We are treated like the enemy
EX-MARINE ON ABUSE OF OFFICIALS... AS RISING REF SAYS ‘AVOID TWITTER’ VIKINGS STILL ALIVE & SINGING
Gareth Walker
“PEOPLE don’t see the person behind the uniform when they’re screaming obscenities at a referee.”
Super League touch judge Jack Smith knows all about working on the frontline – the former marine was badly injured by the Taliban.
The 29-year-old was shot while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, and woke up in hospital two weeks later with a damaged liver, diaphragm and right lung, and 10 broken ribs.
Having played at the top end of the amateur game, Smith then turned to refereeing, and rose rapidly up the ladder.
He was handed a full-time contract, something he recently decided to temporarily step back from to focus on home life and his property business.
But he still runs the line in Super League and takes charge of Championship matches – despite the abuse that comes his and others’ way.
Swearing
Smith said: “I sometimes take my five-year-old to watch and he doesn’t fully get it yet.
“But when he gets to eight or nine, he’ll be wondering why everybody’s swearing at his dad.
“Ultimately you go to do a job FRANCIS CUMMINS insisted his Widnes side still have hope after they kept their slim survival chances alive with a 26-12 win over Halifax ending their 17-match losing run.
The Vikings still need to win their final two Qualifiers games at Toronto and Hull KR – and see other results go their way just to make the Million Pound Game.
But Cummins said the pressure in his squad has been released by a first to the best of your ability, and I don’t think people realise that our kids and parents are stood there as they’re shouting.
“You’re getting called all the names under the sun and the families have to sit and do nothing because they don’t want a scene.”
This newspaper was granted a unique insight into the world of the Super League referee at the recent Warrington-hull FC game, going behind the scenes and on to the pitch with the team of officials.
There was little evidence of victory since April, despite fans unfurling a banner telling chief executive James Rule to leave the club.
Cummins said: “Until you can’t do it you’ve got to have hope. Our goal has to be to win the last three games and see where it takes us.
Noise
“It’s been a long time coming, and to be honest I’m not too sure all the players knew all the words to the winning song.
“But they made a lot of noise to make up for it.”
Cummins also hit out at abuse at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. The home side’s dominant 80-10 win helped – as did an assured performance from rising young official Liam Moore.
Just like Smith, 23-year-old law graduate Moore (right) has plenty of other options in life, but chose to take up the whistle professionally.
He explained: “You wouldn’t do it if you didn’t get a buzz “vultures” already trying to raid the Vikings squad, after former NRL star Krisnan Inu proved the difference between the teams with two tries and an assist.
Patrick Ah Van also collected a double and Weller Hauraki opened the scoring.
But the Vikings were rarely comfortable against parttime Halifax, who scored tries from James Woodburn-hall and James Saltonstall.
Coach Richard Marshall said: “They were in a rut and it’s difficult to get out of that when you’ve not won for such a long period of time. I from going out there. Robert Hicks refereed at Wembley recently, and for all the times that can be tough, you want them to lead to a moment like that. “That’s the reason I do it – the thrill of the journey. “The players are generally OK. There’s an odd occasion where one implodes and it goes too far, but mainly it’s scepticism from the fans. “I get it – if your team loses we’re an easy target. People never really blame the players. “You grow to live with it. “I try and keep away from social media and what’s been said about me. It can end up clouding your head.” See behind-the-scenes video now at www.mirror.co.uk/sport thought we helped them along the way and gave them a leg up in the first half.
“If you were giving out medals for heart and valour we’d be up there – but it was
Round-up
an opportunity today and we could have won.”
Gareth O’brien – the hero of the 2016 Million Pound Game for Salford – kicked another crucial drop goal to take TORONTO WOLFPACK a step closer to the same game with a 13-12 win over TOULOUSE.
HULL KR took another giant stride towards confirming their Super League safety with James Greenwood scoring twice in a 30-18 win over LONDON BRONCOS.
Michael Channing touched down twice for the Broncos.