SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 11: Referees Henry Perenara and Chris Bulter speak during the round 23 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Newcastle Knights at ANZ Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Fans continue to complain about the referees, but does the NRL care?

Todd Greenberg has taken a stance against NRL coaches that have blamed the referees for their losses. In particular Shane Flanagan and Trent Barrett, who chose to place the blame for their elimination final losses at the feet of the referees. Flanagan and Barrett were critical of a number of decisions that were made over the opening week of the finals, and clearly felt they lost due to poor officiating. Both coaches have since received fines for their criticism of the referees.

But should the fans accept the NRL’s stance?  It is clear that a large number of fans are unhappy with the standard of refereeing that has been on display this season. There are always a number of fans that complain about the quality of the officials after almost every game, and often it comes from neutral fans.

This is a worrying trend, as disgruntled fans will turn away from the game.

The problem could simply be a case of fans believing that refereeing was better in previous years when that may not be true. However, there are certainly legitimate concerns about the officiating in the NRL.

The NRL bunker has been a disappointment to many fans, particularly as it was designed to remove errors in the video ref system.

The inconsistency of the bunker has been similar to the video ref, with a number of baffling decisions being made over the course of the year. Decisions such as Tautau Moga’s try against the Rabbitohs in round eight have forced referee boss Tony Archer to publicly admit the bunker was incorrect. Other decisions, such as Tyrone Peachey’s try against Manly in the first round of the finals have caused Archer to defend the bunker.

Either way, it is not a good look for the game, as the bunker was presented as a fix to the games video refereeing problem but continues to make errors.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Referees Gavin Badger and Ashley Klein speak to the touch judges between the end of regulation time and extra time during the NRL Elimination Final match between the Cronulla Sharks and the North Queensland Cowboys at Allianz Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

On-field officials are also being attacked by fans online and at games. A Raiders fan even went so far as to spit on referee Ashley Klein during a round 24 game.

Though many fans overreact to decisions in games, the NRL must accept that the referees can improve. There are instances of officials being praised for the way the performed during a game, such as the State of Origin series this year.

The officials for the first State of Origin game this year were widely praised, as they only blew six penalties throughout the entire game. This allowed for a free-flowing game that fans and experts alike found was very entertaining to watch.

Though the teams in this game were probably more disciplined than the average NRL side, NRL referees should consider trying to emulate this performance. Obviously, referees must officiate games, but allowing matches to flow naturally creates more interesting contests.

Perhaps this is one way in which the NRL could improve the perception of refereeing quality amongst the fans.

The NRL could also consider demoting referees for bad performances. There are instances of this occurring, such as Bernard Sutton and Chris Butler, who were stood down for not ensuring Sia Soliola was sent off after a nasty high shot of Billy Slater.

Referee boss Tony Archer must consider taking a harder stance on poor performances by on-field referees and bunker officials. This would show fans that the NRL wants referees to be continually improving and that a certain level of quality is being maintained in the game.

What do you think? Should the NRL tell the referees to improve or are the fans too willing to complain?

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