NRL 2020: Video referee could be used to rule on forward passes after error in Manly loss to Eels
The NRL touch judge whose incorrect forward pass ruling robbed Manly of victory over Parramtta on the weekend has been spared the axe for Round 5 of the competition.
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The touch judge whose costly forward pass blunder cost Manly victory over Parramatta on Saturday has been spared the axe for this round’s games.
Liam Kennedy, who ruled a Tom Trbojevic pass had gone forward to winger Reuben Garrick before he charged downfield for a supposed matchwinning try, will keep his job.
The confirmation on Tuesday comes after the NRL head of football Graham Annesley backed Kennedy on Sunday - saying he did not deserve to be “castigated or relegated” despite admitting the error
“I would definitely back him,” Annesley said.
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“While he has made an error of judgement it is not because of any incompetence or anything like that.
“He has made an error of judgment. We all do that in our lives every day.
“The thing in his favour is that the ball did travel forward across the ground, there is no question that it drifted forward.
“And it is always exasperated when the player who gets tackled kind of stops immediately.
“I can understand why the touch judge did get it wrong. And that is why I don’t think he should be castigated or relegated or anything for it.
“It was an unfortunate error of judgement and hopefully we won’t see it again in the near future.”
Meanwhile, NRL fans have had their say and are demanding that the video ref be allowed to rule on forward passes.
Annesley also conceded it was time to revisit the issue following Saturday night’s howler that robbed Manly victory against Parramatta.
But while Annesley said it would be “unlikely” the change would happen this season, the man who could fast track the process is ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys.
The commission has the power to make changes as they see fit, and V’landys has shown previously he’s not one to sit back and waste time when he thinks the fans are being short changed.
V’landys recently backed Annesley’s call to return to one ref after listening to what the fan feedback suggested.
The vast majority seem to think this is another slam dunk decision, with an overwhelming 75 per cent of more than 2150 vote in an exclusive Telegraph poll saying “yes” to using the video ref on forward passes.
Annesley was quick to concede the mistake in the immediate aftermath of Saturday night’s controversy.
But the bigger issue now is what can be done to fix a problem — and how fast can it be implemented.
There has been huge debate for years about the fact the NRL would not use the video ref to rule on forward passes.
It was used way back in 2001 and Annesley said it probably caused more problems than it solved at the time.
“I have always been open to the idea,” Annesley said.
“When we did it last time it was all right for the obvious ones.
“But then there was as whole bunch of marginal ones that were being referred to the video ref and the decisions were causing more controversy than the passes themselves.”
But the technology is vastly improved from what it was in 2001.
And there are still howlers like the Saturday night call when fans at home can clearly see that a call is wrong but the video ref is not allowed to use the technology.
Fox Sports now use a roving sideline camera that provided the perfect angle to determine the ball came out of Tom Trbojevic’s hands backwards.
The rule states that even if the ball travels forward, if it comes out of the hands backwards it is not a forward pass.
One problem is that the roving Fox camera only runs down one side of the field.
Annesley said it may require a significant investment if the change was to be implemented.
Asked if it could happen this season, Annesley said: “I would think it is unlikely given we made the changes we made because of the break we had.
“You wouldn’t normally make changes from one week until the next. So I think if it was going to be considered it would be part of an end of season review.
“Whilst last night was an obvious one ... there will be many more that aren’t so obvious and will put us in the same position.
“I think it is possible with the right technology.
“But that would probably require an investment from the game.
“And as you know, given what we have been through, finances aren’t great at the moment. It is something we would have to do a whole business case on to be honest.”
Originally published as NRL 2020: Video referee could be used to rule on forward passes after error in Manly loss to Eels
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