Broncos Home Crowds & Referee Chronicles

[Locky’s Left Boot]

Broncos Games 2019​

Round 1 vs Storm @ AAMI Park
Main Referee: Gerard Sutton
Penalty Count: 5-4 Broncos

Round 2 vs Cowboys @ Suncorp Stadium (Friday)
Crowd Attendance: 45,023
Main Referee: Grant Atkins
Penalty Count: 8-2 Cowboys

Round 3 vs Dragons @ Suncorp Stadium (Thursday)
Crowd Attendance: 21,081
Main Referee: Ben Cummins
Penalty Count: 7-3 Broncos

Round 4 vs Roosters @ SCG
Main Referee: Ashley Klein
Penalty Count: 6-4 Broncos

Round 5 vs Tigers @ Suncorp Stadium (Thursday)
Crowd Attendance: 24,398
Main Referee: Ben Cummins
Penalty Count: 5-4 Tigers

Round 6 vs Raiders @ GIO Stadium
Main Referee: Matt Cecchin
Penalty Count: 7-6 Broncos

Round 7 vs Sharks @ Suncorp Stadium (Saturday)
Crowd Attendance: 27,638
Main Referee: Henry Perenara
Penalty Count: 6-3 Broncos

Round 8 vs Rabbitohs @ ANZ Stadium
Main Referee: Gerard Sutton
Penalty Count: 9-3 Rabbitohs

Round 9 vs Sea Eagles @ Suncorp Stadium (Magic Round)
Main Referee: Ben Cummins
Penalty Count: 7-7 Draw

Round 10 vs Roosters @ Suncorp Stadium (Friday)
Crowd Attendance: 28,288
Main Referee: Grant Atkins
Penalty Count: 7-6 Broncos

Round 11 vs Warriors @ Mt Smart Stadium
Main Referee: Ashley Klein
Penalty Count: 10-5 Warriors

Round 12 vs BYE

Round 13 vs Titans @ Suncorp Stadium (Sunday)
Crowd Attendance: 30,048
Main Referee: Chris Sutton
Penalty Count: 8-5 Broncos

Round 14 vs Eels @ Bankwest Stadium
Main Referee: Henry Perenara
Penalty Count: 6-5 Broncos

Round 15 vs Knights @ McDonald Jones Stadium
Main Referee: Ashley Klein
Penalty Count: 14-7 Broncos

Round 16 vs Sharks @ PointsBet Stadium
Main Referee: Matt Cecchin
Penalty Count: 5-5 Draw

Round 17 vs Warriors @ Suncorp Stadium (Saturday)
Crowd Attendance: 31,018
Main Referee: Chris Sutton
Penalty Count: 4-2 Warriors

Round 18 vs Bulldogs @ Suncorp Stadium (Thursday)
Crowd Attendance: 20,818
Main Referee: Ben Cummins
Penalty Count: 7-3 Broncos

Round 19 vs Titans @ Cbus Super Stadium
Main Referee: Ben Cummins
Penalty Count: 9-5 Titans

Round 20 vs Storm @ Suncorp Stadium (Friday)
Crowd Attendance: 36,049
Main Referee: Gerard Sutton
Penalty Count: 7-5 Storm

Round 21 vs Cowboys @ 1300 Smiles Stadium
Main Referee: Matt Cecchin
Penalty Count: 6-6 Draw

Round 22 vs Panthers @ Suncorp Stadium (Friday)
Crowd Attendance: 23,643
Main Referee: Ashley Klein
Penalty Count: 10-6 Panthers

Round 23 vs Rabbitohs @ Suncorp Stadium (Friday)
Crowd Attendance: 33,225
Main Referee: Ben Cummins
Penalty Count: 5-4 Rabbitohs

Round 24 vs Eels @ Suncorp (Friday) – TBA
Main Referee: Ashley Klein
Penalty Count: TBA

