Trent Robinson is calling for commentators to be held responsible for their criticisms of both referees and coaches following the NRL’s announcement about adopting a stricter approach this season.
The NRL has consistently maintained regulations that stop coaches from unfairly criticizing referees, and these rules must be accepted by coaches when they register with the league.
However, the NRL typically imposes financial penalties solely in the most severe instances of rule violations.
CEO Andrew Abbo sent an email to clubs earlier this week informing them that coaches might face stricter monitoring when commenting on referees during their post-game press conferences this season.
Since the Magic Round last year, where the issue came up during a gathering of club CEOs, the league has been developing strategies to adopt a more stringent approach.
In private, senior figures within the NRL believe that referee critiques have grown overly harsh over the past few seasons. This perspective was one factor leading to the cancellation of football director Graham Annesley’s weekly meetings this year.
Coaches can still provide respectful comments about particular refereeing calls, but they should avoid making derogatory remarks regarding a referee’s character or overall performance.
The NRL will impose fines starting at $5,000 or more based on how serious the remarks are and the coach’s history.
The Roosters' coach, Robinson, has faced criticism before regarding his remarks about the referees. Notably, he sparked $30,000 in fines after an angry outburst following a match in 2021.
The coach, who has won the premiership three times, supported the league's stricter approach and proposed that it should also apply to broadcasters.
Canterbury football boss Phil Gould notably escaped with a suspended fine on appeal last year for calling the NRL's rules "stupid" in his role as a Channel Nine pundit.
"Post-match, we (the coaches) have a great platform where people actually tune in to watch," Robinson stated.
I get that we need to be cautious with our words, but there’s a lot of feedback about our performance in the game.
You could begin with the coaches; that might be a good starting point. However, we should expand our focus beyond just coaches.
A significant amount of discussion surrounds how we cover officiating and officials' choices during our broadcasts.
Robinson aimed to stay clear of media attention regarding his remarks about referees this season.
“I must keep my distance from it regardless. It’s best for me to research what I’m allowed to express and what isn’t permitted, otherwise, I should remain silent,” he stated.
We can reach out to (referees' superiors) Jared (Maxwell) and Dave (Boyle) for those inquiries.
