Adam SutcliffeNRL must sort out Video Referee Situation
May 25th 2008 07:13
www.nrlnews.com
While NRL officials and referees are in the headlines from time to time; sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong reasons - there is no doubting the pressure and potential for a wrong call in cooker situations.
Rugby League is played at a frenetic pace and like anyone, referee's are human and will make mistakes.
What is frustrating however, is the problems still evident with the video referee in NRL games. Officials such as Bill Harrigan, Paul Simpkins and Russell Smith are the official in the box who review footage of tries in contentious situations.
These referee's have the benefit of multiple video replays and various angles. They can take as long as they like to make a call on a try and if they feel the video is inconclusive, they can award the benefit to the attacking side (try scoring team).
Video referee's can also rule on 'stripped balls' during Rugby League matches in the NRL this year also. So in 2008, we not only see video replays for tries, but for 50/50 dropped ball calls.
Once again, with the benefit of video - we shouldn't see a high percentage of these calls made incorrectly. Yet somehow, week in week out NRL Results and the NRL Table position of various teams are affected.
This weekend, Russell Smith made some horror calls for South Sydney. The first in an attacking position where John Sutton had the ball clearly stripped by Steve Turner from the Melbourne Storm. You couldn't get a more clear cut, conclusive video replay - yet somehow Russell Smith ruled 'dropped ball' with no intervention.
In any other major sport, or country - this kind of call would be investigated for suspicious activity. Some feeling that it was so blatantly incorrect, maybe there were ulterior motives? Such is the concern with these calls fluctuating so wildly.
It didn't stop there, later in the match and challenge from Matt Geyer or a sleepwalker NRL play caused Nigel Vagana to be bumped out of contention for a catch and it led to a Storm try - once again Russell Smith saw no need to take action and awarded the try. This call was however a little more 50/50 than the first strip call, but nevertheless the NRL need to look at how these rulings are made and ensure it is more clear cut for NRL fans and the Rugby League public.
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