Round 25 vs Bulldogs @ ANZ Stadium
Main Referee: TBA
Penalty Count: TBA

Average Home Crowd 2018: 31,137
Average Home Crowd Total 2019: 29,203 (321,229 Over 11 Games) Down 6.2%
Average Home Crowd On Thursday: 22,099 (66,297 Over 3 Games)
Average Home Crowd On Friday: 33,246 (166,228 Total Over 5 Games)
Average Home Crowd On Saturday: 29,328 (58,656 Total Over 2 Games)
Average Home Crowd On Sunday: 30,048 (30,048 Over 1 Game)

Referees:
​

Gerard Sutton
Officiated 3 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (1 Home, 2 Away)
H2H Record: 0 Wins, 3 Losses
Penalty Count Record: 1 Win, 2 Losses
Total Penalties For: 13 (4.33/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 20 (6.67/Game)
Difference: -7

Chris Sutton
Officiated 2 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (2 Home, 0 Away)
H2H Record: 1 Loss, 1 Draw
Penalty Count Record: 1 Win, 1 Loss
Total Penalties For: 10 (Avg 5/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 9 (Avg 4.5/Game)
Difference: +1

Henry Perenara
Officiated 2 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (1 Home, 1 Away)
H2H Record: 1 Win, 1 Loss
Penalty Count Record: 2 Wins, 0 Losses
Total Penalties For: 12 (Avg 6/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 8 (Avg 4/Game)
Difference: +4

Matt Cecchin
Officiated 3 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (0 Home, 3 Away)
H2H Record: 2 Wins, 1 Loss
Penalty Count Record: 1 Win, 2 Draws
Total Penalties For: 18 (Avg 6/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 17 (Avg 5.7/Game)
Difference: +1

Grant Atkins
Officiated 2 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (2 Home, 0 Away)
H2H Record: 2 Wins, 0 Losses
Penalty Count Record: 1 Win, 1 Loss
Total Penalties For: 9 (Avg 4.5/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 14 (Avg 7/Game)
Difference: -5

Ashley Fucking Klein
Officiated 4 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (1 Home, 3 Away)
H2H Record: 2 Wins, 2 Losses
Penalty Count Record: 2 Wins, 2 Losses
Total Penalties For: 31 (Avg 7.75/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 31 (Avg 7.75/Game)
Difference: 0

Ben Cummins
Officiated 6 Broncos Games As Lead Referee (4 Home, 2 Away Includes Magic Round)
H2H Record: 3 Wins, 3 Losses
Penalty Count Record: 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 3 Losses
Total Penalties For: 34 (Avg 5.66/Game)
Total Penalties Against: 32 (Avg 5.33/Game)
Difference: +2

Ranked In Order For Most Penalties Given To Brisbane On Avg:
1st Klein
2nd Perenara (Tied)
2nd Cecchin (Tied)
4th Cummins
5th Chris Sutton
6th Atkins
7th Gerard Sutton

Ranked In Order For Most Penalties Given Against Brisbane On Avg:
1st Klein
2nd Atkins
3rd Gerard Sutton
4th Cecchin
5th Cummins
6th Chris Sutton
7th Perenara

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

Important snippets I took out of compiling these stats:

- Average crowds are down significantly. 3 Thursday home games plus barely any family friendly timeslots have seen the fans start to show their displeasure. The club should be sending the NRL a 'friendly' memo during the off season when requests are being made in regards to the draw and scheduling.
- Klein loves to blow the pea out of the whistle and is notorious for it across the game as shown in our games as well.
- No surprise since the media jumped over Gerard Sutton supposedly favouring us in the past, we have our worst record of any referee under him now with 0 wins, 3 losses as well as being caned in penalties with him in charge. Doesn't help that the 3 games they've given him have conveniently been against the Storm twice and Souths in Sydney.
- Ben Cummins seems to get a lot of South East QLD appointments involving us. He has been given 5 Suncorp games if you include our magic round away game against Manly as well as officiating the Titans game at Robina.
- We have a great record under Grant Atkins but the stats show he penalises the **** out of winning teams. This seems to show that he gives out sympathy penalties to teams trailing to try and keep the games competitive.
- Cecchin and Perenara seem to be the more consistent of the referees who officiate Broncos game.

