Saturday night I parked myself in front of the television in my lounge room for what was sure to be a cracking game of rugby league. The battered Broncos had travelled to Brookvale to take on the rejuvenated Sea Eagles, who were missing a few players themselves. The Manly club were putting on a big show to honour Jake Trbojevic as he ran out for his 250th game. The ground was packed, the brisk air pierced by the appreciative roar of the Sea Eagles' faithful.
Manly kicked off and immediately muscled up in defence, swarming and dominating the Broncos runners. After going nowhere for the first couple of tackles, the ball was played quickly and Jesse Arthars made a scything run through the middle of the ruck. On the back of that momentum, Ben Hunt, who had returned from injury to play halfback in Adam Reynolds' absence, was able to put in a clearing kick that found the Sea Eagles hemmed deep inside their own half.
And then it happened. Three consecutive "six again" calls from referee Gerard Sutton. Ruck infringements, offsides, they came so quickly that no one knew what they were for or whether they were deserved. The Sea Eagles marched down the field to the tune of that annoying little digital bell, as the Broncos defence scrambled to cope with the endless runners aimed at them. When it seemed the Broncos might just hold on, Sutton raised his arm and gave the home side a penalty. Young star halfback Joey Walsh then dummied his way through a yawning gap to score his maiden try in first grade.
As the Broncos players gathered behind the try line wondering what had just happened, I stood up, hit the off button on the remote control, and found something better to do with the rest of my Saturday night.
I've been watching this great game for more than half a century, I make a living, in part, from covering it. I can't ever remember walking away from a game after just five minutes. I have no personal affiliation with either club; like most fans of other teams, Manly and the Broncos rate highly on my most hated list. I was just keen to watch what promised to be an exciting game of football.
I would later read that young Walsh went on to make a big contribution to the convincing Manly victory, but referee Sutton was just as responsible for that first try.
In the seemingly never-ending pursuit of a faster game, the NRL has completely lost sight of what the majority of fans, certainly those that I have spoken to or read comments from, love about rugby league. Put simply, it's the contest. Two teams of 13 players battling it out across 80 minutes, doing everything within their power to come out on top of the opposition. Survey the fans and ask if any watch rugby league because they love how much influence the referees have over the outcome through the arbitrary use of "six again" calls, which have absolutely no legitimate place in the game.
Let the players decide which team wins. Stop trying to engineer a better mousetrap when we don't even have mice because the old trap did its job. Give us back the game we love, because if you are going to continue serving up this abomination, then I will find better ways to spend my time, ways that don't involve my blood pressure soaring with every frustrating minute and ring of that annoying little digital bell.
