4. Consequences of one-ref cost cutting
Some will say this is long overdue: the National Rugby League is set to reduce the number of on-field referees from two to one for the remainder of 2020. This is a recommendation made by Project Apollo in order to cut costs, with the decision to be confirmed next week.
The reality is, with a number of referees contracted on a part-time basis, they are facing a season on the sidelines.
This is not good news as there’s a potential for the referee pool to be significantly decimated, meaning the elite squad won’t be held accountable for their mistakes and be saved from being dropped.
The players seem to have gotten off lightly, with their wages cut by 20%, compared to the drastic measures being taken at back offices across the game and reduced referee numbers.
It’s fair to say there is no game without the players. There’s also no game without referees.
