Is the NRL competition rigged?

[MANLY4LIFE]

Newsflash : all sport is rigged !!!

 

[47MVEagle]

I dont think its rigged as far as refs going out there intending to make sure one team wins but I think there has been some liberal (& inconsistent) interpretations of rules to ensure close matches to guarantee exciting finishes (& possibly more advertising exposure) via games going into extra time for golden point.

Last night's game was a prime example of the refs being stricter on the Warriors than the Storm when it came to penalising crowding in the play-the-ball area - the penalty in front to equalise for the Storm was ridiculous after the latitude shown to the Storm in the ruck.

 

[Moops]

I would say no. I think there are a bucket load of bad decisions and stupid mistakes but I don’t think you could rig the game without someone blowing the whistle (pun intended).

Look at it this way, the Broncos are a powerful club with more money than the Roosters. Where is their “leg up”? I am sure if there was a thought of corruption, the Broncos would be all over it.

Umm, the NRL has given the Broncos management the important job of constructing the draw...

 

[Rynostradamus]

Absolutely the sport is rigged and has been since greenspray came in. Parra have been penalised 22 times in 6 games this season. It gets better. The conceded 12 in 2 of those games vs coqs (7) and faders (5). They lost both games.

That leaves ten penalties over the remaining 4 games. Yes thats total. So on average in those 4 games its 2.5 against per game. Rounded down it is 1 per half. Absolute agenda from the NRL.

I have started looking into this further. I discovered that instesd of cheat sheets there is a match day referee coach featuring the likes of shayne hayne. I also am struggling to find the ref appointments for all games played this year.

It is very difficult to capture the true nature of referree bias. Their howler calls on knock ons and non calls from refs on plays dont get captured in stats.

The game needs a new leader.

 

[Bearfax]

Unfortunately I believe, maybe subliminally, referees have their favourites and dislikes and it influences how they perform their duties. Watching various refs you can see they lean towards certain teams, or attack others. Whether they are thinking this as they do it, it is more than obvious that it happens. Mind you there are those who maintain Darcy Lawler robbed Western Suburbs of the famous mud bath grand final against St George in 1963, so I guess some things never change. What we need are robots refereeing our games

 

[anthonyb1965]

Where is the Broncos "leg up" ?

You must be joking, right ?

Constant FTA games with 7 day turnarounds, unless its Origin time, then they magically play on a Sunday afternoon to avoid a 2 day turnaround.

Massive TPAs. The Thouroughbreds.

News Ltd owned for years resulting in untold positive press, HQ decisions, etc.

20 year no compete clause after the SL war.

A seemingly complete blind eye by the local press to any misbehaviour by players.

This is before you want to talk about anyt perceived bias on the actual footy field.

How many premierships this century for that HUGE advantage?

 

[Moops]

How many premierships this century for that HUGE advantage?

Well it is hard to account for incompetence- just look at parramatta.

 

[manlyfan76]

Yes it is.

Too many involved in "OUR" game are unaccountable.

 

[Real Deal]

Rigged is probably too strong a word. "Contrived" would describe it. They don't cheat outright but under the cover of smoothing out a game, making some teams more marketable it is definitely contrived. An example of a contrived result from another sport :- years ago i was watching the Bathurst 1000. The guy leading was doing well and would have probably won. The organizers after ignoring thevrule for years decided to give him a pit penalty for not wearing a fireproof Headwear under his helmet. Everyone else did it and had done it for years but at that moment the authorities cracked down. They did not want him to win and found a rule to prosecute him over. Refs are human but how can it be that these rules are not enforced consistently with all the technology at hand.

 

[master blaster]

The 2 top sides, the rorters and the scum and the things they both got away with yesterday tells me who they want again in the GF. I am sorry but favouritism that is shown in the game today, is blatantly obvious to certain teams, and no one questions any of it, and they dont even try and hide it either. Its on show for all to see..

 

[manlywarringah]

The thing is, the NRL can’t hand the game or premiership to someone....a penalty shot at goal might be missed and a penalty giving a team possession may not result in a try but it certainly gives them more opportunities than other teams. It’s a possession based game and if you keep giving the favoured teams the ball, eventually they’ll score.

It’s not just us....many games over the last couple of years have showed some very bodgy one sided refereeing. A game last year between Cronulla and Brisbane showed the broncos on the end of some very favourable calls and it resulted in a tight win at their home ground. It was an important win for the finals chances of Brisbane. I remember an uproar afterwards and the Sharks had every right to feel dudded.

