Went out to Crosby yesterday expecting a cracking semi-final preview and another Easts vs Brothers classic — let’s be honest, there’s always extra spice when those two face off. But instead of a great day of rugby, all we got was a parade of yellow shirts making it about themselves.
The officiating across all grades I watched was shocking — inconsistent, frustrating, and at times completely ignored the rulebook. I don’t support either club, so there’s no bias here — just calling it as it was.
Sure, the weather played a part, but the Colts 2 and 3rd grade refs simply weren’t up to standard. They couldn’t keep up with the pace of the game and at times lost control of the game and turned contests into stop-start messes. Both coaches were extremely frustrated at full time — and rightly so.
Murphy should never be allowed to referee a Brothers game again. Simple as that. And while Easts won the penalty count, where were the cards for constant repeat infringements? Multiple warnings, no consequences. Easts have every right to be asking questions. i will add he also has zero knowledge of the rugby scrum.