 

[Alec]

Pretty much all of them.

 

[Allo]

The stats on Cummins is truly surprising. However the one thing these don’t give is context. They can be really critical and change the flow of the game (across the board, not just him)

Also, can we **** off Thursday night football in general? It’s shit

 

[Unbreakable]

Cecchin & Atkins are the best refs in the game imo.

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

The stats on Cummins is truly surprising. However the one thing these don’t give is context. They can be really critical and change the flow of the game (across the board, not just him)

Also, can we **** off Thursday night football in general? It’s shit

Exactly. These stats do not tell the full story which is why I found some of them surprising. The way it feels like we get screwed by Cummins and Klein makes it feel like we have lost every penalty count under them.

Interesting to note after Klein does the Eels game, if either him or Cummins also do the Dogs game, that would mean between the 2 of them they would have officiated half of our games over the 2019 season. Who the **** makes these appointments?

Thankfully we never get given Cummins in Sydney games.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

I don't give a shit what the stats say, everytime Cummins refs one of our games, we inevitably come away thinking it was a shithouse performance.

 

[mrslong]

Ashley Klein should not be reffing any games in first grade, and my mind boggles he lasted more than 1 season. He’s been useless since day dot no matter who he’s reffing, should go back to super league.

 

[Nashy]

Klein. The bloke is fucking useless on the field, his interpretation of the rules is fucking pathetic, and he comes across like he thinks he's the most powerful asshole in the game to the players.

 

[NSW stables]

It is not just penalty numbers, it is where, when and in what context of the game they are given.

For example, two 4th tackle penalties to get a team out of their end have a greater impact than a first tackle penalty on the 50 metres followed by 10 metres for back chat. Both count as 2 penalties but have vastly different impact on the game.

 

[CaptainHook]

This is going to be a great thread. Enormous credit to @Purple Pills for compiling all this data.

Like Darbs, I'm not much of a stat man.

I used to be until I realised numbers can be twisted to paint whatever narrative anyone wants.

I no longer give a damn which referee is appointed to our games. I can't believe I ever did. My ref bashing days are over.

No ref, no game and all that.

I do love a good "#refsfault" though and I'm a sucker for conspiracy theories.

I'm fascinated by the bigger picture. Sports fans blaming the refs for their own teams' ineptitude never gets old.

Consider some examples:

Let's look at the 40-4 demolition of the Broncos by the Melbourne Storm recently. How exactly is Gerard Sutton responsible for the Storm making 11 line breaks?

Brisbane missed 35 tackles. Incredibly, Melbourne missed more that night according to the match summary.

One team defended their mistakes. The other side didn't. But yeah nah, Sutton screwed us over. Everyone's out to get us!

So... in the post-match of that debacle a really interesting discussion broke out regarding the 2006 decider and the impact or influence referee Paul Simpkins had on it.

I'm looking at it from a different angle.

What do the Melbourne Storm and their supporters, as well as Brisbane fans thinking we got lucky think of the following:

- Matt King losing the ball as Boyd and Tate tackled him
- Steve Turner spilling a bomb from Lockyer. From the ensuing set, Lockyer sent Hodges through to score.
- Geyer fumbling from acting-half
- Inglis going into touch with the right-hand corner in sight
- Jeremy Smith penalised for a leg pull
- David Kidwell throwing a forward pass
- Inglis spilling a pass from Geyer in the final minutes

Now, some crucial calls went Brisbane's way but not as many as I thought. A lot of them were 50/50. I would've been ok if some of them went the other way. The only "howlers" were the shepherd and Hodges touching it at the end.

That's just footy.

This obsession with the match officials is ridiculous. It's even worse in a game as unpredictable as Rugby League.

There are so many key moments, momentum swings, missed opportunities and near misses in any random game every week that I'm not sure anything meaningful can be gleamed from digging into who referees which team and when.

Just my two cents.

