NRL Referees

Ben Cummins set for NRL retirement, speaks out against referee abuse​

The veteran referee will put his whistle down after this weekend​



The NRL's most experienced referee Ben Cummins will retire after the final round of the 2023 season.

Cummins, who made his debut in the top grade during 2006, has gone on to be one of the NRL's longest-serving referees with 442 appointments.

In addition to that, he has refereed 14 State of Origin matches, 13 Test matches and a City-Country clash, while he has also refereed at two Rugby League World Cups and controlled the 2014 World Club Challenge.

But according to The Sydney Morning Herald, Cummins has made the call to wind up his career. According to the report, he believes not landing a key game in Round 27 is an indication he isn't wanted in the top refereeing squad.

Cummins levelled criticism at the NRL for not retaining more referees, and failing to protect them from abuse.

“The retention of referees isn't great,” Cummins said.

“We do development sessions with young referees and talk to the parents. A lot of it comes from the top down.

“They see what happens at our level. If there's another option where you won't get abused or criticised, even if it's minimum wage at Maccas, you'll take that job.”

Cummins' point is backed up by the fact that top referees regularly perform double duties each weekend with a game on-field and either in the bunker or on the sideline, while some touch judges generally have two games per weekend.

The NRL has, however, looked to progress a number of junior officials, with Kasey Badger and Belinda Sharpe both officiating a game in Round 27, while others like Todd Smith and Peter Gough have become regular parts of the officiating team. Liam Kennedy and Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski are other officials hanging around the fringes of having regular first-grade spots with the whistle in hand.

The retiring veteran referee said he simply didn't want to be a part of the current dynamic from the public towards referees, which focuses on a single 50-50 call rather than the hundreds of decisions that are correct each game.

“There's such a focus on the things we do wrong. The media focus on those decisions, one or two a game, and everything a referee does positively gets missed,” he said.

“There's so much stuff we do to contribute to the game; hundreds of decisions, managing players, assessing different situations. You get one 50-50 call and everyone focuses on that and then it's ‘refs in crisis'. Not sure how you fix that. That's changed. I don't want to be a part of that.”

So bad has it become that Cummins implored his son to take up officiating AFL rather than NRL.

Cummins will control the Round 27 clash between the St George Illawarra Dragons and Newcastle Knights on Saturday evening in Wollongong as his 443rd and final match.

The game has little riding on it, with the Dragons locked into a 16th-place finish, while the Knights have a home elimination final locked up next weekend and are resting players with the only change being fifth or sixth place based on other results.
 
We've been hard done by for years by refs. So yep I do not care when they get it right. That's their job. I want them to get them all right.

Couple things.

It's obvious that they are biased when they are biased.

I simply want a fair shot for our team.

If we were a more winning team over a longer time I might not complain so much about refs.
 
Meh, not abusing the guy but never rated Ben Cummins at all, pretty ordinary ref tbh.

That said their were a few higher in the pecking order than him that were just as shit.......Gerad Sutton.

Cant say any of them stand out to me atm.......in the past Harrigan, Greg McCullum i thought were good.

Gavin Badger was one i thought gave us a fair go

I've more issues with the Bunker than onfield refs to be fair,
 

Ben Cummins set for NRL retirement, speaks out against referee abuse​

The veteran referee will put his whistle down after this weekend​



The NRL's most experienced referee Ben Cummins will retire after the final round of the 2023 season.

Cummins, who made his debut in the top grade during 2006, has gone on to be one of the NRL's longest-serving referees with 442 appointments.

In addition to that, he has refereed 14 State of Origin matches, 13 Test matches and a City-Country clash, while he has also refereed at two Rugby League World Cups and controlled the 2014 World Club Challenge.

But according to The Sydney Morning Herald, Cummins has made the call to wind up his career. According to the report, he believes not landing a key game in Round 27 is an indication he isn't wanted in the top refereeing squad.

Cummins levelled criticism at the NRL for not retaining more referees, and failing to protect them from abuse.

“The retention of referees isn't great,” Cummins said.

“We do development sessions with young referees and talk to the parents. A lot of it comes from the top down.

“They see what happens at our level. If there's another option where you won't get abused or criticised, even if it's minimum wage at Maccas, you'll take that job.”

Cummins' point is backed up by the fact that top referees regularly perform double duties each weekend with a game on-field and either in the bunker or on the sideline, while some touch judges generally have two games per weekend.

