cover of episode 'I'm sick of the six-to-go': Mark Riddell calls for rule to be abolished

'I'm sick of the six-to-go': Mark Riddell calls for rule to be abolished

Publish Date: 2024/6/30
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The Continuous Call Team

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But the noises are getting louder. I read an article yesterday with Wayne Bennett criticising, maybe not the referees, but the system, and I think it's justified. Ricky Stewart going off yesterday. Piggy, where did you get those glasses from? LAUGHTER

They're different glasses. I haven't noticed that. No, I always wear them for driving, but I'm a little bit tired today, so I kept them on. Okay, carry on. You just stay there. Ricky Stewart being critical yesterday, saying the referees are now guessing when they go for the six agains, and I think there's some truth in that as well. And also Trent Barrett, I see, blowing up at the end of the game with the officiating yesterday. We actually called the Heels-Knights game, and there was a try at a really vital time that was disallowed to Blake Talangi.

late in the game when it was, I don't know who was in front. I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was a seesawing game. And I actually thought it was a try. Gallon thought it was a try. I think Tomo did as well. But they somehow managed to call it a no try, a knock on, which I don't believe it was because I don't think the ball ever left his body. You know, he put it down with his hand and then the ball rolled up his arm, basically up his...

forearm and I thought it was a try but they disallowed it. Someone was, was it you telling me, Greeny, about the explanation for it? I mean, come on. I think time has come where people are losing confidence in the officials and the people making the decisions and I think it won't happen this year but I think at the end of the year we should have another conference and just discuss it all because at the moment it's getting

The noises are just getting louder and louder. You've got to get these... If you've got a bunker, that's what it was brought in for, to get decisions right, and they're not getting them right. Well, I was recently told, Daryl, that the ARL Commission has a proposal in front of them to...

I don't know whether reform is the right way, but to change the way the referees are run. And this is something that I've been banging on about now for a couple of years. And I think there needs to be a complete broom put through the upper echelon of those running the referees. And there's a few of our top referees who aren't as good as they used to be, yet they still get a look in for some of the big games in the competition. Now, look, the first thing I'll say is they've got a very, very difficult job. And without referees, we don't have a game.

But the frustration in and amongst the refereeing ranks, boys, is that a lot of the New South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup officials are not getting a look in because of the so-called boys club that we currently have in the National Rugby League. So we're losing some of the top referees on the fringe of making it to first grade because the bloke in charge rings them up and says, sorry, I haven't got a position for you.

So they go and earn a living being a teacher or being a plumber or being a sparky or doing something else. So the sooner they put the broom through the upper echelon of the refereeing management, the better. You might like to have your say on 131873. Just on it, I don't think there's in any other sport that I can think of where the officials are under more pressure than what they are in rugby league. I don't watch a lot of AFL, but

They don't seem to be under any sort of the pressure that the NRL boys are under. Look, it's a tough job. But at the end of the day, my problem is none of us know what the six agains are for. None of the punters at home have got no idea. You just say, oh, there's a bell six again. What's that for? I'm at a stage now where I don't care. I just say, okay, six again play. Let's see what happens. But I'm getting old, and as I said, I don't care. But there's a lot of people who do care about that. And then when they go to the bunker, you know...

They've got to get it right when they go to the bunker. And I reckon on...

Probably four out of five times they do get it right, but I reckon there's times where they just blatantly get it wrong. Well, remember when they brought it in, Daryl, they brought in the bunker to eliminate the howler. Now it's the bunker, the ones that are coming up with the howler. Well, maybe they need a bunker to look at the bunkers. No more technology. No more technology. Mark Piggy-Riddell, afternoon to you. Yeah, good afternoon, Mark. Good afternoon, Brini, Big Martin, and to our listeners. Yeah, look, it is a frustrating situation, and I actually listened to Sticky's...

press conference and his frustration at those six again calls and then off the back of that Wayne Bennett and what he had to say his was more about the send off and the sin bins and how there's so much difference of opinion between the different referees one week it's a 10 in the bin one week it goes on report one week it's just a penalty and we don't have that continuity I

At the end of the year, is it the competitions committee? Is that the group that looks at it? They have a look at rules. They look at all the rules and everything like that. I am sure, I have no doubt that there'll be some changes in the off-season. I'm sick of the six to go. I was never a fan of it.

to begin with. I never saw the issue with just giving a penalty. Exactly. Just give a penalty. Well, they're trying to fasten the game up and more action in the game. It's fast enough as it is. You know what it is? It's an easy option for them. What about the goal line dropout? That's a ridiculous rule. They've got to get rid of that. You know, the ball doesn't go 10 metres, so they just give the opposition the ball and penalise them. Yeah.

This is a strong start from you. Very hard hitting. Well, if you've got the kahunas to do a short kick out and drop out from the line and a dozen go to 10, well, you pay a penalty. Bad luck. I tend to agree with you. You might like to have your say this afternoon, folks.