BY TIM BUTCHER
De-mic the referees
Before all that we have another Super League season, the thirtieth, to savour. The live televising of all games this year was a mixed blessing, with some games being shifted to Sky Sports+ and live games on the BBC sporadic. It was hard to know at times when and where you could watch the most interesting games.
And many games were spoiled by the continuous and loud calls of the referees. Not that the referees should stop their incessant orders to players if they feel the need. I just don’t want to hear them. Only when the referee is talking to players about a decision do I want the mics turned up.
Combine the ‘release-hold’ stuff with a seeming habit of producers to mute crowd noise and we have a perfect recipe for making Super League atmosphere resemble a game in the park. Can anyone at the RFL give a rational reason for making refs the star of the show?
The absence of any branding on pitches and often visible soccer markings at some grounds also diminishes the English game. Seems like small stuff but it all adds up.
On the plus side, blanket live TV coverage gave us video referees at every game, which made it an even playing field, although it didn’t eradicate some wrong calls in some big matches. And next year the Captain’s Challenge, which has proved a good thing in the NRL, will be introduced for Super League matches.
Click here to get the digital edition of League Express
Click here to subscribe to the print edition of League Express
League Express is also widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