The NRL has, however, looked to progress a number of junior officials, with Kasey Badger and Belinda Sharpe both officiating a game in Round 27, while others like Todd Smith and Peter Gough have become regular parts of the officiating team. Liam Kennedy and Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski are other officials hanging around the fringes of having regular first-grade spots with the whistle in hand.

The retiring veteran referee said he simply didn't want to be a part of the current dynamic from the public towards referees, which focuses on a single 50-50 call rather than the hundreds of decisions that are correct each game.

“There's such a focus on the things we do wrong. The media focus on those decisions, one or two a game, and everything a referee does positively gets missed,” he said.

“There's so much stuff we do to contribute to the game; hundreds of decisions, managing players, assessing different situations. You get one 50-50 call and everyone focuses on that and then it's ‘refs in crisis'. Not sure how you fix that. That's changed. I don't want to be a part of that.”

So bad has it become that Cummins implored his son to take up officiating AFL rather than NRL.

Cummins will control the Round 27 clash between the St George Illawarra Dragons and Newcastle Knights on Saturday evening in Wollongong as his 443rd and final match.

The game has little riding on it, with the Dragons locked into a 16th-place finish, while the Knights have a home elimination final locked up next weekend and are resting players with the only change being fifth or sixth place based on other results.
A bit rich.

IMO Cummins was one of the most arrogant referees going.
He seems miffed because he was dropped.

As for abuse. Back in the day Billy Harrigan and Tony Mander in particular had no problems with abuse

I think his criticism about workload is warranted. NRL being broke doesn't help.
 
Bunker and touch judges are my biggest beef.
Touch judges not spotting forward passes or knock on's against us but always seem to spot our forward passes.
To be fair though, this year we have had far more decisions go our way.
 
A bit rich.

IMO Cummins was one of the most arrogant referees going.
He seems miffed because he was dropped.

As for abuse. Back in the day Billy Harrigan and Tony Mander in particular had no problems with abuse

I think his criticism about workload is warranted. NRL being broke doesn't help.
Just because some are ok with abuse doesn't mean it's ok. You want better refs then you need more people wanting to be refs.

Harrigan and Mander didn't have to contend with online abuse 24/7.

Chastise refs in forums all we want but I don't think any direct abuse to refs is ok , ever.
 
Just because some are ok with abuse doesn't mean it's ok. You want better refs then you need more people wanting to be refs.

Harrigan and Mander didn't have to contend with online abuse 24/7.

Chastise refs in forums all we want but I don't think any direct abuse to refs is ok , ever.
Criticism is not abuse.
Refs were called out back in the day..
Greg "Hollywood" Hartley once gave a seven tackle set that led to a Semi Final try.

Hartley thwarts Eels in dramatic replay

Flamboyant referee Greg Hartley’s catalogue of wildly controversial calls in the infamous 1978 minor semi replay between Manly and Parramatta could have filled this entire list. ‘Hollywood’ sent the Eels’ star lock Ray Price off after a scrap late in the first half (he was later cleared by the judiciary), while Sea Eagles half Steve Martin scored a critical try on an erroneous seventh tackle. Manly also received the benefit of two more seven-tackle sets and Parramatta was further disadvantaged by three five-tackle sets in possession. The Eels’ appeal to have the 17-11 result annulled was turned down by the NSWRL, while the Sea Eagles surged to an incredible premiership triumph – with Hartley’s refereeing constantly in the spotlight.

Referee Greg Hartley (left) takes out top spot.

Referee Greg Hartley (left) takes out top spot.

Referees like Steven Clark, who was a very good referee, had a running battle with St George fans.
Actually Kogarah Oval was pretty harsh on any opposition, let alone the referee.

Bulldogs boosted by forward-pass shocker


St George raced to an early 12-0 lead in the 1998 elimination final against Canterbury, but the Bulldogs engineered a stirring comeback that began with a comically forward pass from hooker Jason Hetherington to put winger Daryl Halligan over in the corner. Tensions at Kogarah boiled over with 19 minutes to go when the Dragons, trailing by two, were denied a try to Jeff Hardy by the video ref. The Bulldogs scored a late try to advance 20-12, while referee Steve Clark required a police escort from the ground amid ugly post-match scenes.

Referee Steve Clark was escorted from the game by police.

