The NRL is adamant State of Origin will be officiated in the same way as club football, slamming suggestions that referees are given different instructions for the marquee matches as “completely false.”
This interstate series, starting in Sydney on Wednesday, will be the first played under new rules introduced this season, which include an expanded bench and the awarding of set restarts for infringements outside the attacking team’s 20 metres, which were previously only given outside the 40 metres.
Traditionally, the penalty count is lower during Origin, which has led to a suspicion that referees have been ordered to be more lenient when it comes to applying the rules.
This year, though, following a marked increase in six-agains throughout the regular season, speculation has raged over whether Origin refs will award set-restarts with the same frequency as in club games – thereby increasing the likelihood of a high-scoring, attack-focussed contest.
After naming his Blues team for Origin I, NSW coach Laurie Daley said he wasn’t sure to expect from the whistleblowers on Wednesday night at Accor Stadium.
“I don’t know how it’s going to be refereed,” Daley conceded.
However, NRL head of football Graham Annesley said the rules for Origin – and how they are interpreted – are the same as for club matches.
“Any suggestion that referees are given different instructions for Origin is completely false, they simply respond to what unfolds in front of them,” Annesley told this masthead.
“Origin features some of the best players from across the competition on the field at the same time. They are not only the best players, but generally, they are also those that play with the most discipline.
“That’s what makes them so good, they are not constantly making errors or conceding penalties. When you put those factors together, it requires less intervention from referees.
“Referees only need to intervene when teams aren’t complying with the rules or where there are a lot of errors being made, whether it be knock-ons, forward passes, or any other form of ill-discipline that requires more whistleblowing.”
Asked about set restarts, Annesley said: “That again depends on levels of compliance, the referees don’t go looking for them. If teams comply with the rules, the referee doesn’t need to intervene.”
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, speaking after his team’s loss to the Dolphins on Friday, said he was “confused” about how the game is being officiated.
“… The game has interpretations and rules, and we’re in a position at the moment where we’re picking and choosing when we apply them, and it’s a very frustrating situation for those who are involved as players and coaches,” Stuart said. “In all the years I’ve been involved in the game as a coach, I’ve never been so confused.”
Stuart’s comments come after Storm stars Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster conceded they were watching fewer matches because of the way the game is now played.
“It’ll probably be a bit of a guessing game because the competition has shown one thing, Origin might show another,” Blues forward Cameron Murray said on Saturday.
“So I’m not sure if the Origin is going to be similar to the regular NRL season or the same old Origin that we all know it can be. I guess you can overthink it a little bit if you try to think about those types of things …
“The teams and the players that can adapt the best, leave the excuses on the sidelines and just do their best on the field are the players and the teams that are going to be successful.”
NSW bench hooker Blayke Brailey was uncertain what style of play to expect in his Origin debut.
“I’m not too sure,” he said. “You can’t really control those referee decisions and calls, and you’ve got to get on with the job. But I don’t know how it’ll be refereed. I’m sure the coaching staff maybe have a bit more of an insight and they’ll let us know.
“We can only control what we can control and that’s putting our best foot forward and performing whatever comes our way.”
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