts I include the FAX game for both sides.

[From the South]

I'm old enough to remember Robin Whitfield, Gerry Kershaw, Fred Lindop etc and I am not sure they were that much better than today's lot. Its not just the Championship refs though, look at Alibert's performance in the cup game against London for example.

What seems to have got worse since I first started watching the game is that referees are inconsistent, they seem to allow infringements to go unpunished for 60 minutes or whatever and then suddenly start penalising them, its almost as if they have just remembered the rules.

I'm sure the dictats from Mr Cummings about what to police and what to allow don't help either.

In years gone by the ref appeared to be helped more by the touch judge, now it can seem the touchie is just there to say when and where the ball is in touch.

There will always be talking points and points of contention in each game and in most games there will be decisions made that not everyone will agree with, that's the nature of sport, and the tendency is to think your team is not getting the decisions. No referee is biased, bent or a cheat. No referee is infallible, they make mistakes like us all and that is fine, but as a spectator I would like to see a match where the game is policed in a consistent manner, that one team does not get punished for something the other side get away with, that if a foul is committed that deserves a red card that is what is given, and not this cop out on report rubbish, and that persistent holding down, offisde, etc is dealt with by a warning and then a yellow card.

I think the best ref I have seen at this level over the past few years is Clint Sharrad, the worst - the Frenchman Drizza.

Edited by From the South, 24 May 2012 - 10:35 PM.

[D4vid]

Lawton, Leahy, big ginger knob head. Week after week we get incompetent fools. But i think Walton and Moore made more mistakes today... Add Brown to that aswell

[frank]

I only caught the second half but to be fair we were well beaten .You can't blame the ref for that one. The time we spent in their twenty should have resulted in tries but the attack was to flat,plus no one coming through on the ball ,just seemed a lack of ideas.

[Matt J]

I think refs are struggling this year also, ill keep it short and try not to make it look like im a 1 eyed fan who can only see when my team are penalised (which I am) but this years refs just seem to be so inconsistent with what they pull and what they allow this year.

Im also starting to think that theyre struggling to keep up with the speed of the game... maybe the RFL should look at another referee recruitment drive and move towards an extra official in the field of play. Maybe not a second ref, but a 3rd, close up, assistant.

[buford t justice]

I thought Laughton had a decent game last night.

Yes there are bad decisions in games, but over the last few years, a lot of Batley fans seem far more interested in what the ref is doing than the players.

There have definitely been some bad refereeing displays, but a lot of decisions that get us all fired up in games turn out to be right, and are down to poor discipline.

Its all part of the game, and rain or shine ill be there - where else would you want to be when Batley are playing than at the game.

Edited by buford t justice, 25 May 2012 - 05:43 AM.

[BatleyFanAndy]

I only caught the second half but to be fair we were well beaten .You can't blame the ref for that one. The time we spent in their twenty should have resulted in tries but the attack was to flat,plus no one coming through on the ball ,just seemed a lack of ideas.

As I posted earlier, this is not about the Sheffield game. I mean in general.

Buford, so from what you say, it sounds like an inconsistent referee had a good game. That sounds like you have settled for sub-standard refereeing to be the norm. Doesn't this show a problem?

[buford t justice]

As I posted earlier, this is not about the Sheffield game. I mean in general.

Buford, so from what you say, it sounds like an inconsistent referee had a good game. That sounds like you have settled for sub-standard refereeing to be the norm. Doesn't this show a problem?

Im
Not settling for anything. Fact is moaning about it wont change it. Its part of the game.

Yes its frustrating, but it would never stop me coming, unlile you who seems ready to pack it in because of it.

Its not life or death, and we are doing well this season, the referees have been poor for years, for all sides.

Batley fans love bemoaning referees, and thats becoming as frustrating as the referees inconsistency.

[London Dick]

It wasn't the referee who came up against a tough defensive line and couldn't break them down. It was us.
It wasnt the referee who knocked on in good positions in their 20 it was us.
It wasn't the referee who had a hard game against Halifax on Sunday and had to back it up on one of the hottest days of the year 4 days after, again that was us.
I could go on.....

If we arent sharp enough to do our home work and know the referee's nuances and what he is quick to penalise then more the fools we are. I think more often than not teams are a lot smarter than us in playing the referee and week after week we make blatant infringements right in front of the referee. How many times do we see players lying on at the 5th tackle and get penalised after a great defensive set. We have always been for want of a better word...dumb.

Referee's are poor but I notice on this message board that the referee for the forthcoming week gets posted and already there is a frenzy. I am more concerned about the opposition, who is injured/suspened off form etc.

Make no wonder we get the rough end of the stick from decisions, they get harried and abused during the game and more often not booed and jeered when coming off the game in the top corner even when we win. They are supposed to remain impartial but it doesnt seem to happen as much at other ground, but they are human but by default we are all emotional beings.

