Speechless... www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/o ... ns-referee

Speechless... www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/o ... ns-referee

It's ridiculous. Can you imagine how they would behave if we were genuinely better than them? This is where our representatives, coaches and players should kick up a fuss. They should refuse to play without a neutral referee. I hate watching games refereed by the Aussies, they are always trying to sell their interpretation of the rules, to prove they have the game done right.

It's harsh on the referee himself too. Picked specifically by Australia, so is now under pressure to give them the platform they want. If he doesn't, if he gives a few penalties against them or a controversial decision and it could easily be the end of his NRL career and he'll feel that.

Once watched an Aussie documentary on RL. "Rugby League began in 1905 when some brave clubs from NSW...." was the first line.

Blinkered good-for-nowts.

So not only are we playing the world champions on their own midding but they want to get their own ref in too! Ridiculous.

neutral refs should be already designated pre tournament.Just another example of our amateur standard organisation on the international scene.

In fairness the Kiwi chap was awful in Cardiff last year so we can't be any worse off.

It is a joke but no real surprise. I presume we obviously must get Bentham next week?

Expect the likes of Greg Bird getting away with alot on Sunday.

If Australia's introversion weren't so important and damaging to the sport it'd be laughable.
They're well on their way to getting what they so obviously want. A sport the size of Aussie Rules.

Sheens has repeated his 2011 rant about Bentham, low and behold he is dropped three days later. Were RFL representatives involved in this process? It's an absolute farce.

It's not the 'neutral' aspect that gets my back up, Perenara has been dreadful both times he has refereed England v Australia. It's the fact that form and experience are not taken into account. This Aussie guy, apart from playing the lesser role in the NRL GF is inexperienced, especially managing a game on his own. In 2011 it was the same with Perenara who had only just gone pro.

Not only are they making us announce our 17 on a Tuesday, they are forcing their referee selections upon us. The England team manager, McNamara and Nigel Wood need to address this with the NRL immediately.

This entire charade is a disgrace but in the final analysis if this prevails the fault for allowing it to do so lies with MacB and the other officials present with the England players. They should plainly and simply make it very clear that they do not agree with this manipulation and clearly refuse to accept it. Should that upset the Australians, then so be it! They the Aussies would not be party over here to such shennaigans if we were to demand them and should be made to realise that we playing on their territory will not either.
The Samoans also should be willing to throw in their lot along with us as they are also being expected to accept the unacceptable too.

If only RL was as small as Rules - the crowds for rules put the PL to shame, its revenue generation is significantly greater than the NRL and SL - possibly combined

Surely beating them on their own midden, with a home town ref would be sweet?

The only mitigating circumstance left would be the decimation of their preferred squad.

But after such a polished performance against Samoa, only a woeful performance by the despicable Sutton is the one thing standing in our way of eternal redemption.

The Premier League has a higher average crowd. But regardless, the Premier League isn't a sport and it wouldn't matter if Aussie Rules got 100k to every game, it would still be a sport confined to 1 country with no international competition and no international profile.

Even at RL's current international state it's significantly better than Aussie rules. Which was the point I was trying to make. The Australians seem determined to undermine the international game whenever it might have even the slightest hint of a negative but tiny and short term effect on the NRL.