The Unheard Influence on Force Games.

[travelling_gerry]

I don't know about you guys, but I sat seething most of last nights game, and it was nothing to do with how our guys were playing.

What pissed me off was the comments and advice that were coming from the Assistant Referees to the referee Glen Jackson.

The last few home games I have turned off the commentary on my Sports Ears and just listed to the referee channel. There, unlike the TV you can hear the calls from the AR's clear as a bell.

You would expect a game like last night which was so close that the calls about infringements called from the touchline would be about even, but NO.

Just about all the calls from the touch line to the ref were about pointing out Force errors or penalties.

The only calls in favor of the Force were in the 62-72 minutes where an AR called "White Offside" and one said "I didn't see the grounding but the ball was definitely over the line" when Sheehan scored his try.

( I actually at this point went racing for the program to see who the TMO was and was aghast to see the name George Ayoub, but was pleasantly surprised to hear the try awarded as George has NEVER ruled in favour of the Force while a TMO. I found out later it was someone else and the program was wrong)

A couple of minutes later when it was called "white offside" but when the ref asked for a number with the intention to sinbin another Tah the couldn't tell him the number. It was at this point that Ref Jackson said something along the lines of "thanks guys but I need a number next time".

One AR intervention was the calling of Longbottoms "high tackle" on Pretorious when Kbum was going in as low as possible and Pretorious was falling in the tackle and Kbum collided with his chest and then rode up over his head. Three points to the Tahs.

The real big pissoff for me was the comments 3 times from and AR of "good decision" when ref Jackson awarded a penalty against the Force and 1 time with the encouragement of 'good decision - keep going".

When Jackson asked the AR's in the 32-40th minutes about the scrum, the only input was "Blue bind dropping off" when Mafu was eventually sin binned but no comment about Ben Robinson twisting in the engagement to put Mafu on the ground.

Last night was not an isolated occurrence with AR's calling against the Force. A few weeks ago one AR's was giving the advice to the ref that "Brown is doing ....." or "Brown is doing...." and the ref had to ask "which number".

Maybe SANZAR are doing their best to get the best refs on the park but it leaves a lot to be desired to be putting the also rans on the touchlines.

The program last night listed the AR's as Ian Smith and Julian Pritchard.

Where are they from? NSW of course.

[GIGS20]

Maybe they had watched the rugby club on Thursday, Kafe was advising the refs to penalize the Force more.....I guess it was "for the good of Aussie rugby"

Looking at the replay last night, I don't know that the ref was as bad as he looked on the ground....sure the longbum penalty was a beat up, and Ma'afu was rooted by the ref not Benn Robinson, but everything else wasn't too bad.....he was a kiwi ref, so you could excuse him for not calling anybody offside when bound to the ruck (boy there were some shockers he let go) but we got away with some and weren't called, notably, that was in the second half, so maybe some footage was shown and the boys were told where the line was.

My disgust was centered around the first penalty blown. It's two minutes into the match and you want to have a word with the captain???? Couldn't you have delivered that message in the change rooms?

[WF1964]

You're spot on TG.
I was listening to ref only as can't stand the biased commentary, and heard all those
comments - have never heard anything like that at a game before. Unprofessional I thought.

[travelling_gerry]

Gigs, I thought the ref did a great job. It was the influence or not from the Assistant Refs that pissed me off.

[brokendown gunfighter]

what irked me was the targeting of pocock off the ball,often right in front of the assistant refs,with impunity

[andrewM]

I have to admit that I went home last night to read up the IRB Bible on the role of the AR's, as there were several incidents I noticed that the touchie would have seen, and the ref possibly not, by both teams.

Longbottom's tackle was a case in point (agree that there wasn't much in that), whilst there were a couple of high tackles by the tahs that went unpunished. One spectacularly 'un' straight line out throw by the tahs really got me going though in the second half

[andrewM]

One thing that shits me about the tahs is their propensitiy to hinder players not immediately involved in game play, eg holding on to a tackled player who is has rolled away, stood up and is trying to get onto an onside position so he can rejoin the game. Last night one such tah got a well deserved stomping from a force player I cannot recall, right in front of the touchie who did not appear to express any concern to either incident.

