Perhaps if he wasn’t so arrogant and didn’t speak to players like pieces of shit which he does, and perhaps if he didn’t show bias in some of his officiating people wouldn’t have an issue. The club our club did complain about him 3-4 years ago behind closed doors our club.
Have you not heard how he speaks to Cam Murray when he approaches him I have he speaks like dirt, much different to how he speaks to Yeo and Teddy.
Yeah I don’t like the way he speaks to players, but Archer, Harrigan, Hartley, Page, Pearce, Lawler etc were all the same - as are most of his peers in current pool.
It’s a part of how referees are trained - especially if they had been players - to be aloof, because you will always be a cheat or incompetent to half those playing or watching so at least look and sound impartial.
May just be an illusion, but It’s interesting when I watch Belinda Sharpe or Kasey Badger referee they seem more on the level with the players and the players equally seem less antagonised. Sutton seems to be getting better than most of the current crop but it took him along time in my view to get relaxed enough, Klein seems to getting closer to it as well. Cummins took forever to relax until he was due to retire.
it seems like influence in the refereeing ranks is quite changeable of late- we have had , Klein. Atkins, Gee and Sutton having turns at the top so far this decade, rather than one or 2 dominating for a decade or so. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing and if it is a reflection of Annersleys own time in the trenches forever second or third string to Mick Stone and Bill Harrigan.
It’s a mugs game and always has been / I was such a mug for too many years.
