Paul Green says:
“How isn’t this unfair? I can’t believe how the NRL has managed this. To actually ring a person and say if you continue to work for Queensland, your brother won’t get the job.
“You can’t say that. That questions his integrity straight away.
“I wanted him in camp because we just wanted a ref’s interpretation of how the ruck was going to be managed. I just wanted some help around the communication with the refs and when they make calls, what do they expect from us etc.
“We had Bernie in camp just to help us from that point of view.
“Bernard doesn’t work for the NRL anymore, so why do we have to disclose that? I didn’t disclose that Gavin Allen is our team manager and that Cliff Mallett is working with us, why should we have to? There’s no conflict of interest.
“Bernard works outside the NRL. Just because his brother is a ref, are they suggesting Gerard will ref differently (if Bernard is involved with the Maroons)?”
Bernard Sutton says
“I initiated contact with Andrew (Abdo),” Sutton said. “I’d read some of his comments before game one. I asked him what the implications were of me being involved with the Maroons.
“He was very clear that he wasn’t telling me what I can or can’t do.
“However he did express the NRL had concerns about the perception it can create.
“He said that would need to be a consideration for the appointments committee.
“I knew if I decided to continue it could go against Gerard being appointed. It could have cost him the role. It’s his primary employment and it’s a secondary role for me.”
Bernard Sutton explained his role in Origin I.
“I was a technical consultant,” he said. “Simple as that. I was just educating them around what they can and can’t do around the ruck area, trying to reduce the six-again calls.
“Same as I do for Melbourne Storm … how do we not concede six-agains.”
Andrew Abdo says:
Bernard Sutton has decided not to consult to the Queensland team while his brother is refereeing Origin,” he said.
“Gerry Sutton did an outstanding job officiating Game I. There’s certainly no complaints about his performance or any suggestion that Bernard’s role impacted his refereeing. They are both respected professionals.
“That said, I think Bernard has done the right thing in removing any potential perceived conflict and I commend him for that.
“It’s not uncommon for former referees to play a consulting role with Origin squads but I understand the concerns some people may have when one of the consultants is the referee’s brother. We weren’t aware of that prior to Game I.”