Come off it, Nigel, we can’t just ignore refs’ mistakes
Welsh ref Nigel Owens apparently believes too much is now referred to the TMO, and that we should go back to the days when mistakes were kept hidden. That’s not exactly what he said, but it would happen if he had his way.
In fact, Owens said some things I found staggering. He’d like to go back to what were definitely the bad old days, when all the TMO was used for was decisions on whether the ball was over the goal line. He argues that if incidents weren’t referred, and then shown on the big screen, he and his colleagues would have to work harder and be better at making decisions! He went on to say that if replays aren’t shown then people probably won’t argue with the decisions, and players won’t question them.
First, I had always assumed, irrespective of referrals and replays, the officials were already working as hard as they could. I would imagine that the knowledge that their decisions are subject to public scrutiny is an even bigger incentive.
Go to any ground and you’ll hear fans abusing referees, often from a posi- of total ignorance of the laws. For years I sat in front of someone who could not get his head round the fact that if there was a maul that went nowhere, the defending side got possession – every time it happened he’d bellow: “Ref, we were going forward!” and would then scream abuse at each decision he didn’t like.
It’s not the main reason for showing replays, but when everyone can see the action in slo-mo, more often than not it supports the ref ’s actions.
Of course in rugby there are decisions that are a matter of interpretation, but in other instances it really is black or white, such as the pass being forward or not. Those are the decisions that we have to get right, and if that means using the TMO, so be it.
Owens’ comment that, “sometimes a decision you make in the flow of the game might look a bit different in replay, especially in slow motion, and you are forced to make a technical decision that maybe you wouldn’t have made”, is utterly baffling to me.
I interpret that as saying that sometimes refs get it wrong, but it’s better it isn’t overturned on a technicality!
Similarly, when the TMO sees an incident of foul play that the on-field officials miss, then it’s great that it now gets examined. Citings are all well and good, but it’s much better that the incidents are spottion ted at the time, and if a player has to see yellow or red, then his team gets punished there and then.
The difference between a club reaching a target, such as top six, play-offs, or avoiding relegation, can be huge, and we should be doing all we can to make sure that a refereeing mistake doesn’t decide such things.
Owens’ worry about referrals and replays damaging people’s perception of the officials couldn’t be further from reality. Even the refs who aren’t as good as the likes of Owens and Wayne Barnes have nothing to fear – most sensible fans understand how tough their job is, and will forgive mistakes, as long as they’re rectified at the time.
It’s the beginning of the silly season when the player moves start to be announced, and rumourmongering is rife.
If your team are doing badly these give cause for hope, and if things are going well, then they offer reassurance that next season will be just as good.
Along with the confirmed and rumoured moves, there’s speculation about how high salaries will be, much of it started by players’ agents, often as bargaining chips.
This week we’ve heard that George Ford might be off to Sale with the figure of £600k bandied about, and as soon as Carl Fearns was confirmed as moving to Gloucester, £350k p.a. was widely being quoted.
Those figures never come from the clubs, and I doubt they stem from the players, so I give them no credence. Besides, how much as fans are we entitled to know about the salaries and contracts?
I can’t understand the attitude that, as fans, we have a right to know. The only right we have is deciding on whether to spend our hard-earned on tickets and merchandising, and if so, which club.
I wonder whether those who get indignant about such matters would be quite so sanguine if someone posted details of their salaries on a website?