Referees making rugby a lottery - Henry

BY MARC HINTON

Rugby's referees have received a working over from All Blacks coach Graham Henry, but he does have what appears to be a worthy plan to address a significant problem in the game.

Henry took a hefty swipe at the standard of officiating in top-level rugby when he fronted a conference call with New Zealand media today. He said that, rather than the much talked-about Experimental Law Variations, was the chief problem being faced by the game.

The All Blacks coach spent a long period in a wide-ranging discussion with journalists addressing, first, the problems he believed existed and, then, the solution he saw as the best way forward. He has already taken his views to the International Rugby Board.

The topic came up when Henry opened with a general overview on the Super 14 in which he said "generally speaking the better games are probably being refereed by the better refs".

This led to a query whether rugby had a problem with is officiating.

"Everyone involved in the game needs to work hard on trying to improve the standard of the officials," he said. "Some of those games have become a bit of a lottery which is disappointing. So there's a bit of work to be done in that area.

"I look at games around the world and quite often the referees I believe are the best often produce the best product for viewers. That's pretty important.

"So if we can increase our ability in this area, increase the product that's produced, the fans will be happy about that."

The other side of the equation didn't need to be said. The less experienced referees were struggling to control the game to an adequate standard.

Henry said it was "the usual places" that were providing the chief issues.

He highlighted the scrum: "Too many resets. Head and shoulders above hips and being square at scrum time solves a lot of problems. People binding correctly solves a lot of problems".

And the breakdown: "It's making sure they get on their feet before they play the ball if they're the tackler or those arriving stay on their feet."

Henry said it was too simplistic for critics to simply blame the IRB's ELVs as the root of all evil in the game.

"I think we hide behind the laws quite a bit rather than trying to work hard in trying to improve the officiating," he said. "If we can improve the people with the whistle and those assisting them we'll get a better game.

"The whole idea for law change was to make the game more simplistic, make it easy to referee. That's the whole motivation."

Henry didn't think the Super 14's new merit-based appointment system was adding to the problem, but he was willing to offer his view on a solution.

He believed the IRB needed to convene an international panel of about 10 referees "who should be together under one coach, and their progress developed by that coach and that group of people so they're only answerable to one boss.

"I think that would help. It would produce consistency of performance, and it would also produce competition amongst referees to get better."

Henry wasn't finished with his masterplan. He reckons assistant referees - touch-judges, in the old money - should only fill that role at international level, and not flit between carrying the flag and the whistle between internationals. That allowed specialisation of roles and reduced "competition" between match officials.

"And maybe they have teams, where a referee and his two assistants work together for internationals. I think that would produce the ability to work together, better understand each other and build a relationship. That would improve the officiating of the game."

Henry said everybody in rugby needed to get on the same page to improve officiating, though he said other than passing his ideas on to IRB referees boss Paddy O'Brien he had no idea if they would be taken up.

"I guess there's a few little hills to climb, because these people would have to live in a particular area of the world for a certain period of time so they were all together getting tuition and improving their performance.

"Those complications don't make it easy, but for officiating to be the best it can be you need to make some sacrifices."

Henry hoped people wouldn't perceive him as trying to imprint his ideas on to the game.

"It's all very well criticising, but you need a solution," said Henry. "I think people working together would help that. I think coaches working with referees would help that, and also players understanding their need for discipline in the game. If we all work together we can improve it.

"It is a difficult game to referee and I think everybody understands that. We just need to push the boat out a bit so we can help the problem, and that involves getting guys better at their job."

What do you think of Graham Henry's solutions to rugby's officiating problems? Post your comments below.

 

 

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