Super League star calls for video referee change

Hull FC star Josh Griffin has called for the video referee rule to change.

For around a decade now when an official has been unsure about a decision, they have referred the decision to the video referee whilst also giving their own opinion of the incident either sending it up as a try or no try.

It is then up to the video referee to find sufficient evidence to over turn the on field decision.

This means that if a call is 50/50 but is sent up as a try and the video referee can’t find the evidence to overturn, it won’t be.

For example, if a ball appears to be grounded based on the movement of those involved in the tackle but no camera has captured the moment and it was sent up as a no try then it must remain a no try.

We did see an example of a decision overturned yesterday when Marcus Griffiths overturned Liam Moore’s no try verdict on Mitchell Pearce’s try against Leeds Rhinos as Griffiths deemed there was no double movement believing that there was momentum.

However, now Griffin has called for this to change moving forward.

This is perhaps because of one inherent problem with this method: if the referee is unsure he still has to make a decision which could then impact the video referee’s call.

On social media Griffin said: “Get rid and just let the video ref decide if on field refs not sure.”

Get rid and just let the video ref decide if on field refs not sure https://t.co/Kxf0auS3iX

— Josh Griffin (@joshogriffo) March 25, 2023

“Someone still has to make a decision, it was changed because the previous system still had its flaws so why do people think now that, that was the best way.”