NRL 2021: The best and worst referees for each club

Some whistleblowers seem to suit some teams and not others. Well, as the NRL approaches the business end of the season, the numbers are in. Find out your team’s bogey referee.

Ben Cummins awards Melbourne fewer penalties than any other NRL referee in the game. Same deal, set restarts.

But as for him now being your new favourite whistleblower? Um, unlikely.

Especially if you’ve been a Canberra Raiders fan for any time since, oh, I dunno … let’s say the 2019 Grand Final.

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Or maybe you follow the Manly Sea Eagles or Wests Tigers, who are also yet to win a game under Cummins since the game has reverted back to one referee.

Indeed, with the business end of the 2021 season having now finally arrived, League Central has crunched the numbers to determine which referee you least want to see come game day.

In conjunction with the Fox Sports Laboratory, we’ve looked at not only every game played over the past two years under the new officiating model — and rules — but also taken into account penalties conceded, players sin binned, tries scored, all of it. So as for the results …

1. MELBOURNE

Competition points: 34

Worst referee: Grant Atkins. Winning ratio: 71%

Probably no surprise to learn Melbourne does fairly well no matter who officiates, although they have dropped two of seven games under Atkins. Special mention also to Ben Cummins, who awards Storm the least penalties per game (3.5), calls the most set restart penalties against them and has previously sin-binned no less than Cam Smith.

Best referee: The reigning premiers have won all eight games under Gerard Sutton, including the 2020 NRL grand final.

Ben Cummins sin bins Cameron Smith during a 2019 finals series against Parramatta. Picture: AAP Image/Scott Barbour

2. PENRITH

Points: 34

Worst referee: Ben Cummins. Winning ratio: 75%

OK, so Cummins may have the lowest numbers but know, out Penrith way, Ashley Klein has long been considered the club’s bogey referee. While the Panthers have won six of seven under his control since the new rules came in, Klein still awards the Panthers fewer penalties (4.3) than any referee who has controlled more than one of their games under the new rules. Also equal highest when it comes to awarding set restarts against the mountain men.

Best referee: Panthers have won all five games officiated by Matt Cecchin, and all four under Adam Gee.

3. SOUTH SYDNEY

Points: 32

Worst referee: Ashley Klein. Winning ratio: 33%

For those of us who love a Charity Shield match in Mudgee, one of the enduring images is Souths prop Sam Burgess towering over Klein after being pinged for a high shot on Dragon Jordan Pereira, screaming: “What’s that for? He’s f … ing five foot.” Sure, it was 2019. But the sentiment remains inside Rabbitohs HQ. In six games under Klein, Souths have won just two. They’re also averaging just 19 points in attack when he officiates, easily their worst under any referee.

Best referee: Ben Cummins. Has controlled six South Sydney games in the past two years, with the Bunnies winning every single one of them.

Adam Reynolds and Ashley Klein lock horns over a refereeing decision. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

4. PARRAMATTA

Points: 28

Worst referee: Gerard Sutton. Winning ratio: 50%

Way back in 2017, when he wanted to make a point about Melbourne Storm wrasslin’ tactics, Eels coach Brad Arthur famously invited Gerard Sutton inside Eels HQ to oversee an opposed session during the playoffs. But this year? Let’s just say another invitation seems unlikely. Especially given that, over the past two winters, the Eels have won just four of eight games under the referee who also blows most penalties against them (3.9 per game) of any official to have overseen more than one of their games.

Best referee: The Eels have won all three games Matt Cecchin has controlled, and six of seven with Ben Cummins.

5. ROOSTERS

Points: 26

Worst referee: Gerard Sutton. Winning ratio: 33%

What’s doing with Gerry and the Roosters? In six games overseen by Sutton, the Roosters have won just two – including last week’s success over Newcastle, which still had a host of Chooks fans, including Aussie cricketer Dave Warner, lighting him up on social media. Of all referees who have controlled more than one Tricolours game, Sutton is the only official with a negative differential.

Best referee: The Roosters are undefeated under Grant Atkins and Ben Cummins, who have controlled five games each over the past two years.

Gerard Sutton has long been considered a bogey referee for the Roosters. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

6. MANLY

Points: 24

Worst referee: Ben Cummins. Winning ratio: 0%

Poor ‘ol Dessie Hasler almost self-combusted in Round 12 when his side lost to Newcastle in a match which Cummins not only binned two Manly players but also awarded his rivals the first nine penalties of the game. “Benny Cummins is a much better referee than that,” the coach said afterwards of a referee who, perhaps thankfully, has so far only controlled two Sea Eagles games under the new model. Cummins also averages 6.5 penalties against the peninsula club that now looks certain to become a finals smokey, the most of any referee who has officiated in more than one of their games.

Best referee: Haven’t lost under Chris Butler and boast a 60% success rate with Ashley Klein.

7. CRONULLA

Points: 18

Worst referee: Gerard Sutton. Winning ratio: 0%

Cronulla are yet to win under the game’s top referee, having dropped both clashes by an average of 39 points — their worst under any official. Elsewhere, the Shire boys have also dropped both games refereed by Chris Butler and four of five games overseen by Ben Cummins.

