Phil Rothfield's Monday Buzz: Boozy refs in the sin bin

A group of senior NRL referees have been sin-binned by hotel security while staging their own ‘Mad Monday’ celebration over the weekend. LIVE BLOG

Frank Farina

A group of senior NRL referees have been sin-binned by hotel security while staging their own ‘Mad Monday’ celebration over the weekend.

The first incident in an otherwise scandal-free NRL off-season emerged at a south coast Hotel in the sleepy beachside town of Huskisson.

Under responsible service of alcohol laws, the referees were ordered to leave the local pub on Saturday evening.

And not just for ‘10 in the bin’ as hotel staff order them ‘off’ for the rest of the night.

It was the talk of the town among stunned locals yesterday who normally only watch and boo these guys on TV on their weekend rugby league coverage.

“I can confirm a number of patrons were asked to leave due to them approaching intoxication,” said hotel manager Mick Mclean last night.

“That’s just standard procedure. There was no misbehaviour.”

Among the referees in attendance were Chris James, Adam Devcich, Gavin Morris, Brett Suttor and Phil Haines although it has not been confirmed which ones were asked to leave.

Like players on their end-of-season booze-ups, the referees had travelled south to stay at the Huskisson Beach Tourist Park on the South Coast, 12 of them in three cabins.

I received an email from a park guest yesterday complaining about their drinking and noise level the night before.

The manager of the tourist park yesterday confirmed that he too had spoken to the referees late on Friday night.

He denied he had threatened to evict them.

“They were fine and completely compliant once I’d spoken to them,” the manager said.

Is this a major scandal? Of course not. Should they have known better? Probably.

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Boys will be boys and we’ve all been guilty of having one too many.

Whether the NRL passes the case onto the judiciary remains to be seen.

Probably a warning letter would be considered sufficient.

Blood in the water

The best Mad Monday rugby league stories are just beginning to emerge.

At the Sharks, Beau Ryan finished with a bloodied face after being belted by Paul Gallen.

It all happened at the skipper’s newly renovated waterfront home in the Shire three weeks ago.

The Footy Show star was up to his usual tricks, attacking his team mates with plastic golf clubs.

“Yes, Gal whacked me,” Ryan confirmed yesterday, “but there’s no drama. He’s fine and we’re joking about it now.”

At the time it was no laughing matter with reports of a hole in the wall as a result of the fisticuffs.

One of the players took a photo of Ryan, covered in blood. It has since been circulated to players at other NRL clubs.

Hollywood drama

The NRL has dumped an annual award named in honour of its most capped referee, Bill Harrigan.

And the man who refereed 392 NRL games is furious, claiming criticism of referees in his role as a radio commentator was behind it.

The Bill Harrigan Encouragement Award was launched a number of years ago by former referees boss Robert Finch.

It was scrapped this year.

“I think it’s a disgrace,” Harrigan said, “In my role in the media I’ve had certain things to say that have obviously upset a few people.

“But I’m paid to have an opinion and if I see something that’s wrong, I’ll say it.”

Former referees boss Daniel Anderson denied the award was scrapped because of Harrigan’s media comments.


Another year, another coach under fire at Sydney FC

Frank Farina

The soap opera that is Sydney FC threatens to claim the scalp of yet another high profile coach just two weeks into the new A-League season.

Saturday night’s abysmal performance against Brisbane Roar has placed enormous pressure on Frank Farina at a club that has already had eight coaches in eight years.

One thing Sydney FC has never been big on is job security. They’ve been through as many chief executives and owners as they have coaches.

Slumps mean sackings and it’s been that way since the rot set in after their inaugural A-League season in 2005, the year Dwight Yorke steered them to the title.

This was supposed to be the beginning of a sporting dynasty.

Instead, eight years later, the club that should be an A-League powerhouse has disintegrated into an absolute shambles.

Even with Alessandro Del Piero on board, Sydney FC is miles behind the Wanderers and Melbourne Victory for membership numbers.

The Victory have 20,000 members and the Wanderers 16,000, and that had to be capped because they ran out of seats at Parramatta Stadium.

By comparison, Sydney FC has just cracked 10,000 for the first time since 2005.

Saturday night’s 4-nil loss to Brisbane was a terrible performance. The absence of the Italian superstar was no excuse because he was never going to stop four goals.

They had six new off-season signings on the field but gave nothing.

Soccer experts are now saying Sydney FC will finish closer to the bottom than the top, just like last year when they finished 7th and missed the playoffs.

The plucky round-one victory over an underperforming Newcastle Jets just camouflaged the problems.

There is talk that Del Piero’s relationship with senior figures at the club, including Farina, have seriously deteriorated.

He has a brand to protect and was originally told he would be playing for one of the competition’s marquee and most successful teams.

Like at any footy club, it all comes back to results and a winning culture.

Sydney FC have neither and Frank Farina knows that.

It’s unlikely he will be sacked this week or next but the pressure is building.

HIGHLIGHT

James Faulkner’s sensational batting performance in India, when he clubbed four sixes and 30 runs off one Ishant Sharma over. This team is performing  well under George Bailey’s leadership.

LOWLIGHT

The refereeing in Friday night’s A-League thriller between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide was as bad as any NRL game - and that’s saying something.

PAIR'S BIG SPLIT

The best story in racing  is not the W.S. Cox Plate but the permanent split between Gai Waterhouse and champion jockey Nash Rawiller… and the reasons why. It will be an embarrassment to NSW Racing if it gets out.

ARTHUR'S LEGACY

The best indication that Parramatta have signed the right coach in Brad Arthur for next year is the disappointment among Manly players that he is leaving Brookvale.

WORLD CUP FARCE

The sooner we realise and accept rugby league is a game played in three countries — Australia, England and New Zealand — the better. All other countries should be in a separate tournament, with the winner to join the big three in a World Cup round robin.