"The trouble with referees is they aren't accountable"

[Michael Gledhill]

10 minutes ago, ckn said:

You're right with that, the RFU employ a very big match officials team with everything from full-time coaches to sports psychologists.  It's not as bad as you think though, most of the problem in our sport is that there isn't the money to pay expenses to assessors to go around the country, pay for expensive radio equipment, review boards and so on to the level that the RFU have.  The subs the union clubs pay for their referees each year also include the costs of assessors and coaches for the refs, I'm not sure how it's done in rugby league.

Sadly there is little to no funding in Rugby League, so no analysts, limited referees coaching.

Essentially very little support which totally changed my outlook of what our referees have to put up with.

I belive that we could replicate the majority of the practices that are taken for granted in RU in Rugby League, they just have to think outside the box a little.

[ckn]

4 minutes ago, Michael Gledhill said:

Sadly there is little to no funding in Rugby League, so no analysts, limited referees coaching.

Essentially very little support which totally changed my outlook of what our referees have to put up with.

I belive that we could replicate the majority of the practices that are taken for granted in RU in Rugby League, they just have to think outside the box a little.

Absolutely, there's lots of ways to make the money stretch.

One example, the one-way microphone/receiver setup the assessors use in union cost about £600 a go as they're bloody good quality.  Why not arrange with the clubs to share the cost and the clubs get an additional receiver so they can listen in to the ref during the game.

Others:

- make it mandatory that refs above a certain level who are out injured do assessor work at lower levels in local games in order to keep their higher level qualification active.
- many clubs record their games these days, even at very low levels, get those club videos and use them for basic assessments, keeping valuable in-person assessments for meaningful ones.
- increase the club subs to a higher level to fund a proper back-end structure at all levels.  The clubs will whine but then they'll get the benefit of better refs.

And so on...

[Michael Gledhill]

18 minutes ago, ckn said:

Absolutely, there's lots of ways to make the money stretch.

One example, the one-way microphone/receiver setup the assessors use in union cost about £600 a go as they're bloody good quality.  Why not arrange with the clubs to share the cost and the clubs get an additional receiver so they can listen in to the ref during the game.

Others:

- make it mandatory that refs above a certain level who are out injured do assessor work at lower levels in local games in order to keep their higher level qualification active.
- many clubs record their games these days, even at very low levels, get those club videos and use them for basic assessments, keeping valuable in-person assessments for meaningful ones.
- increase the club subs to a higher level to fund a proper back-end structure at all levels.  The clubs will whine but then they'll get the benefit of better refs.

And so on...

Another one idea that was suggested was that the game be put straight onto iPads post game, the software is £50. It would allow the referees to assess performance at all levels - where the game has been recorded.

I think the problem is that the RFL engage in so much false economy.

What I found interesting was Brian Moore’s Full Contact podcast from Monday night. He talks about how to stop referee abuse in RU.  Leading RU referee Nigel Owens is also on the same podcast and gives a great in depth review of the current RU system.

I would love for Rugby League to be as half open as the RU referee teams are with the media and supporters.

Too many times we hide behind a wall of silence and that leads to more unfavourable scrutiny. 

[JohnM]

2 hours ago, Michael Gledhill said:

I had Steve Ganson on my show last year - explaining precisely what you're asking.

If you change your avatar, I might tell you. 

Thanks for the explanation, Mick. Avatar duly changed.

[Michael Gledhill]

12 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Thanks for the explanation, Mick. Avatar duly changed.

Your political alignment doesn't stem from animosity towards the last labour government and Edinburgh bus drivers, does it mate? ?

[JohnM]

30 minutes ago, Michael Gledhill said:

Your political alignment doesn't stem from animosity towards the last labour government and Edinburgh bus drivers, does it mate? ?

 Its a long story.....I've been back to Scotland several times...in disguise! 

[Old Frightful]

3 hours ago, Michael Gledhill said:

Steve Ganson was keen to point out that although mistakes do happen on average of two/three a round, no referee deliberately goes out on the field to make them. 

Not now he's retired they don't...

[Michael Gledhill]

41 minutes ago, JohnM said:

 Its a long story.....I've been back to Scotland several times...in disguise! 

If it's any consolation John, I got stung in Aberdeen last week.

I boarded the bus with a £10 note as I didn't have any change and tried handing it to the driver.

He pointed to that ridiculous machine and without a seconds thought the £10 was trapped in the see through compartment.

To my horror the £10 disappeared down into the heart of the bus and I was given my £2.50 ticket.

Wounded. I'm still in recovery now. ??

 

[Michael Gledhill]

37 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

Not now he's retired they don't...

Magic Weekend 2009. 

We should arrange the 10-year anniversary next year ???

[Agbrigg]

4 hours ago, paulwalker71 said:

Are we sure we aren't reading too much into this?

I looked on the RFL website and all six SL games are being refereed by referees who are regular SL referees. It would appear there are now eight referees (plus Bentham, who presumably is injured) who are considered be acceptable or qualified for that level - only six of them can referee in SL on any given week!

Whether WE consider them suitable as SL referees is not the issue

There may be 8 ref plus pb like you state but in the case of Wakefield there are only 7 as Ben Thayer is not allowed to ref their games. Also as yet I have been unable to find out why this is the case

[fairfolly]

Good idea Michael but who is going to pay Ashley Kleins air fare to meet up with his partner in crime.

[Michael Gledhill]

10 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

There may be 8 ref plus pb like you state but in the case of Wakefield there are only 7 as Ben Thayer is not allowed to ref their games. Also as yet I have been unable to find out why this is the case

Ben Thaler does and has officiated Wakefield Trinity games.

[stevereed100]

Rse

[Old Frightful]

6 hours ago, stevereed100 said:

The Avatar of our Tory friend now features 3 known ( and proven) liars which does little to support his posts! Political avatars should not be permitted.....partly because I have no idea how to create/post one!

It's easy mate, I've just posted mine...

[Kayakman]

7 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

It's easy mate, I've just posted mine...

Hey...where did you find that picture of Trump and his new cabinet; on the internet?

[FearNothing]

One thing that would make the level of officiating higher, is forcing the TJs to do more....I've lost count of the occasions an infringement has happened directly in front of a TJ (with the ref unsighted, to be fair) and they just ignore it - surely "reffing" a game is (or should be) at least a 3-person job?? If that needs the TJ's terms of reference to be re-written to allow this, then so be it....

[super major]

6 hours ago, FearNothing said:

One thing that would make the level of officiating higher, is forcing the TJs to do more....I've lost count of the occasions an infringement has happened directly in front of a TJ (with the ref unsighted, to be fair) and they just ignore it - surely "reffing" a game is (or should be) at least a 3-person job?? If that needs the TJ's terms of reference to be re-written to allow this, then so be it....

But you don't know what the touchie is saying to the ref ,if anything.

One thing that does annoy me is when a team is put on a warning, then the ref proceeds to blow penalties to the opposition. Maybe it's subliminal?

[ckn]

AOB is a few sub-forums thataway, there be monsters there though.  Please keep this to rugby.