Super League pundit Jon Wilkin is backing the introduction of a video referee shot clock after last weekend’s lengthy stoppages.
It’s something Serious About Rugby League made a case for earlier this week, with decisions dragging on for minutes at a time. With on-field officials seeming to send more games upstairs and the video referee taking their time to come to a verdict, matches have regularly been surpassing the two hour mark this season.
Wilkin pointed to Abbas Miski’s try against Hull FC on Sunday as a prime example of how ‘painful’ the process has become, with Ben Thaler taking four minutes to reach a decision on whether the Wigan Warriors man had touched the ball down. That delay drew a chorus of boos and a slow clap from those inside the MKM Stadium, who grew increasingly frustrated as the game wore on.
It’s clear something needs to be done then, and Wilkin believes a timer might just be the solution to cut down on the sheer amount of time spent waiting around at Super League games.
Super League pundit on the need for video referee shot clock
“Referees can make a decision on the pitch, they’re allowed to give a decision but it feels like every instance that there’s any shadow of doubt, they go to check and it lacks confidence from the officials to make a call,” Wilkin said on Sky Sports’ Rugby League Verdict.
“Everybody in live sport wants referees to be bold enough to make calls. There’s almost a feeling in the game that you’d be more accepting of referees making a call and maybe getting it wrong. We’re getting a situation now where they’re looking at the grounding of a try three times.
“The first angle quite often shows it’s been scored, then they check another angle, I don’t know what they’re checking for, it’s such a waste of time. It’s like a syringe that sucks the atmosphere out of the stadium and people in the stadium don’t know what’s going on.
“Even off the back of that, they’re still getting it wrong, there’s mistakes being made after looking at something five or six times.
“The Abbas Miski try for Wigan against Hull was painful. It’s such a painful process to watch and for TV viewers tuning in, do they want to see three minutes of governance, which is what it is, referees justifying their decision? It’s not entertainment and they’re not trained to do that on TV, so just get it out of the game.
“I like the video ref but let’s put a clock on it and make them have to make a decision quickly and stop looking at so many angles just to prove you’re right. It’s boring.
“This season has been exceptional, the entertainment has delivered. Let’s not just review everything. Matty Peet, the Wigan coach, has called it out and I’m calling it out. It’s not a good look for the game.”