I'm sure it's a 'professional' tactic, but wonder what the rules say about such behavour?

[theforceguy]

What pissed me off was the comments and advice that were coming from the Assistant Referees to the referee Glen Jackson

I don't have sports ears so I blamed the referee for all those shitty calls.

[Ecky]

The program last night listed the AR's as Ian Smith and Julian Pritchard.

Where are they from? NSW of course.

....actually Julian Pritchard is orignally from WA. He moved to Sydney some time last year, during the season. he was often AR for matches while based here, and was AR for both last night's effort and the Chiefs match.

[AndyS]

Watching the replay, the decisions were generally better than they seemed at the game (as they often are). Most of the 50-50 calls seemed to go against the Force in the first half and against the 'Tahs in the second half, but my inclination is to put that down to the attacking side generally being favoured - something the players could always do with bearing in mind.

The one that rattled my cage and made me wonder wasn't the ARs, it was the main ref - at around 28 minutes the Force was going forward and got fast ball and you heard him ask "Happy with that?". I don't think I have ever heard a ref actively soliciting input from the ARs in open play and made me wonder just how keen he was to turn the ball over.

[hertryk]

I have to admit that I went home last night to read up the IRB Bible on the role of the AR's, as there were several incidents I noticed that the touchie would have seen, and the ref possibly not, by both teams.

Longbottom's tackle was a case in point (agree that there wasn't much in that), whilst there were a couple of high tackles by the tahs that went unpunished. One spectacularly 'un' straight line out throw by the tahs really got me going though in the second half

I think that line out throw you mentioned was right in front me....a few metres right of the 22. It was definitely Not straight...I was appalled at the AR's lack of anything! I only ever listen to the ref through my sports ears....the commentary is just too much and too hard to listen to! I wish they worked at home when watching a game frankly!

[travelling_gerry]

Julian*Pritchard

Senior Consultant at Maximus InternationalSydney Area, Australia*|*
Professional Training & CoachingCurrentenior Consultant at Maximus InternationalPast:Rugby Referee at Australian Rugby Union, Client Manager at Australian Institute of Management WA, Officer at Australian Regular ArmyEducation:University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Herrmann International

[Ecky]

Wow

Stalker...

[Ecky]

Ok, so now we want our cake and to eat it too, do we?

It would seem we would prefer that the ARs for any game should not encourage the referee. Would we prefer that they say nothing? Or maybe even tell the ref that he's having a shocker?

Would the same apply to the team? If a particular player is having a bad day, would we like to see the other players telling him what a crab he is? Or would we prefer to see the team-mates gee him up and get him back on track? (not that I'm commenting on whether Sir had a good or bad game)

In officiating circles, the ref and two ARs are referred to as "the team of 3". They are a team and should imho act like a team. The ARs are there to primarily adjudicate on touch and kicks at goal. And foul play. They have a secondary role to assist the ref in other matters of law, but as directed by the ref.

There are quite a few referees who will ask for no assistance with line out throws being straight, for example, unless it was clear and obvious and the ref appears to have missed it. It is more likely they will ask for assistance where the ref is on the "wrong" side of a ruck/maul/whatever and there is an infringement, or for backs offside at a lineout or scrum, or for foul play at the post-breakdown when the ref is following the ball.

You should consider the Sports Ears as a tool with which you get a different perspective of a game, in that you don't need to interpret the ref's signal and/or guess what the infringement was for (as, it would appear, the Fox Aussie commentators are wont to do...) because you will her the ref telling the players what it was for. The you can tell those around you and appear to be right up with things! The Sports Ears will also give an insight into what the ARs are saying to the ref and you will also hear the substitutions. Some times you will hear the TMO as well. They are cool for the rugby nut.

[travelling_gerry]

Correct Ecky. What worried me last night was the assistance from the AR in all things again the Force. A comment count of approx 15-2 was lopsided. I wish they would have called out to the ref more. And more balanced.

PS It was you stalking me :-)