Quote Fergus="Fergus"I think I might have said this a few times.......these blokes who are officiating would never or have been any form of any elite athlete. =#FF0040They are just the blokes who were the last to be picked when it came to picking sides.
This game is played at an electrifying speed that in all honesty we can't imagine. Lots of us have of course played team sports but this level is really far beyond our comprehension.
=#FF0040Just watching Hicks run is funny enough - feet splayed, waddling gait and miles off the the slowest player on the pitch, but apart from that these referees need the same visual awareness, instinctive decision making and acute peripheral vision that the players have got - and thats it they aint got it.
The RFL MUST make some sort of effort to develop and encourage former professionals =#FF0040or young lads who haven't quite made the grade to think about taking the whistle up - blokes who have played and understand the game....and who are not intimidated by tough hard men and these refs clearly are.'"
Seems a bit contradictory this post! these youngsters' who you are in effect calling them the dregs (for the want of a better expression) only get picked to make up the sides simply because they are not good enough, but then later in your post you are openly encouraging these same young lads' who in your words haven't quite made it, to take up the whistle. Maybe it's because these young lads realise that they don't quite have what it takes to be an elite athlete, and in an attempt to stay involved in the game they love turn to the whistle.
Robert Hicks is far from a favourite of mine too, but as funny as he might look when running to say that he cannot keep up with the slowest player on the field is perhaps somewhat exaggerated to suit your point.
Is there any wonder there is a shortage of officials' when as you allude to our refs being surrounded by 4 or 5 tough hard men trying to intimidate you, surely unless your really dedicated there must be an easier way to earn your money, just a thought on that matter maybe it would help if the RFL supported them more by giving out harsher penalties for these intimidatery tactics.