[distantdog]

I have to agree with LD. This feeding frenzy around the referee is ridiculous! And it's not just us or this forum but all of them.
Seriously, some of the comments are ridiculous. Whenever I watch a match as a neutral, by and large the refs appear to have a decent game. When we play, I am incensed by him, but really know it's because I am emotionally involved. It seems on this forum every club's supporter believes that every referee hates his or her own club, operating a secret vendetta of corrupt officialdom to bring their club to their knees. It's ridiculous.
I believe the OP would have had much greater validity if posted after last weeks match rather than yesterday.

[Piggy's mate]

Like many at the game last night I was angered by the ref but putting this into perspective I think we did not do too badly last night and if not for the errors who knows. Before the game the eagles were the favorites and many including myself said we would take a bonus point four days after the battle with Fax. We got our point and other than the silly errors we made (Moores kick out on the full etc which gifted field position from where they scored etc) it was a good game.

We are certainly playing better recently and if we maintain these performances and reduce the number of penalties and silly errors no one will want the Dogs in the play-offs (assuming we qualify)

[From the South]

I agree we often seem to be "dumb", by this I mean if you can see a ref is pedantic with laying on, or not being square or whatever you should do your damnedest not to allow him to penalise you for it. How many times have we seen a ref be red hot on holding down, 3 or 4 penalties in the first 15 minutes, then instead of learning we continue to give them away. Referees do not give away penalties for nothing, and conceding penalties for the same offence over and over is not good.

We also need to be squeaky clean on the last, to give away a penalty at that point puts the team under too much pressure.

[HaroldShand]

We were second best last night, no denying that, but what's the point in having a video referee to look at contentious scores from every single angle possible if they get the decisions wrong? The Yere try from the grubber kick in the first half was the most blatant fumble I've ever seen, and footage from the Straugheir try provided no evidence that the ball had been grounded over the line - in fact the evidence showed that it was more likely he HADN'T scored. I didn't think Ronnie had a bad game last night, but the video ref decisions were baffling at best.

[BatleyFanAndy]

We were second best last night, no denying that, but what's the point in having a video referee to look at contentious scores from every single angle possible if they get the decisions wrong? The Yere try from the grubber kick in the first half was the most blatant fumble I've ever seen, and footage from the Straugheir try provided no evidence that the ball had been grounded over the line - in fact the evidence showed that it was more likely he HADN'T scored. I didn't think Ronnie had a bad game last night, but the video ref decisions were baffling at best.

You have just remarked that the VR decisions were baffling. I made the point that I didn't mean just last nights game or indeed Ronnie Laughton, so really, you do agree that officiating isn't up to scratch.

No way would I stop following Batley because of my bitter feelings on this subject Harold, I just find it really frustrating. And it's not just at the Batley games. I've been up to Rams matches as a neutral and thought it just as bad, for Dewsbury AND whoever they were playing.

It's pointed out on another post that teams are playing the referee and know what they can and can't get away with, but consistant high tackling is dangerous, not just illegal. There should be one rule for this and that should be 'no excuses'.

[buford t justice]

You have just remarked that the VR decisions were baffling. I made the point that I didn't mean just last nights game or indeed Ronnie Laughton, so really, you do agree that officiating isn't up to scratch.

No way would I stop following Batley because of my bitter feelings on this subject Harold, I just find it really frustrating. And it's not just at the Batley games. I've been up to Rams matches as a neutral and thought it just as bad, for Dewsbury AND whoever they were playing.

It's pointed out on another post that teams are playing the referee and know what they can and can't get away with, but consistant high tackling is dangerous, not just illegal. There should be one rule for this and that should be 'no excuses'.

There were several Batley fans in front of us last night that may has well have just gone to watch the referee 'whats that for laughton' 'open your eyes touch judge' 'your a disgrace laughton' etc etc. What amused me was that not one of them once mentioned Batley or shouted anything to urge the team on. If there was just the referee running up and down i doubt they'd have noticed there were 2 teams missing.

Unfortunately this disease seems to be spreading throughout our fan base, with more and more far more interested im the officials then the team they follow.

Referees have good and bad games, as do players and teams. Get a grip and stop moanimg about it.

[BatleyFanAndy]

There were several Batley fans in front of us last night that may has well have just gone to watch the referee 'whats that for laughton' 'open your eyes touch judge' 'your a disgrace laughton' etc etc. What amused me was that not one of them once mentioned Batley or shouted anything to urge the team on. If there was just the referee running up and down i doubt they'd have noticed there were 2 teams missing.

Unfortunately this disease seems to be spreading throughout our fan base, with more and more far more interested im the officials then the team they follow.

Referees have good and bad games, as do players and teams. Get a grip and stop moanimg about it.

I don't understand the abuse that Touch Judges receive as they don't really have any influence over offsides. A TJ cannot raise his flag for offside, forward pass or knock on. They can only give a small hand signal to the referee, if the ref looks at them ONLY. When you see a TJ running on with a raised flag, it's for dangerous foul play.

You see a lot less NCL or RLC refs have a 'bad game'.