Best change to the video ref in years
Alright so we’re only one game in so there is no use getting too cocky just yet, but if last night’s game is anything to go by, the new video ref system of awarding tries and having them checked in the background is the best change to the officiating to the game in a long time.
It didn’t go unnoticed in the Charity Shield, but last night was the first time it was used in an official NRL game.
All 7 tries were awarded on the spot, with all of them correctly awarded as such. The Bunker was used…we just didn’t know about it.
No “Let’s check that lead runner for obstruction”.
Not once did the touchie say “Unsure about the touchline…better check it”.
And we didn’t have the ref standing dead in front of a grounding with an unobstructed view, sending it upsatirs with “Look I’m 99% certain it’s a try but check everything”.
We just got on with it.
And it’s not like every try was clear cut.
Olam’s try in the 10th minute, or Johnston’s in the 33rd would have been checked for obstruction last year. Papi’s in the 30th for grounding as well.
But it was all quietly checked in the background and play on was called.
Even better that we didn’t have the commentators lament at the time it took for the referees to make their call, influencing what the average punter thinks about the decision.
We just got on with the game and what was happening next in a brilliant game of footy. Let’s hope it continues.
– Uncle Roasty
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