Referee Steve Clark was escorted from the game by police.
Yes there is a shortage of referees, but is not because of criticism.
That go with the job. Junior grade referees get heaps of site, and always have done.
 
Just because some are ok with abuse doesn't mean it's ok. You want better refs then you need more people wanting to be refs.
The NSW referees system breeds political animals.

To get promoted through the grades you have to be selected to referee grand finals. yes ladies and jellybeans those Aussies like their grand finals.

So how do you get selected to referee a grand final?

Be a good referee, or an arse licker? Go figure. :rolleyes:

Who wants to be super fit, put up with sideline abuse, and have to kiss a dirty arse as well?

They should look at their system first.
 
The top NRL referees earn over $300k per year. That’s 3x what they would earn in any other role.

They cannot be compared in any way to the amateur refs running around doing park footy. They should be answerable to fans and be held to high expectations. The calls (especially from the video refs) are substandard given the pay levels.

Having said that, the referee as an official should be accountable and it should never be personal against the individual person.
 
The top NRL referees earn over $300k per year. That’s 3x what they would earn in any other role.
They do, and it is a fair whack, but only a few earn that. I have been told by a former NSW referee it is the system that is at fault.
 
Our family has always been involved with sport & one day as a 7 year old I was moaning we didn't have "flash exciting games" like the American football or baseball. My grandfather said - Don't ever wish for professional sport in NZ boy. That's when money takes over the game. & players & people like us get shafted because there are such huge amounts of money invested in the result".
It took me a long time to understand what he meant but he was right.
In short, imo the bunker determines the results in the NRL - not those poor buggers trying to do the job on the field or the sidelines.
 
They cannot be compared in any way to the amateur refs running around doing park footy. They should be answerable to fans and be held to high expectations.

Having said that, the referee as an official should be accountable and it should never be personal against the individual person.
They shouldn't be answerable to fans, they should be answerable to NRL. Refs make mistakes and that's ok. Pro players miss kicks and drop balls.

However just like pro players they need make sure they are at a certain level.

If they are doing double shifts then it means there aren't enough refs (or good ones). But why would you do a job where you get abused in your DMs and emails. That's why there aren't enough refs.

The fans mindset should be to email and vent frustrations at NRL not at refs. Make the NRL change.
 
My issue has always been that the ref has been left high and dry. Tech exists that could easily spot and inform on any ball movement, making forward passes obsolete, same tech would show offside. But the NRL has chosen not to use it, because they want the refs to get it wrong. Most often the wrong goes in fav of the "better" team and gets the results that the punter was expecting.
 
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My issue has always been that the ref has been left high and dry. Tech exists that could easily spot and inform on any ball movement, making forward passes obsolete, same tech would show offside. But the NRL has chosen not to use it, because they want the refs to get it wrong. Most often the wrong goes in fav of the "better" team and gets the results that the punter was expecting.
You talking about this?
Remember reading about that a while ago. Do you know if they've started using it in union yet?
From what I understand the players all already wear trackers so could easily be synced with that data.
 
You talking about this?
Remember reading about that a while ago. Do you know if they've started using it in union yet?
From what I understand the players all already wear trackers so could easily be synced with that data.
Yea it would be easy to see using the live trackers that exist now where players are in relation to each other and the speeds and direction they are travelling. Knowing how a player is moving and how fast it's easy to extrapolate the ball movement in the direction towards the opposition's goal line, and this would show forward passes if the ball travels further than expected in that direction. This totally negates the forward-facing hands argument and makes it a yes/no science question. Thats old way of doing it, but viable and used by places like the NFL out of the states. But since then there is tracking data that can be gained from monitors in the ball as well. There is video data and the ability to put a line on the screen to show offside etc. Hell thats even been trialled in the NRL during a couple of games but they refused to spend the money on it.

I have heard, but have no proof that a lot of this tech is in use in some clubs for training already.
 
If they are doing double shifts then it means there aren't enough refs (or good ones).
Obviously...the NRL won't spend the money.
Reffing is actually quite satisfying. I used to ref junior grades. I learned to ignore the idiots on the sidelines, and because it was junior footy there was no grief from the administration.
Just gotta say, if you want to get abused, try umpiring cricket!!!! :eek: :eek:
I have a mate, an Indian guy, he said that with the influx of Indian kids into the local game the pressure on umpires has really increased.
 
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