State of Origin 2021: Bernard Sutton steps down as Maroons consultant

While former refs boss Bernard Sutton feared his brother Gerard would be sacked as Origin referee if he stayed as a consultant to the Maroons, Queensland coach Paul Green has taken a swipe at the NRL.

Former referees boss Bernard Sutton. Picture: Brett Costello

Queensland coach Paul Green has blasted the NRL after former referees boss Bernard Sutton quit Camp Maroon due to a perceived conflict of interest.

Sutton has stepped down from his role as a consultant to the Queensland team given his brother Gerard Sutton will referee State of Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

Green brought Bernard, who departed his role as NRL referees boss in October last year, into Camp Maroon in the days leading up to Game One of the series in Townsville on June 9.

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The Blues had former leading referee Gavin Badger involved in their camp in a similar consultancy role.

Bernard was with the Maroons on game day wearing official team apparel as Queensland went on to suffer a record 50-6 loss to NSW.

Former referees boss Bernard Sutton was a consultant for the Maroons in Game I. Picture: Brett Costello

Gerard Sutton refereed the game and there is no suggestion of bias. He has been selected to officiate his 21st consecutive Origin game on Sunday.

However the NRL was unaware of Bernard’s role with the Queensland team and he has since quit the post after speaking to NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.

A furious Green questioned why Bernard shouldn’t be allowed to work with the Maroons given he is not employed by the NRL.

“Are they questioning his integrity? Are they saying if his brother helps us, does that mean Gerard will ref differently?” he said.

“How isn’t this unfair? I can’t believe how the NRL has managed this. To actually ring a person and say if you continue to work for Queensland, your brother won’t get the job.

“You can’t say that. That questions his integrity straight away.

“I wanted him in camp because we just wanted a ref’s interpretation of how the ruck was going to be managed. I just wanted some help around the communication with the refs and when they make calls, what do they expect from us etc.

“We had Bernie in camp just to help us from that point of view.

“Bernard doesn’t work for the NRL anymore, so why do we have to disclose that? I didn’t disclose that Gavin Allen is our team manager and that Cliff Mallett is working with us, why should we have to? There’s no conflict of interest.

Gerard Sutton will referee Origin II on Sunday night. Picture: Getty Images

“Bernard works outside the NRL. Just because his brother is a ref, are they suggesting Gerard will ref differently (if Bernard is involved with the Maroons)?”

Bernard, whose primary employer is Racing NSW, also holds a consultancy role with the Melbourne Storm, which has not attracted interest from the NRL.

In his first interview since stepping aside, Sutton revealed he made the decision to contact Abdo on Monday to discuss potential issues around his role with the Maroons.

“I initiated contact with Andrew (Abdo),” Sutton said. “I’d read some of his comments before game one. I asked him what the implications were of me being involved with the Maroons.

“He was very clear that he wasn’t telling me what I can or can’t do.

“However he did express the NRL had concerns about the perception it can create.

“He said that would need to be a consideration for the appointments committee.

“I knew if I decided to continue it could go against Gerard being appointed. It could have cost him the role. It’s his primary employment and it’s a secondary role for me.”

Maroons coach Paul Green was unhappy about losing consultant Bernard Sutton. Picture: Getty Images

Abdo said it was important for there to be no perceived conflicts of interest around the game’s showpiece event.

“Bernard Sutton has decided not to consult to the Queensland team while his brother is refereeing Origin,” he said.

“Gerry Sutton did an outstanding job officiating Game I. There’s certainly no complaints about his performance or any suggestion that Bernard’s role impacted his refereeing. They are both respected professionals.

“That said, I think Bernard has done the right thing in removing any potential perceived conflict and I commend him for that.

“It’s not uncommon for former referees to play a consulting role with Origin squads but I understand the concerns some people may have when one of the consultants is the referee’s brother. We weren’t aware of that prior to Game I.”

Bernard Sutton explained his role in Origin I.

“I was a technical consultant,” he said. “Simple as that. I was just educating them around what they can and can’t do around the ruck area, trying to reduce the six-again calls.

“Same as I do for Melbourne Storm … how do we not concede six-agains.”