We can all see each week there’s games where the team leading 13+ suddenly doesn’t touch the ball and the penalties just happen to turn completely around and also, the score line. At the moment it just seems some teams (like us) operate under a handicap system whether it be refereeing, scheduling, suspensions, or salary cap penalties.

Matt Cecchin quit last year after being told how to referee....we’ve heard anonymously from retired refs about penalty counts being called “Trent” and having to monitor them during games. And don’t even start me on those bloody “tip sheets” telling refs who to penalise and what for before the games have even started.

I long for the day when the NRL just tell refs forget about everything anyone has ever told you and just go out and ref what is in front of you.

How refreshing would that be?

 

[mickqld]

Very easy to contrive a game without blowing one sided penalties. It all depends on ruck speed, offside defences and where on the field you get those penalties. The teams are all fairly close so it doesn't take much to influence a games outcome.

 

[eagerbeaver]

Don’t think the game is rigged or corrupt, however there are far too many instances of certain clubs getting preferential treatment.
Last night was a joke, but it was a 50/50 call. These are the calls that seem to always go to clubs like Melb, Broncs.

To me that's the same thing - corrupt - a 'governing' body giving preferential treatment to certain clubs over others.

 

[Tomay]

While the CEOs performance is measured by the games profitability the integrity of the competition will always be at risk. It may not be this CEO, but there is a definite incentive to appeal to certain markets, push certain teams and keep certain influential alliances.

To reinstate the integrity of the competition, the game needs to establish clear fairness guidelines based on fan engagement, not corporate appeal. If they do this I am confident the game will once again stand for itself, the product will be superior and the rest will fall into place. Not sure if it’s possible under the current model though.

 

[HoldenV8]

Tigers didn't read the script last weekend, obviously.

Sometimes even the referees couldn't help a team having a really bad day while their opponents have one of those games where just about everything they touch turns to gold. That's exactly what happened last Monday.

 

[KOMORI]

“Consistency is overrated” - Todd Greenberg.

That’ll do me.

 

[The Bagman]

I just wonder how much more credit players like Menzies, Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, DCE, Matai, Lyon etc would have received had they played with the Storm or Broncos?!

The commentators and NRL would all have pissed in their pockets if they played for those clubs, given them testimonials years before they retired, taken Snake and Matai's contracts off the salary cap when they couldn't play any more, but the NRL does not appear to enjoy it when Manly has success.

 

[Ryan]

End and flows guys. Anyone remember at Brooky in 2017, when Akuila Uate clearly dropped the ball over the line, but they have us the try anyway.

Clunkers happen. It's not a conspiracy theory. We just aren't that great at the moment, and The Chooks for example, are.

 

[yokahontas]

This is what I have found most glaring this year. I’ve been mixing it up with the TV and the wireless (AndrewMoore) for some games this year. The difference in opinion, and calling the shots, it’s beyond a different opinion, it’s like a whole new game. They barely made the replay of the Smith rort penalty on Fox. It’s obvious the directive has been passed onto the TV producers to make as little fuss as possible. Does anyone not think it strange that only a few weeks ago, Brandy blew up deluxe, and called for Munro to miss the next week. Fast forward to last night and he couldn’t work out who’s pocket to piiss in the most, the refs, or referee Smith. He was as quiet as a church mouse on that two point penalty, when every man and his dog could see SCam pulled it out of his filthy grubby playbook techniques 101.

The failure to show replays, and ignoring of blatant fouls/discrepancies has been going on for years. There are certain camera angles barely used anymore, and it’s not because of technological advances - suspiciously, it’s the wider angles that give you an indicator of onside/offside. Everything’s zoomed right in on the ruck so you can’t tell if the defence are actually repeatedly inside the 10 - you can only guess because no human covers ground that quickly. And that’s been the case for at least 5 years.

 

[wombatgc]

The failure to show replays, and ignoring of blatant fouls/discrepancies has been going on for years. There are certain camera angles barely used anymore, and it’s not because of technological advances - suspiciously, it’s the wider angles that give you an indicator of onside/offside. Everything’s zoomed right in on the ruck so you can’t tell if the defence are actually repeatedly inside the 10 - you can only guess because no human covers ground that quickly. And that’s been the case for at least 5 years.

A mate was only talking about this the other night. Remembering the days when you had that wide angle shot, and it made it clear as day when a player/s were offside. Didn’t necessarily mean the ref would call it, but at least you had some justification when hurling the remote at the TV.