Umpire farce - Getting worse by the minute! | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Umpire farce - Getting worse by the minute!

Harry

Tiger Legend
Mar 2, 2003
24,445
11,836
Sure you can. Rugby Union, a game of tackling, has some very strict rules about tackling, when you can join, when you can't, what direction you can join a tackle from, when you must release a tackle and start again etc etc.

Might not be easy at first, but eventually to has to be easier to watch and enjoy the game than it is today.
Rugby union has a defensive wall set up and possession has to go backwards. It's a slow moving game and the ref is usually right at the contest. AFL is a 360 degrees game and is much much quicker. If you concede possession in a centre clearance it can quickly result in a goal.

The umps just have to get better at paying the free kicks when they are actually there. And stop reaming us all the time. Not that hard.
 
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DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,523
17,874
Melbourne
I just can't see how the huge difference can be justified. You can maintain that one team plays a little closer to the edge of the rules than another team, but the difference is just too big to be explained.

Are Richmond players really that much worse than all the other players? I think not. This is a professional sport, all teams play close to the edge of conceding free kicks. In any case, why don't they concede them to Richmond?

But even more, the number of frees we receive is far lower than other teams, and this is mainly determined by how other teams play. Yet, for some reason we receive less free kicks playing the very same teams with the very same players. Week after week you see teams concede frees, then they play us and suddenly concede less frees. It makes no sense, what is the cause? Do we stage less? Although I would like to think so, I doubt it, so why do we consistently get less frees?

It looks like this:

All Teams Frees For to R13 2021.jpg

That's not the way we play, that's how other teams play - they are angels whenever we play them.

So what about frees against?

All Teams Frees Against to R13 2021.jpg

Oh, crap, we are devils whenever we play.

I have highlighted the lowest frees for and highest frees against in each graph, lo and behold, it's Richmond both times.

Lowest number of frees for per game, highest number of frees against per game.

Coincidence? Who knows.

If we conceded more frees per game you could understand it if we play a particularly rough style of football, but I don't think there is such a great difference between the way clubs play.

But the fact we get less frees per game than any other side, which is largely determined by the way our opponents play, means there is something going on.

DS
 
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Butch67

Tiger Rookie
Mar 31, 2014
401
643
Our tackle numbers always seem higher then the opposition and i believe the tackle numbers are net of illegal ones i.e high so how is it explained that we average less HTB decisions?
 

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,523
17,874
Melbourne
Our tackle numbers always seem higher then the opposition and i believe the tackle numbers are net of illegal ones i.e high so how is it explained that we average less HTB decisions?

Not really, Richmond's tackle numbers for 2021 are below Essendon, Gold Coast, Melbourne, StKilda and Sydney. I'm not compensating for games played either as some of the other teams would have played 12 games and we have played 13. Also, Essendon have the lowest free kicks against per game.

DS
 

Baloo

Delisted Free Agent
Nov 8, 2005
44,113
18,923
Maybe we're just too bloody fast and good at tackling. We're so fast we're always triggering No Prior and we're so good and lock the ball and opponent up that they can't do a thing with it.
 

KnightersRevenge

Baby Knighters is 7!! WTF??
Aug 21, 2007
6,782
1,222
Ireland
Sure you can. Rugby Union, a game of tackling, has some very strict rules about tackling, when you can join, when you can't, what direction you can join a tackle from, when you must release a tackle and start again etc etc.

Might not be easy at first, but eventually to has to be easier to watch and enjoy the game than it is today.

I've always liked the "third man in" rule from "league". Only 2 players in a tackle. Stops mauls from forming. Helps the ump adjudicate as it is easier to see if the player is making "a genuine attempt".
 

Brodders17

Tiger Legend
Mar 21, 2008
17,661
11,699
I've always liked the "third man in" rule from "league". Only 2 players in a tackle. Stops mauls from forming. Helps the ump adjudicate as it is easier to see if the player is making "a genuine attempt".
one simple solution would be to pay a free (maybe holding the man) when a team mate of the player with the ball joins in the tackle by tackling a tackler. happens all the time, and is only done to try to discourage holding the ball being paid.
 
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The Mole

Tiger Champion
Apr 1, 2003
2,883
3,053
one simple solution would be to pay a free (maybe holding the man) when a team mate of the player with the ball joins in the tackle by tackling a tackler. happens all the time, and is only done to try to discourage holding the ball being paid.
I like that idea Brodders. I also think the tackler that comes in and drags the ball under the tackled player should be free kicked for holding the ball.
 
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frickenel

Tiger Champion
Jul 30, 2003
2,628
1,886
Hidden Valley
You hear the excuse about us playing on the edge etc etc bla bla blaaaaaaa, but when a team like say Brisbane "take it up to us physically", or bully the bully as the dopey commentators like to claim, then what happens: Brisbane 28 frees Richnond 16 Frees.

