Iconic referee to retire after over 440 Super League matches

One of the longest-serving referees in Super League will blow the final whistle on their career this weekend as they head into retirement.

That man is Ben Thaler who calls time on his officiating career after an almost 20-year career in Super League, first taking the whistle in the competition back in 2005.

In total, Thaler has officiated 441 Super League matches but his career in total has seen him take charge of over 700 senior games, a figure believed to be second only to the late Fred Lindop.

Thaler has refereed just four Super League games in 2024 but has been the video referee on several occasions as well as officiating in the Championship, Challenge Cup and most recently the League One play-off match between Keighley Cougars and Rochdale Hornets.

He will take to the field one final time this weekend when he officiates the Championship clash between Wakefield Trinity and Doncaster RLFC.

Iconic Super League referee retires

Thaler’s retirement was confirmed by the RFL who released a statement celebrating the 43-year-old’s career and brilliant service to the game.

His career has taken in World Cups, World Club Challenge matches, Challenge Cup Finals and even the Grand Final as well. Whilst he officiated just one Challenge Cup and one Grand Final, both in 2015, he was the video referee on five and ten occasions for those events respectively.

Whilst he will cease to referee, he will continue in his capacity as a video referee.

An RFL statement read: “Ben Thaler will blow the whistle on a long and distinguished refereeing career after this weekend’s Betfred Championship fixture between Wakefield Trinity and Doncaster, to take up a new role with the RFL in the recruitment and development of match officials.

“He is part of an elite group of officials to have refereed at all of the sport’s major events, taking charge of the World Club Challenge between Leeds Rhinos and Melbourne Storm in 2013, the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley and the Grand Final at Old Trafford in 2015, and earning selection by the International Rugby League for the World Cups of 2013, 2017 and 2021.”

What they said as Thaler hangs up the whistle

Tony Sutton, the RFL’s Chief Executive, said: “On behalf the governing body and the wider sport of Rugby League, we thank and congratulate Ben for his refereeing career.

“Officiating in any sport can be as demanding as it is essential. To maintain a position among Rugby League’s leading officials for more than two decades has required physical and mental commitment and resilience.

“I’m delighted that Ben has taken up a new role with the RFL which will allow him to share his vast experience with future generations of match officials, as well as continuing as a video referee – and wish him a successful last game in the middle at Wakefield this Sunday.”

As for Ben Thaler, he said: “I still remember receiving support as a pupil at Normanton Freeston High School in 1994 to do my refereeing course. I’m now Chair of the Governors at the same school, so it must have been a long time ago.

“If you’d said to me then that I’d be retiring as a referee 30 years later, after 20 seasons refereeing in the Super League with so many incredible memories and experiences, working along side some amazing Officials and having refereed some of the best players in the World, I’d have thought you had a very good imagination.

“Refereeing has changed so much in the 24 years since my first professional game [Leigh versus York at Hilton Park in the Northern Ford Premiership – Thaler having outlasted both the ground and the competition].”

Thaler refereed his first Super League game London Broncos versus Leigh at Griffin Park in 2005, and the following year was part of the RFL’s first full-time squad of referees.

“I never anticipated it being a career for me,” he added. “When I started, that wasn’t an option, so I class myself as being very fortunate. After doing a lot of work in the past in recruitment and development of young match officials, I’m looking forward to a new challenge and concentrating on that role, and giving something back to the sport that I have been so lucky to be part of at the highest level for almost 25 years.”