All four match officials from Parramatta’s controversial win over the Warriors will be dropped

All four match officials from Parramatta’s controversial win over New Zealand will be dropped this weekend, meaning Kasey Badger could be the NRL’s second female referee.

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All four match officials involved in Saturday’s game between Parramatta and New Zealand will be relegated after making critical errors, opening the door for Kasey Badger to make her top grade debut.

After meeting with the NRL’s head of football, Graham Annesley, referees boss Bernard Sutton agreed to drop Chris Sutton, assistant referee Chris Butler and touch judges Clayton Sharpe and Adam Cassidy for making ‘critical errors’ that disadvantaged the Warriors in their 24-22 loss at Bankwest Stadium.

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The match was a controversial one. Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images.

“The incidents were on-the-ball incidents that the referees should have been picked up, some of the others, the touches judges were there to assist, and all four officials have been involved in those errors,” Annesley said during his weekly briefing.

“There were critical incidents that did have an impact on the outcome of the game and as a result of that, and discussions I have had with Bernard Sutton this morning, the four officials involved in that game will all be relegated for this coming round 20 of NRL.

“Each of these incidents changes the course of the game, what would have happened had these decisions been ruled correctly we’ll never know, but do they have serious cause for complaint about some of these incidents, yes they do in this case.

“But we had two significant errors by the match officials in relation to stripping incidents that have been costly in the overall context of the game.

The following ‘significant’ incidents were deemed to be errors:

Harris-Tavita was on the end of a wrong decision. Photo: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

PARRAMATTA V NEW ZEALAND

One-on-one strips

There were two one-on-one strip calls that went against the Warriors. Annesley conceded that Chanel Harris-Tavita was incorrectly penalised for a strip that was legal under the rules. The Eels scored in the set directly following that error to level the score 18-all with 34 minutes left on the clock. Then with 13 minutes to go and trailing 24-22, the Warriors should have received a penalty for an illegal strip against winger Gerard Beale.

“These two incidents probably more than any other incident had a significant impact on the outcome of the game,” Annesley said.

Knock on

A knock on in the lead-up to a try to Eels winger Maika Sivo was missed by the video referee. Warriors halfback Blake Green, while trying to make a tackle, taps the ball backwards and it deflects forward off Dylan Brown. The subsequent try should not have been awarded.

“The video referees have only got a limited time to review, this is not an excuse … it’s a minute incident that has a big outcome, we have to acknowledge these things when we have the evidence to demonstrate it,” Annesley said.

No one could be sure of RTA’s pass was forward. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

FORWARD PASS AND HAWK EYE

In the same game, a potentially match-winning try was denied after a pass from Warriors fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was ruled to have floated forward. Annesley, a former referee, said he could not ‘categorically’ determine whether or not it was the right call.

Annesley also said forward pass technology introduced in the future would serve to clear up any conjecture in a situation like the Tuivasa-Sheck pass.

“Take Roger’s try, if we could apply technology to that determines one way or another whether the ball comes out of the hand forwards or backwards, we probably don’t even have that debate,” he said.

Annesley is at least confronting the game’s issues. Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

SIMPLIFYING THE RULES

Annesley confirmed the NRL won’t be making any immediate changes to the one-on-one stripping rule but it will be re-examined at the end of the year.

“I think the players are getting better at, it’s become an art form. But if it’s becoming too difficult to officiate it’s something we will review at the end of the year,” he said.

“The more we can simplify the rules the better but not only simplify but make them easier to officiate. That’s the objective I want to take into the competition committee.”

Kasey Badger cpould be the NRL’s next female referee. Photo: Brett Costello

TUNNEL ALTERCATION

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary is being investigated by the integrity unit after he admitted to interacting with referee Ashley Klein at halftime during his side’s clash against Canberra.

“Approaching officials at halftime is not permitted... we’re trying to get to the extent that Ivan interacted, pointing out that he did interact to a degree, before we decide what action if any is required,” Annesley said.