Or when Sydney physically bullied us Sydney 25 Frees Richmond 15 Frees

Or when the Demons physically bullied us Melboune 24 Frees Richmnod 17 Frees.

It's pretty easy to bully a side when the other side isn't allowed to make any contact what so ever, yet players like say Pickett can get a a round arm well after he's got rid of the ball, no free, but then gets rubbed out for a lesser action performed only seconds later.

It honestly gets really hard to watch this crap sometimes. I've got a 70 inch TV and i don't have my phone next to me when watching the footy, because there is a real risk i'll end up with it embedded in the middle of the screed (or slightly off centre depending on my throwing arm on the day)!

I guess the good thing if i did is that i wouldn't have to sit through shows like Greys Anatomy or Homeland which my girl friend loves, the bad side is no meow meow for me!
 
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Harry

Tiger Legend
Mar 2, 2003
24,445
11,836
You hear the excuse about us playing on the edge etc etc bla bla blaaaaaaa, but when a team like say Brisbane "take it up to us physically", or bully the bully as the dopey commentators like to claim, then what happens: Brisbane 28 frees Richnond 16 Frees.

Or when Sydney physically bullied us Sydney 25 Frees Richmond 15 Frees

Or when the Demons physically bullied us Melboune 24 Frees Richmnod 17 Frees.

It's pretty easy to bully a side when the other side isn't allowed to make any contact what so ever, yet players like say Pickett can get a a round arm well after he's got rid of the ball, no free, but then gets rubbed out for a lesser action performed only seconds later.

It honestly gets really hard to watch this crap sometimes. I've got a 70 inch TV and i don't have my phone next to me when watching the footy, because there is a real risk i'll end up with it embedded in the middle of the screed (or slightly off centre depending on my throwing arm on the day)!

I guess the good thing if i did is that i wouldn't have to sit through shows like Greys Anatomy or Homeland which my girl friend loves, the bad side is no meow meow for me!
and this is the thing - no doubt the bs commentary of us portrayed as the bullies and aggressors seeps into the little brains of the umps which influences their decisions. We then fly to Perth and their little brains are again influenced by the constant moaning and bitching and booing of the whinge coast eagles fans.
 
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frickenel

Tiger Champion
Jul 30, 2003
2,628
1,886
Hidden Valley
and this is the thing - no doubt the bs commentary of us portrayed as the bullies and aggressors seeps into the little brains of the umps which influences their decisions. We then fly to Perth and their little brains are again influenced by the constant moaning and bitching and booing of the whinge coast eagles fans.
But this is the exact point Harry.

You can't put any litle thing into their pea sized brain without over loading it. Look at the hands in the back rule when it first came in. We all knew what it was for, but then you see these imps umpiring it totally against the spirit of the game.

Same goes with the sliding rule where legs were getting broken when players slid in legs first ala Adam Goodes, no courage and with no regard for the safety of the other player. Yet once that rule is brought in, a player might not even be the one moving, as an opponent comes in over zealously and goes over the top of them, earning a free kick for apparently having his legs taken out.

I heard Hayden Kenndy being interviewed during the week and he was asked if there was an instruction given in the lead up to last weeks games for the 'dangerous tackle' rule. He said there is no instruction to adjudicate it differently, but during the week they will show videos of such things to keep these rules fresh in the umpires minds.

So what do the silly lillte ex-library monitors go out and do? They go out and pay stupid free kicks like the one against Pickett 10m from goal at a vital stage of the game! Instead of holding the ball and getting a clearing kick out of defence, the opposition have a shot from barely 10m out!

That's what happens when anything is highlighted to these morons. It over loads their barely functioning grey matter snd the "danger danger Wil Robinson" alarm starts going off! and they spit out idiotic decisions like we saw last weekend.
 
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Baloo

Delisted Free Agent
Nov 8, 2005
44,113
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I heard Hayden Kenndy being interviewed during the week and he was asked if there was an instruction given in the lead up to last weeks games for the 'dangerous tackle' rule. He said there is no instruction to adjudicate it differently, but during the week they will show videos of such things to keep these rules fresh in the umpires minds.

You'd hope they are very stringent and ensuring all the videos and examples are evenly spread among all teams. Hate to think there's a a small subset of teams that are portrayed as infringing and being shown to the Umps every week.
 

frickenel

Tiger Champion
Jul 30, 2003
2,628
1,886
Hidden Valley
You'd hope they are very stringent and ensuring all the videos and examples are evenly spread among all teams. Hate to think there's a a small subset of teams that are portrayed as infringing and being shown to the Umps every week.
Me thinks they all walk out of those videos thinking they're Frederick Courtney Selous or Lord George Curzon going on a tiger hunt with their Holland and Holland personalised rifles.