 

[Aldo]

This is going to be a great thread. Enormous credit to @Purple Pills for compiling all this data.

Like Darbs, I'm not much of a stat man.

I used to be until I realised numbers can be twisted to paint whatever narrative anyone wants.

I no longer give a damn which referee is appointed to our games. I can't believe I ever did. My ref bashing days are over.

No ref, no game and all that.

I do love a good "#refsfault" though and I'm a sucker for conspiracy theories.

I'm fascinated by the bigger picture. Sports fans blaming the refs for their own teams' ineptitude never gets old.

Consider some examples:

Let's look at the 40-4 demolition of the Broncos by the Melbourne Storm recently. How exactly is Gerard Sutton responsible for the Storm making 11 line breaks?

Brisbane missed 35 tackles. Incredibly, Melbourne missed more that night according to the match summary.

One team defended their mistakes. The other side didn't. But yeah nah, Sutton screwed us over. Everyone's out to get us!

So... in the post-match of that debacle a really interesting discussion broke out regarding the 2006 decider and the impact or influence referee Paul Simpkins had on it.

I'm looking at it from a different angle.

What do the Melbourne Storm and their supporters, as well as Brisbane fans thinking we got lucky think of the following:

- Matt King losing the ball as Boyd and Tate tackled him
- Steve Turner spilling a bomb from Lockyer. From the ensuing set, Lockyer sent Hodges through to score.
- Geyer fumbling from acting-half
- Inglis going into touch with the right-hand corner in sight
- Jeremy Smith penalised for a leg pull
- David Kidwell throwing a forward pass
- Inglis spilling a pass from Geyer in the final minutes

Now, some crucial calls went Brisbane's way but not as many as I thought. A lot of them were 50/50. I would've been ok if some of them went the other way. The only "howlers" were the shepherd and Hodges touching it at the end.

That's just footy.

This obsession with the match officials is ridiculous. It's even worse in a game as unpredictable as Rugby League.

There are so many key moments, momentum swings, missed opportunities and near misses in any random game every week that I'm not sure anything meaningful can be gleamed from digging into who referees which team and when.

Just my two cents.

That is a top post. I'm also trying to not take notice of refs and their decisions these days but **** it is hard haha.

 

[CaptainHook]

That is a top post. I'm also trying to not take notice of refs and their decisions these days but **** it is hard haha.

Thanks Aldo for your reply and kind words.

Ps: Agree completely - it ain't easy haha.

 

[PNG Broncos fan88]

Last home game tonight, should be a sell out to get the boys pumped for a win.

 

[Renegade]

I honestly dont buy into the refs hate us angle anymore. Too often we're just not good enough to make our opportunities count and allow the refs as a crutch.

I'm not sure I ever really did buy into tbh. Of course there are occasions where you feel you've been reffed out of the game or a momentum-turning call, but I don't think there's some shadowy cabal plotting Brisbanes downfall every week.

 

[Accept]

Last home game tonight, should be a sell out to get the boys pumped for a win.

It won't be anywhere near a sellout. Have they ever had a full house since they moved back to Suncorp? It would be only on a few occasions, if any. Back in the 90's, we used to have to scramble to get a ticket and that was in shitty old ANZ which held 60,000. Ah....the good ol days. Can I go back?

 

[tommy]

I honestly dont buy into the refs hate us angle anymore. Too often we're just not good enough to make our opportunities count and allow the refs as a crutch.

I'm not sure I ever really did buy into tbh. Of course there are occasions where you feel you've been reffed out of the game or a momentum-turning call, but I don't think there's some shadowy cabal plotting Brisbanes downfall every week.

I have never thought they hate us, the MRC and judiciary are a different story though. They definitely favour Melbourne though and more recently Roosters seem to get away with alot of stuff on the field. That 2014 Rabbitohs premiership probably wouldn't have been possible without the help of the refs.

 

[Renegade]

Maybe we just have bad lawyers? The only time I can recall in recent years where the mrc/judiciary had any impact on us in finals was when they let Hodges off, and that was obviously to our advantage.