“GET ’em on side ref!” has become a calling cry for a new generation of league fans.
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Group 16 league referees are used to the regular niggles of enthusiastic fans.
But in the wake of Andrew Fifita’s threatening outburst, the NRL is taking a tougher stance on increasing personal insults and threats levelled at refs.
Sydney leagues will trial junior refs wearing shoulder-mounted cameras to deter abuse after Fifita allegedly threatened to “smash” a young ref.
The program received initial support from local referees.
Tathra-based ref Shannon Shepherdson, 18, said he felt the use of cameras had potential.
“Everyone is sort of used to copping the ol' get em on side ref calls,” Shepherdson said.
“But when the attacks are personal or aggressive, no-one really likes that.
“[The use of cameras] would cut a lot of it out and you wouldn’t cop as much abuse.”
Eden ref Neil Baker backed up Shepherdson’s comments, but said it would be more beneficial to equip ground managers with the cameras.
“You don’t really see it unless you’re actually looking at the crowd and down here it should be more a ground manager’s role,” Baker said.
He said refs did cop a lot of flak on the field and sometimes it was on a personal level.
“But if anything does happen you just blow the whistle and stop the game until it gets resolved,” he said.
Insults and abuse are increasingly coming from the crowd rather than the players on the ground.
Players will often give refs a serve on the field, but Shepherdson said it was “heat of the moment comments” and they were easy to let go.
However, harsh calls from the crowd were a little harder to deal with.
Baker has an extensive playing career with the Eden Tigers and has played against a large number of the players.
“It’s not too bad on the field – I’ve played against most of the players I’m reffing so we have respect for each other,” Baker said.
Unfortunately, abuse from fans has started causing a trend in referees to quit the sport.
Baker said there hadn’t been any locals giving up the job, but 500 refs nationally called it a day last year.
Of those, an alarming number were younger referees.
“It’s not happening so much down here, but it is happening,” Baker said.
“You need the young blokes in to provide a future for refereeing.”
However, the use of cameras provides potential for more security.
“If they [young refs] felt more protected, I definitely think we could keep them in the game,” Shepherson said.
The now 18-year-old has been reffing in Group 16 since he was 14.
No one could deny he’s talented too, he was invited to ref a national carnival at just 16 years old.
He said as he had grown older he noticed a bit more abuse coming his way.
“I do think it is getting worse,” he said.
“I’m not sure if it is just because people are getting to know me.
“I could start out there in the first two minutes and I could be getting abused for something that happened in a game a year ago.”
The calls are not necessarily targeted as both refs agree every official cops it.
“It is all of us that cop it and sometimes the touch judges even moreso,” Shepherdson said.
Baker agreed saying: “I think it’s across the board - it doesn’t matter who you are.”
Cameras are not planned to be introduced into Group 16, but there is merit in the program.
“You might make the wrong call and cop the abuse for it - you're never going to please everyone,” Shepherdson said.
“But at least with a camera, you’ve got that kind of protection and can just get on with the job.”
Baker encouraged footy-goers to just enjoy the match.
“At the end of the day it is just a game and people should just get back to enjoying it,” he said.
