Hartley: Referees 'worst in 50 years'

[Coxy]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 66,00.html

Five-time grand final referee Greg Hartley has launched a stinging attack on the current crop of NRL whistleblowers - describing them as "the worst in 50 years".

Tiring of the weekly blunders, Hartley said he fears an upcoming finals game could be decided by a refereeing clanger.

While the NRL continues to publicly support the standard of refereeing, there is general concern right across the game about inconsistent and pedantic penalties deciding the outcome of games between evenly matched teams.

Hartley, who retired in 1982, is the first of his ilk to speak out, saying: "I can't remember the standard being worse in 50 years of watching, playing and refereeing rugby league.

"They just simply aren't up to the standard that is required. They have no feel for the game.

"I fear there will be a mistake that costs a team in the finals. I hope it doesn't happen but I worry it will."

Hartley pointed to Jason Robinson and Brett Suttor as referees he believes are not up to NRL standard.

There have been some very bad performances this year, I agree. But IMO the problems are not with the whistleblowers themselves, but the ridiculous interpretations given to them by Robert Finch. The reason they have no feel for the game is because Finch is methodically setting out to take any judgment away from the referees and make every situation black and white.

The result is we get ridiculous penalties for things that don't deserve them, and things let go because they don't meet the "KPIs" for a penalty.

Plus it's all a bit rich coming from Hartley. He might not have been shit, but he was biased and a cheat.

 

[OXY-351]

Plus it's all a bit rich coming from Hartley. He might not have been shit, but he was biased and a cheat.

Not only that, but he ref'd in a time were ref's weren't under as much scrutiny. These days there are more TV cameras at every game than Cam Smith has third party payments, and technology is heaps better, so any mistake are picked up on within a matter of seconds.

Not only that, but here a more TV shows related to league these days were the panel dwells on these mistakes.

I love Phil Gould and his hypocrisy in relation to this. He says he hates video refs and that he would prefer refs to make a call and get on with the game, even if they make a mistake from time to time, yet then he works on a show were they bag the refs for most of it.

 

[m1c]

Meh, they run stories on this about 3 times a year.

 

[Professor47]

The article also mentions how those past refs would go under today's game which is an excellent point. With the slow mo replays and the big screen... human error WILL happen. I do however admit the refs have been garbage but I also am in the corner of blaming the interpretation. We have a ridiculous interpretation and system ATM - we need to simplify things.

 

[Dexter]

A bit rich coming from Hartley, he cost Parra a GF by miscounting the tackle count twice in Manlys favour.

 

[ddd]

A bit rich coming from Hartley, he cost Parra a GF by miscounting the tackle count twice in Manlys favour.

That's so conflicting - it's awesome to make parra loose, but lame to make manly win [icon_shru

 

[Dexter]

[icon_lol1. [icon_lol1. [icon_lol1. Yeah I thought some would like that, Emma will have a Greg Hartley poster on her wall.

 

[OXY-351]

So parra have been robbed of 2 GFs now?