Refs influence on the game

[SeaEagleRock8]

How Simon Mannering kept his cool with some of those calls was unbelievable. :-/

I got the feeling when we played the Broncs up there that the NRL had a little word with the refs before the game to tell them of their preference for the Broncs to be in the GF. Tonight, I got the feeling that the refs had a similar chat regarding the Tigers.

With so much money to gain from a highly publicised GF, you'd be very naive to think that the NRL don't have their preferences on who they would like to see match up in the big one.

That's a big call, I really don't think the NRL would instruct referees on who should be winning the grand final. All it would take is one pissed off or moral referee / ex-refereee to come out and say this and the game would be over for ever.

Maybe it wouldn't be a direct instruction but everyone is well aware that the script was supposed to have a "happy" ending, for the NRL. donkeys v Tigpies was always what they wanted.

Some credit to whoever was video ref last night. The pressure to not award Inu's try was immense. Even though the commentators (very reluctantly and with a great, stunned sadness) all agreed they couldn't find anything wrong with it I still expected the red light and one of those Harrigan Monday morning 'sorry we got that one wrong' calls.

HE also tipped the refs that the line drop-out against Warriors in the first half was the wrong call.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Yep the video ref forgot to read the script. I fully expected to see No Try flashed up as it was scrappy enough that they could have fabricated an excuse not to award it.

 

[Brissie Kid]

Ivan Cleary must feel like he is still at Manly.