[h=1]After more mistakes on Friday night, NRL video referee would be funny if it wasn’t so painful[/h]
CBY v SYD: Match report
2:27
WATCHING the big screen at ANZ Stadium on Friday night waiting for video refereeing decisions was like watching an old John Cleese movie.
Hysterical madness.
But if you are a Bulldogs fan you might have a very different feeling.
On a night when the Dogs were without four Origin players, including the Blues’ halves combination of Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds, one thing they could not afford was to have fair tries denied.
How in the world the video referees Steve Chiddy and Luke Phillips didn’t overrule referee Ashley Klein’s onfield “no try” ruling when Moses Mbye touched down in the 12th minute defies belief.
That the Roosters eventually ran away with a 32-12 victory does not excuse the fact the Mybe ruling went against what every fan watching the game would have thought.
Every independent fan at least.
In fairness Klein can be excused for making the mistake because he makes his decision on the run. But there is simply no excuse for the video referees getting it so wrong.
After watching replay after replay of the put down the screen eventually flashed up red for the “no try”.
In the context of the final score it might not seem like a big deal. But at that point of the game last night it was crucial.
Instead of having a try scored against them the Roosters survived and scored five minutes later.
In the box Chiddy explained his decision saying there was “some separation on grounding”.
Every fair-minded footy fan will tell you otherwise.
All in brawl at the footy
1:15
In the media box the place exploded in laughter because we have seen it happen so many times before.
But out the front of our box it was a very different feeling among the loyal Bulldogs fans.
This is where the NRL has to get it through their heads that this problem that should have been corrected before now.
Because it will end up costing teams bigger games than last night as the season goes on.
The fact the referee has to make a call “try” or “no try” even when he doesn’t have a clue is where the problem starts.
What it means is that the video ref then has to find “sufficient” evidence to overturn the decision, which only puts more pressure on the men inside the box.
When the former referees’ boss Daniel Anderson first came to power at the beginning of last season one of the first promises he made was that “common sense” was going to come into the equation on try decisions.
But here were are, with Anderson back working in Club Land at Parramatta and Tony Archer the new refs’ boss, and still video referee disasters seem to dominate discussions on almost a weekly basis.
- Paul Crawley
- The Daily Telegraph
- May 23, 2014 10:17PM
CBY v SYD: Match report
2:27
WATCHING the big screen at ANZ Stadium on Friday night waiting for video refereeing decisions was like watching an old John Cleese movie.
Hysterical madness.
But if you are a Bulldogs fan you might have a very different feeling.
The Bulldogs can do nothing after Sonny Bill Williams extends the Roosters’ lead.Source: Getty Images
How in the world the video referees Steve Chiddy and Luke Phillips didn’t overrule referee Ashley Klein’s onfield “no try” ruling when Moses Mbye touched down in the 12th minute defies belief.
That the Roosters eventually ran away with a 32-12 victory does not excuse the fact the Mybe ruling went against what every fan watching the game would have thought.
Every independent fan at least.
In fairness Klein can be excused for making the mistake because he makes his decision on the run. But there is simply no excuse for the video referees getting it so wrong.
Referee Ashley Klein awards Mitch Brown after a clear try.Source: Getty Images
After watching replay after replay of the put down the screen eventually flashed up red for the “no try”.
In the context of the final score it might not seem like a big deal. But at that point of the game last night it was crucial.
Instead of having a try scored against them the Roosters survived and scored five minutes later.
In the box Chiddy explained his decision saying there was “some separation on grounding”.
Every fair-minded footy fan will tell you otherwise.
All in brawl at the footy
1:15
In the media box the place exploded in laughter because we have seen it happen so many times before.
But out the front of our box it was a very different feeling among the loyal Bulldogs fans.
This is where the NRL has to get it through their heads that this problem that should have been corrected before now.
Because it will end up costing teams bigger games than last night as the season goes on.
The fact the referee has to make a call “try” or “no try” even when he doesn’t have a clue is where the problem starts.
Bulldogs prop Aiden Tolman leaves the field after a tough loss for Canterbury.Source: Getty Images
What it means is that the video ref then has to find “sufficient” evidence to overturn the decision, which only puts more pressure on the men inside the box.
When the former referees’ boss Daniel Anderson first came to power at the beginning of last season one of the first promises he made was that “common sense” was going to come into the equation on try decisions.
But here were are, with Anderson back working in Club Land at Parramatta and Tony Archer the new refs’ boss, and still video referee disasters seem to dominate discussions on almost a weekly basis.
