Two robotic - why top referee is happy to go it alone

The NRL season in Australia began under the two-referees system, which was introduced in 2009, but resumed last weekend with only one man in the middle.

That brought the NRL back into line with international rules and the club game elsewhere in the world - and Thaler insists it is a superior method.

“I am not a fan of two refs,” said the 38-year-old, from Wakefield, who has been a grade one official since 2001.

“I don’t think it works and good on them for going back to one referee.

“I think two referees is far too robotic and I think there’s a lack of consistency in the way things are done.”

Super League had been considering moving to a two refs system in 2020, but the idea was dropped 15 months ago.

Thaler said: “A lot of Super League coaches come from the NRL and there’s been no massive push from them for two referees.

“The fact the Aussies are going back to one shows we were right not to go down that line.

“International is one referee as well.

“One ref shows people have the skill to referee on their own.

“The only thing another referee helps with is having another pair of eyes on the field, it does not quicken it up.”

Despite having played two rounds before the Covid-19 shutdown, the NRL has restarted with a new law allowing referees to restart the tackle count, rather than awarding a penalty, for infringements around the ruck.

Of that innovation, Thaler said: “They were only two weeks into their competition and we are seven.

“It would be a massive change to bring in a quarter of the way through the season. Players and officials have got to get used to it.

“We can’t just copy what they do, but what we can do is see if it works and if it does I am sure the laws committee will see if it’s worthy of bringing in over here.

“It is like a free trial for us - we can watch it and see what it’s like.”

Meanwhile, Thaler has praised the Rugby Football League (RFL) for the way referees have been treated since rugby league in this country was suspended in March.

All full-time officials have been placed on furlough until the end of June, but Thaler insisted: “I think we are in a strong position because of the way the RFL has communicated with us, led by [head of match officials] Steve Ganson.

“We have meetings online, to say what our thoughts have been on things.

“When anything comes out Gans gets in touch.

Sometimes, in the past, I think nobody has actually said ‘what do the refs think?’, but in fairness they have.

“Gans has represented us on that and made sure we are kept in the loop.

“We’ve been told we’ll be made aware prior to anything going out what the RFL stance is on things and we will be consulted.

“All the RFL staff have been consulted, and part-time match officials as well as full-time ones. There’s nine full-time officials so they will need some part-time ones as well to make sure games go ahead.”

Thaler - who was cleared of wrong doing after being suspended early in the season - expects referees to work in teams when they return, to avoid them all having to isolate if one tests positive for coronavirus.

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