Best referee: Sharkies have won seven of nine games under Chris Sutton, who they clearly consider the better brother given their winning ratio of almost 78 per cent.

Melbourne star Ryan Papenhuyzen and referee Grant Atkins during the 2021 season opener. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

8. ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA

Points: 18

Worst referee: Adam Gee. Winning ratio: 0%

In a tough couple of years for the Dragsters, there have emerged plenty of contenders for the NRL referee they want to see least as they push for the playoffs. Right now, the Red V has lost all four games under Gee, all three under Ashley Klein and four of six under Grant Atkins for a success rate of just 33 per cent.

Best referee: Dragons have won three of four games under Matt Cecchin.

9. CANBERRA

Points: 18

Worst referee: Ben Cummins. Winning ratio: 33%

Referee Ben Cummins, we now know, went into hiding and battled suicidal thoughts following his famed “six again” call which cruelled Canberra in the 2019 grand final and launched a torrent of vile abuse from fans. Thankfully, the whistleblower has since overcome his demons, and critics, although remains something of a Green Machine mock, with the club having one just once in the three games under his control.

Best referee: The Raiders have won five of six under Chris Sutton (83 per cent), and four of five under Adam Gee (80 per cent).

That moment in the 2019 NRL decider when referee Ben Cummins shows last tackle after waving ‘six again’ for Canberra.

10. GOLD COAST

Points: 16

Worst referee: Adam Gee. Winning ratio: 20%

Justin Holbrook earned his first win as an NRL coach last year under Adam Gee. A win over Wests Tigers, coincidentally, that also doubled as the Titans’ first in 364 days. But as for Gee being their new good luck charm? Um, no. Especially given the Titans have dropped all four games under his control since.

Best referee: Won both games under Peter Gough and two of three with Ashley Klein in charge.

11. NEWCASTLE

Points: 16

Worst referee: Gerard Sutton. Winning ratio: 20%

Way back in 2010, Newcastle CEO Steve Burraston famously branded Gerard Sutton “incompetent” and, wonderfully, that bond between club and whistleblower continues a decade on. Over the past two years, Sutto has officiated in four Knights losses during his five games in charge.

Best referee: Grant Atkins wins this in a canter, having officiated in four wins from his five games for a success rate of 80 per cent. Some feat at a club where no other referee gets above the break-even mark.

Ashley Klein has words with former Rabbitohs star Sam Burgess. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

12. WESTS TIGERS

Points: 14

Worst referee: Ben Cummins. Winning ratio: 0%

In a tough couple of years for Wests Tigers, they have lost all four games under Cummins and all three games Ashley Klein has controlled under the one referee system. Will give the nod to BC however, given he blows twice the penalties against them (5) while awarding roughly half as many set restarts (2.8) as Klein. Elsewhere, the joint-venture franchise has also lost five of seven games controlled by Gerard Sutton.

Best referee: Henry Perenara. The Tigers have won all three games controlled by the New Zealand whistleblower who also played 72 NRL games.

13. NORTH QUEENSLAND

Points: 14

Worst referee: Chris Sutton. Winning ratio: 16%

While North Queensland have dropped all five games under Ben Cummins, plenty of Cowboys fans believe Sutton is their real hoodoo official. In six games controlled by Sutto, the Cows have won only once – and, even then, it was by just a point against the battling Brisbane Broncos in Round 9. Worse, they also average just 11 points in Sutton games, their worst.

Best referee: North Queensland have won two of three games under Ashley Klein.

St George Illawarra prop Paul Vaughan is sent to the sin bin by referee Ben Cummins during Round 11 against Cronulla. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

14. WARRIORS

Points: 12

Worst referee: Matt Cecchin. Winning ratio: 12.5%

When Matt Cecchin initially bade the NRL farewell in 2018, following a series of death threats, the Warriors formed a guard of honour for him. So you have to wonder what the poor old Kiwis make of him returning, and controlling eight Warriors games under the new system — seven of which have been losses.

Best referee: The Warriors have won both games officiated by Henry Perenara, who also played three NRL games with the club after making his debut in 2000.

15. BRISBANE

Points: 10

Worst referee: Grant Atkins. Winning ratio: 0%

Brisbane have lost all five games under Atkins over the past two years while also averaging less than nine points per game in matches under his control, easily their worst. Special mention also for Ashley Klein, who has averaged a whopping 8.5 penalties against Brisbane in the two games he’s controlled, both Broncos losses.

Best referee: The Broncos don’t boast better than 50 per cent with any referee. And even then, it’s one win from two games under Peter Gough.

16. CANTERBURY

Points: 6

Worst referee: Chris Sutton. Winning ratio: 0%

Unsurprisingly, the battling Bulldogs have plenty of contenders. They’ve dropped all five games under Sutton, as many again under Peter Gough and four straight under Ben Cummins. Yet Sutto gets the nod given the Dogs concede a whopping 31 points in games he officiates.

Best referee: Despite getting no love from Chris Sutton, the Dogs do have one win from two games with his brother Gerard, with the 50 per cent rating as good as it gets for them.