Neutral referees a must for RL

IN MOST sports, a record of one win from three games played wouldn’t be good enough to get your team into the semi-finals of a major tournament.

Similarly, few international competitions these days feature a group of officials mainly from one country, applying a set of rules — including, on the evidence of the weekend, the fundamental right to fling the ball at a nearby opponents’ head from close range, should one feel aggrieved for whatever reason — peculiar to that nation.

But fairness was conspicuous by its absence throughout the Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

England were pretty poor all the way through and were lucky that the convoluted set-up granted them passage through to the last four. But at the same time, they were on the end of some particularly rough calls from officials.

Take Danny McGuire’s try against New Zealand in the 32-22 semi-final defeat at the weekend. When Rob Purdham sent the ball over the top of the scrum, the replay clearly showed that the Leeds stand-off set off from a position level with the kicker. Yet while he gave it our way, video referee Phil Cooley felt it necessary to label it as a ‘benefit of the doubt’ decision.

Presumably, Mr Cooley judges that taxes, death and bears doing awful things in the woods are also far from certainties.

When even the decisions that go your way are tainted, what chance have you got?

Papua New Guinea can feel even more aggrieved at the whole thing. In being drawn against the three best sides in the competition, the odds against them were stacked higher than in a game of ‘chase the lady’ on a Bangkok side street. Ireland and Fiji, who brought plenty to the party, were also forced to jump through hoops-a-plenty in order to progress.

There were a few bright spots. But overall, this World Cup was a disappointment.

A debate can now be had as to how England can be more competitive next time.

A kicking game wouldn’t harm matters and a creative scrum-half worthy of the number seven shirt would certainly be a bonus, as would some form defence out wide.

One or two massive strike centres would be great, too, as would a reduction in the number of average foreigners in Super League undoubtedly stifling young talent coming through.

But neutral referees in internationals certainly wouldn’t harm our chances. It simply has to happen, as the current situation of Aussie official dominance is laughable.

Sadly, the RFL can hardly take the high ground on this point, having last year taken the surreal decision to allow referees to take charge of domestic matches involving teams from their home towns. Even Salvador Dali couldn’t make it up.

FORMER England RU hooker Brian Moore is a man who knows his own mind, as proven by his appearance on Question Time last week.

You can tell Moore was raised in Halifax. He pulls fewer punches than a late-night reveller in the loveable Calderdale town, home of Wild West-style nights out that have to be seen to be believed.

“One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome,” he once memorably said while commentating on the BBC.

Following Moore’s logic, those in charge of the calamitous England one-day cricket team should be nudged not-so-gently towards their nearest loony bin, having yesterday once again omitted spinner Monty Panesar from the side in favour of an all-seam attack.

mattchambers@oldham-chronicle.co.uk