'Unwarranted and unfair': Annesley hits out at criticism of referees

NRL head of football Graham Annesley has called for coaches and officials to cease “unfair” and “unwarranted” criticism of referees as pressure mounts in the lead up to the finals.

Annesley used his weekly football briefing to review seven incidents across five NRL and NRLW matches which had attracted criticism but said only one had been incorrect - and there were mitigating circumstances for officials making the wrong call.

That incident was one of three controversial calls in the lead up to Stephen Crichton’s second try in Penrith’s 24-12 defeat of Manly, with Annesley admitting Liam Martin had knocked the ball into Ray Tuaimalo Veaga during a mid-air challenge for a Nathan Cleary kick.

Referee Gerard Sutton did not detect the knock-on and the Bunker was unable to rule on it after Crichton scored on the next tackle.

Claims that Martin had also passed off the ground were not definitive, according to Annesley, and an alleged knock on by Cleary before Crichton picked up the ball was actually a kick by the Panthers halfback.

The other incidents, which were either correct or inconclusive, were:

• Dragons fullback Teagan Berry being penalised for a double-movement after referee Kasey Badger had called held in Saturday’s 19-18 golden point loss to the Raiders;
• Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker's try from a Lachlan Ilias kick after a touch judge had called Latrell Mitchell onside in Saturday’s 26-14 win over the Dragons;
• A penalty against Stefano Utoikamanu for using his forearm while carrying the ball as a bumper on Warriors hooker Wayde Egan in Saturday’s 30-22 loss, despite no charge being laid against the Wests Tigers prop, and;
• Dolphins interchange forward Ray Stone being sin-binned for a high tackle on Drew Hutchison during Saturday night’s 30-14 loss to the Roosters.  

“I don't think that those decisions warrant some of the levels of criticism that we've seen placed on match officials over the course of the weekend,” Annesley said.

“I think people make judgments on the spur of the moment - just as referees do - and they commit themselves to a position, and maybe they haven't taken the time to examine them closely and to be fair.

“To make claims that officials get things wrong and that impacts on the outcome of games … it's a very small number of games where the incorrect actions of the officials influence the outcome of the game.

“It does happen, but very rarely, and if an official makes a decision that costs a team the game, then I'll be the first one here saying it if the decision is wrong.

“But in decisions where it depends what coloured eyes you're looking through as to whether you agree or disagree … to come out publicly and say 'that was wrong and that a single decision cost us a game', I think it's way over the top.

“There are so many things throughout the full 80 minutes that lead to the outcome of the game, and who wins and who loses, but this game has a unique history and habit of zoning in on one decision by an official and saying, ‘that's why we lost the game’.

It's happened in our game for a long time, but I don't think it's fair.

In the Crichton incident, Annesley said it was often difficult for match officials to detect a mid-air knock on when the ball goes forward from one player into another without the assistance of the Bunker.

However, the Bunker is unable to rule on incidents that occurred prior to the play in which a try is scored – except in cases of foul play.

“To the naked eye it looks like the ball bounces from the chest of the Manly player into Martin’s arms, but when you look at it in slow motion, which is what happens when the Bunker reviews decisions, the ball hits Martin’s arm and ricochets into his [Veaga's] chest,” he said.

“That was a knock on and that was missed so I am putting my hand up for that and I can perfectly understand why the two officials on the field weren’t able to pick this up in live play.

“Under our rules and our procedures, once a tackle takes place and the ball is played, the Bunker cannot go back for something prior to the previous play-the-ball.

“There are already complaints from some quarters that we review too many things so there has to rules about how far the Bunker can go back.

"Had Penrith scored from that particular contest it is a different story and the Bunker gets to review it.”

Annesley played audio, as well as video, to explain the Berry decision and Walker being awarded a try, with a touch judge heard to call "Latrell's onside" and various camera angles proving inconclusive.

Dragons coach Jamie Soward questioned the decision to penalise Berry but Badger could be heard to call held as four defenders halted her momentum before she fell to the ground and reached out to plant the ball on the tryline.

Badger said Berry had clearly advanced her arm in an attempt to score, and front on camera footage supported the referee's call, with the ruling then becoming a double-movement.

There was also criticism of the decisions to place Utoikamanu on report and sin-bin Stone, who has pleaded guilty to a high tackle charge and accepted a one-match ban.

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett said the sin-binning of Stone had impacted on his team's loss.

"We are doing everything we can to try and prevent contact with the head and neck in our game, and the match officials are under instructions to deal with contact to the head and neck," Annesley said.

"I wouldn't normally show incidents of foul play in these reviews but again the referees were heavily criticised for this.

"They can't speak for themselves so I have to speak on their behalf and because there is public criticism of them, that they get this wrong, the only protection they have publicly is through what I do on a Monday afternoon."