As I hobnobbed in a private suite during the Good Friday clash between the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs, two things came to my attention.
The first was that Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter Beattie was there, enjoying an ice-cream and soaking up the drama of the contest. How so many rugby league fans would love to have been afforded the same opportunity to speak with one of the game's power-brokers.
I met Beattie and chatted politely for a few moments yet I couldn’t help but think how so many others would have been incapable of resisting the temptation to raise certain issues with him.
The new no-fault stand down policy enacted by the ARLC would have triggered an interesting discussion, as would the tattered NRL brand and the apparent disregard towards bush football that plays out in poor investment and support from the top end.
Not being the time nor place for such a discussion, I resisted and as I watched an at times controversial and tense encounter between the Dogs and the Bunnies, a second realisation appeared.
As the cardinal and myrtle held on to a 14-6 lead for the final 53 minutes and the Bulldogs bravely worked their way back into the match on the back of an increased share of possession, the influence of referees Henry Perenara and Tim Roby became alarming.
Having already overseen a couple of dicey decisions in the first half and as both sides sought desperately to control the speed of the play-the-ball, Perenara and Roby’s performance went from bad to worse.
Bulldogs fans were furious at a first half no-try call when Kerrod Holland appeared to have scored from a grubber kick and South Sydney fans saw red as the blue and whites consistently used effective stalling tactics in the ruck area. When Reimis Smith pulled off a stunning 60-metre chase to deny Souths a try in the corner, only to be penalised for what appeared incidental contact, the fans hit the roof.
In such moments, players sense the hesitation and uncertainty of the officials, as well as the mood in the crowd. Control is lost and the niggle starts, with both sides frustrated by the lack of time and space available to actually play the game.
Perenara and Roby well and truly lost control and fans of both clubs were comically frustrated by some of the decisions made. In fact, it was more a case of decisions not being made.
As both teams attacked the opposition try-line, the ruck area became a joke; compounded by the officials' unwillingness to deal with the infringements in the appropriate and stern manner required. The closer the sides came to the attacking try-line, the slower and more interfered with did the play-the-balls become.
Neither referee appeared particularly interested in putting it to a halt and providing the teams with the opportunity to attack fluently. It became an unattractive arm wrestle within which the players became increasingly frustrated. Sure a few penalties were dished out, yet nothing near the number required to clean up what is a blight on the game and a turn-off for fans.
The officials were played for fools, when a sin binning or three may well have seen them take back control of the ruck.
With an obvious attempt made in 2019 to reduce the number of penalties awarded, players and coaches have, once again, found ways to use the change in interpretation of the officials to their advantage.
Penalties should deter actions and also negatively impact those guilty. Modern rugby league is rewarding illegalities; allowing consistent infringements to stifle attacking raids. The numbers support this hypothesis.
Six of the current top eight teams feature in the ten most penalised in the competition. The Sea Eagles (2nd), Sharks (4th), Raiders (e-5th), Roosters (e-5th), Dragons (8th) and the Storm (10th) all concede penalties freely, knowing that controlling the tempo of the game is paramount.
Only the clean skin Eels (16th) buck the statistical trend, with just 22 penalties conceded over the opening six rounds.
It appears the Cowboys, Broncos and Tigers just aren’t conceding enough penalties to be successful; lying 12th, 14th and 15th respectively.
The solution is, in my view, quite simple. Whilst attempts to control the speed of the ruck occur right across the ground, they are magnified near the line. Any ruck infringement between the try-line and 10-metre line should be an automatic five-minute sin-bin offence.
It is the most professional of professional fouls.
Perenara, a man who played the game at a high level, should be rightfully cynical in his application of the rule book in the play-the-ball. He knows the intent of defenders when close to the line yet along with his counterparts, listens to the pleas and cries of injustice coming from guilty defenders, rather than enforcing the rules and improving the spectacle for fans.
As exciting as the Bulldogs vs Rabbitohs clash was, it was another somewhat ruined by poor officiating. Using the sin-bin for ruck infringements inside the ten might go a long way towards the NRL producing fewer games from which fans leave the ground furious with referees.
Why does everyone harp on about a 5 min bin. That’s just saying you’ve been a bad boy and we would punish you but awe shucks you didn’t mean it.
F that. 10 in the bin or the better way is after 2 non deliberate/half accidental penalties inside the 20 ref should bin the captain on the 3rd.
The problem with the referee crackdown last year wasn’t the penalties. It was the lack of sin-bins. There would be much less complaints about penalties if the game became 13 on 10 because of it. You don’t need 5 minutes, you need referees with the guts to get serious.