NRL probes touch judge threats, ref Klein axed for finals

Grand final and State of Origin referee Ashley Klein has been axed from this week’s matches as the NRL’s integrity unit launches an investigation into threatening social media posts aimed at a “devastated” touch judge.

The Professional Rugby League Match Officials pleaded on Monday for rugby league’s culture of referee blaming to stop less than an hour after NRL head of football Graham Annesley called for calm after the contentious Storm-Raiders final in Melbourne on Saturday.

The NRL is probing abusive online messages sent to the 220-game sideline official Michael Wise, just weeks after some of the code’s biggest stars headed by Latrell Mitchell emphatically called out racist abuse on social media platforms.

Wise incorrectly ruled Storm winger Suliasi Vunivalu went into touch in the dying moments of the minor premiers’ loss to Canberra at AAMI Park, replays showing the Fijian stayed in the field fractionally. Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy refused to publicly use the decision as a reason for the Storm’s surprise defeat.

Klein wasn’t assigned to one of the two semi-finals this weekend after Annesley confirmed a series of errors went against the Storm. He is on standby for the RabbitohsSea Eagles elimination final at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.

The mistakes included Klein twice failing to hear or heed advice from assistant referee Chris Sutton, including an off-the-ball tackle on Melbourne fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen by Elliott Whitehead and another illegal strip by the Englishman.

Sutton could be heard on the referees audio yelling at Klein to penalise Whitehead’s tackle on support player Papenhuyzen, a mistake which was compounded on the same play when Klein didn’t sin bin Jarrod Croker for holding down Justin Olam in a tackle. Annesley said either offence should have warranted 10 minutes in the sin bin.

Klein officiated last year’s grand final, has been in the middle for the last six State of Origin matches and blew 21 penalties in the Melbourne-Canberra clash. There were only 22 penalties combined across the other three finals matches over the weekend.

“This was the closest game over the weekend, it was probably the most intense game over the course of the weekend and it was the most controversial game over the course of the weekend,” Annesley said.