News The NRL say the refs got THAT six-again call right. Their own rules confirm it was a blunder

Dogzof95

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The NRL are adamant the decision to reverse a six-again call in the final stages of the 2019 NRL Grand Final was the correct call.

Their own rules confirm it was a mistake that will come to define the match.

With the scores level at 8-8 with eight minutes to go, Raiders star Jack Wighton hoisted the ball in the air and it came down in a crowded pack of players. As it bounced backwards into the Raiders’ grasp, referee Ben Cummins waived his hands in the air, to signal a new set, and could be heard saying “six again”.

However, when the call from his assistant referee Gerard Sutton that the ball had in fact deflected off a Raiders’ player, he quickly changed his call. He could be heard saying “last tackle” on five occasions, however the Raiders were oblivious.

Wighton, who believed that it was the zero tackle, was rounded up by the Roosters defence.

From the ensuing set, the Roosters scored a brilliant team try with fullback James Tedesco sealing the game and back-to-back titles for the men in red, white and blue.


Speaking in the aftermath of the match, NRL head of football Graham Annesley said that ultimately, the right decision was made because he ball had bounced off the Raiders.

“Does that initial decision affect the way Canberra play out that tackle, yeah I’m sure it does? “But if they had not and the Raiders had scored, I’d probably be sitting here telling you that a try had been scored off an incorrect decision,” Annesley said

Perhaps Annesley should have taken a closer look at the NRL’s official 2019 Rugby League Laws of the Game As first reported by Fairfax, Rule 16.9 says the only way Cummins could have lawfully overturned the call was if foul play was present.
“The referee judges on matters of fact and shall not subsequently alter those judgments,” the rule states.

“He may cancel any decision made if prior foul play of which he had no knowledge is reported to him by a touch judge.”

It comes as the NRL vowed to throw its support behind under-fire Cummins.

ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie said on Monday, Cummins wouldn’t have been feeling good following the grand final.

“Sometimes things happen that are no one’s fault,” Beattie said. “Nobody is saying Ben went out there to make a bad decision. Of course he didn’t.

“We will support him because at the end of the day if people keep vilifying referees no one will want to do this job.”
 
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Heckler

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The biggest mistake is that clown dressed up as a Commission Chairman.
The worst appointment ever to grace the once great game.
 

Dogzof95

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They just don't get it do they! If that's the case, they should have also changed the rules when the ball hit the cheaters trainer in the 3rd minute of the game!
 

Howard Moon

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Maybe next time the Raiders will capitalise on all their momentum and we won't be whinging about a human error which otherwise would have most likely ended up in a turn over anyway
 
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Dawgfather

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I almost don't blame the refs at all.

THey are just poorly managed. They've created a framework and a web of technology, second referee, video referee. It's paralysis by analysis.

No referee wants to make a decision because they're too scared.

They need to do the following:

- Immediately remove the second referee from the field.
- Narrow the scope of the video referee to only allow them to rule on in-goal grounding. The video referee should not be ruling on obstruction or knock ons or anything else in the field of play.
- Give on field referees a mandate to use their own refereeing instincts to make calls. Some of them will be wrong, but it will be a better scenario than what we have now.
 

086

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Either that, or go all out NFL style, with 40 fucking ref's on the field with flags, whistles and flares to signal shit!

Realistically, a happy medium ground would probably be an attacking, defensive and master ref on the field, with the final call being the master ref, with the ability for video review.
Rules will need to be adjusted slightly to suit, yet a focus upon quick play is essential.
With an attack and defensive ref, it may enable the introduction of call challenges as well, to 'modernise' the game.
 

Scoooby

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Doubt it would have changed the outcome, rorters were Always going to win..!! They barley got out of second gear an had a bad game to be honest. Raiders played well given whom they were up against. However the nrls baby’s had that in the bag refs or not.
 

Rockford

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Get rid of a ref and maybe give the lines/wo/man a bit more responsibility/input. They don't really do/say much in the scheme of things.
 

Wolfmother

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I just hope this incident somehow works against these 2 rorters. It's high time they were moved on, they have a definite bias towards and against certain teams..
 

MatstaDogg

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I just hope this incident somehow works against these 2 rorters. It's high time they were moved on, they have a definite bias towards and against certain teams..
Can't argue about the bias either way, but nothing will happen. It will just get blown over like every other time and will go on til the next one. Pretty much rinse and repeat.
 
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