Monday Buzz: Referee performance overshadows top quality Eels v Panthers finals showdown

We should be talking about the high quality, toughness and brutality of a good old-fashioned finals showdown. Instead an age-old problem continues to rear its ugly head, says Phil Rothfield.

The Parramatta Eels did not deserve to lose Saturday night’s blockbuster final against the Panthers.

The #NRLtalkthegameup way to analyse this 80-minute blockbuster is to rave about the high quality, toughness and brutality of a good old-fashioned finals showdown.

Nathan Cleary’s courage with a bung shoulder, Jarome Luai back to his best, Mitchell Moses and a barnstorming effort from Reagan Campbell Gillard.

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Ashley Klein hit the Eels hard in the penalty count.

This was a gripping game of rugby league with record-breaking TV ratings that were up 28 percent on the same finals match last year.

However, we cannot ignore the fact that there were a number of highly controversial decisions that need to be addressed, not that it will help long-suffering Parramatta Eels fans with their season now over.

The reason this needs to be addressed now is because we’ve still got two preliminary finals and the grand final ahead of us, and we can’t see a repeat of Saturday’s refereeing performance.

Did the refereeing cost Parramatta victory? You can’t say for sure, but possibly.

These are the facts.

Mitch Moses is held back by Jarome Luai.

The Penrith trainer had play stopped to attend to Mitch Kenny

Will Smith was penalised for this tackle on Liam Martin.

# The Eels were belted 7-2 in the penalty count.

# Moses was clearly taken out of play chasing a kick near the end. A penalty every day of the week and Luai in the sin-bin for 10 minutes.

# Clint Gutherson had the ball stripped from his arms in the dying moments. It was either a penalty or six again.

# Cleary kicked the game deciding penalty from a Will Smith tackle which was ruled a head-high when it in fact connected around the chest.

# Three times Penrith trainers called for play to stop when the Eels were attacking and had strong momentum. On the Mitch Kenny occasion the trainer was not even on the field when play was stopped.

Ashley Klein found himself the centre of attention of a cracking contest.

There’s no question that if Parramatta had a couple calls go their way, they’d be playing Melbourne next weekend, not Penrith.

Eels coach Brad Arthur could barely contain his frustration in the post-match presser, saying Ivan Cleary’s Panthers “got what they were after off the back of whinging”.

“We make a linebreak out of the backfield and Will Penisini gets tackled off the ball and Mitchell Moses is running there to chase and he gets tackled in the background off the ball,” he said.

These are the types of mistakes that can cost coaches their jobs.

So why are we writing about referees after such a wonderful game of rugby league?

Because the system is broken and desperately needs fixing.

Klein was in charge of the infamous round 24 Rabbitohs v Roosters clash.

For Graham Annesley to tell Paul Crawley on Sunday: “I thought the referee and the bunker controlled one of the most intense games of the season extremely well” is proof of that.

It’s called ignorance.

The number of blowouts this year has actually camouflaged the refereeing issues in our game.

No-one cares when teams get beaten by 30 or 40 but it matters when games go to the wire, like the Panthers and Eels did on Saturday night.

You start with the weekend appointments and ask why Ashley Klein was even controlling this game.

Grant Atkins and Adam Gee have been clearly the best two whistle blowers this year but get snubbed for the big end of season games. So does Matt Cecchin.

Klein keeps surviving controversy.

Klein should have sent Felise Kaufusi to the sin bin or off the field back in round two.

Round 2, Parramatta v Storm: Klein in charge. Felise Kaufisi attacks the head of Ryan Matterson on the ground. It’s a sickening shot and obvious sin bin or sent off. He stayed on the field.

Anzac Day, Roosters v Dragons. Jordan Pereira does a terrible high shot on Roosters fullback James Tedesco. Graham Annesley later admits he would have sent Pereira off for the tackle. Again Klein.

Round 24, Roosters v Rabbitohs. Souths superstar Latrell Mitchell fractures the cheekbone of Joey Manu in a reckless high shot. Klein let play continue until the bunker intervened. That he wasn’t sent-off was a disgrace and almost incited a sideline riot.

Yet Annesley and Jarryd Maxwell continue to pick Klein for the biggest games.

What hope is there for the younger refs who have been in superior form?

No-one expects referees to be perfect. That will never happen, even as technology keeps improving.

We just want consistency.

If players are sin-binned for professional fouls over 25 rounds, we want players sin-binned for professional fouls during the finals. It’s as simple as that. You can’t change the rules for the finals.

Eels must lock in Arthur and end the debate

There is an urgency around the Parramatta Eels making a decision on the long-term coaching future of Brad Arthur.

On Sunday morning we woke up to a headline in the Sunday Telegraph: “Arthur’s finals failure under the microscope.”

Brad Arthur is extremely popular among the Parramatta players.

Yes, they’ve been bundled out in the second week of the finals for four of the last five seasons.

The need for Parramatta to act now is that 14 players are coming off contract and most of them would want an assurance that Arthur will stay. He is extremely popular with the playing group.

There should really be no debate around Arthur’s future.

We published a premiership table from the last five seasons of NRL over the weekend.

Parramatta finished fifth behind Melbourne Storm, the Roosters, Panthers and Rabbitohs.

We spoke to Arthur on Sunday about his position.

“It’s not about me,” Arthur said. “It’s the team and the club. I was super proud of the team. They fought as hard as they could.

“I feel like I’m the right person for the job but that’s up to the club. They’ve never indicated I’m not the right person and they’ve always stuck by me.

“We’ve been in the second week of the finals four out of five years. Only a handful of teams have done that. We want to make a grand final and win a premiership. We’re trying hard and we’re getting better each year.”

Originally published as Monday Buzz: Referee performance overshadows top quality Eels v Panthers finals showdown