RE: Why are Kiwi Referees reffing games involving Kiwi teams in SA?

The following from Bews24:-

Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett has questioned SANZAAR’s allocation of match referees in Super Rugby.

Mallett was speaking in the SuperSport studio at the weekend where he commented on the match between the Stormers and Chiefs at Newlands.

A New Zealand referee, Mike Fraser, was in charge of the match which the Kiwi side won 15-9.

Mallett was not happy with the performance of Fraser and questioned the policy which allows an away team to get a referee from their own country.

A few weeks ago, New Zealand’s Glen Jackson also copped heavy criticism for the manner in which he officiated the Highlanders’ 29-28 win over the Bulls in Pretoria.

“I do think they (the Chiefs) were assisted by the referee (Fraser). I don’t think he had the best game and I am not so sure about the system where New Zealand referees ref New Zealand teams. I am not saying this as a biased South African supporter,” Mallett said.

The Chiefs surprised the Stormers at scrum time where they won a few critical penalties to put the home side on the back foot.

But Mallett noted: “I don’t think he (Fraser) got the scrums 100% right, particularly when (Steven) Kitshoff was on the field. He got them correct when (JC Janse) van Rensburg was on the field; the penalty try was a penalty try. But before that, I thought Kitshoff was unfairly penalised and it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth. You want referees to be neutral.”

Mallett nevertheless heaped praise on the Chiefs’ efforts.

“The Stormers were held out by an excellent Chiefs performance away from home. The Chiefs controlled the ball well and controlled the territory. I thought Damian McKenzie had an excellent game, his kicking game was good and he is also a threat himself (with ball in hand).

“The Stormers had to make a lot of tackles, more than the Chiefs - it was 179 to 103. It wasn’t a comprehensive win by the Chiefs but it was a well-controlled game.”

The present scenario is weak and should not be allowed by Sanzaaar,      Although there were problems with the scumming on Saturday - it frequently happened that Chiefs players lost their binds or had their knees om the ground and they got away with it and not penalized,      Fact is that penalties influence matches and critical mistakes in scrumming was a problem on Saturday.   .  ,     

Why are some saffas getting so whiney ?Thats the real question Mikey one you need to address ,I think there might be some sort of therapy available for sore losers but the waiting room might be a wee bit crowded !

WD

Yes WD

Not only are Saffas blind. Journalists are biased against the Shire and commentators and pundits have all lost their marbles too.

You need a head check a lot more than Mike does. 

The global conspiracy against you continues. 

Bloody joke.

SA refs don't ref games in NZ? Yes the conspriacy brigade continues .

The Kiwis have been guaranteed the win, and so to ensure this, they need their own people on the park.

Kiwi side on the losing end - kiwi ref steps in - kiwi side goes home with the win.

Pretty obvious if you ask me.

Luke 

The problem remains - Refs are human beings and human beings make mistakes.   If the mistakes seems in some cases favour NZ teams - and some were blatant mistakes that is very real recently in the cases of Jackson and now Fraser, it results in two things  namely - 

*  that the mistakes sre not recognized as such by local people; and

*   that the mistakes are part of crooking games in favour of NZ teams.

That is why Jackson vanished from the scene and I think the next to go  would be Fraser.

Even though I do not necessarily believe in the conspiracy theory mentioned - I think that it is totally unwise to appoint NZ refs to ref SA matches when NZ teams are involved.  it does not happen in NZ insofar as SA refs are concerned and it is extremely unwise to make such arrangements insofar as SA matches are concerned - it can only lead to unnecessary controversy.   

....notsoclever mike looks like the your predictions have proven to be unreliable once again...and just as i was about to ask you for this weeks lotto numbers...

Fraser has been named again to referee in SA so thats SANZAR giving him the big tick of approval...he will be surrounded by SA match officials of course, so i can't see any problems can you? The SA TMO will always get the last say anyway.

The previous week the Chiefs had Fraser against the Jaguars where two Chiefs players were yellow carded and we went down to 13 men eventually losing...so Fraser has shown his impartiality there and now we have had him three weeks in a row ....

The Sharks should be salivating at the prospect of facing a team that has lost twenty players... the Sharkies naturally heavy favourites with the bookies...

...AT A GLANCE

Who the Chiefs are missing v Sharks:
Aidan Ross (ankle)
Kane Hames (concussion/ABs camp)
Mitchell Graham (leg)
Nathan Harris (ABs camp)
Atu Moli (quad hematoma/ABs camp)
Nepo Laulala (arm/ABs camp)
Brodie Retallick (ABs camp)
Fin Hoeata (shoulder)
Dominic Bird (shoulder)
Mitchell Brown (knee)
Lachlan Boshier (appendicitis)
Sam Cane (abdominal/ABs camp)
Mitchell Karpik (concussion)
Taleni Seu (back)
Damian McKenzie (ABs camp)
Tiaan Falcon (hand)
Anton Lienert-Brown (ABs camp)
Regan Verney (groin)
Sam McNicol (concussion)
Tim Nanai-Williams (shoulder)

Super Rugby Hurricanes v Reds

....How much money should i put on the Sunwolves?

Here is a relevant article, Sanzaar is defending the refs and the system but are the rubbing SA noses in it by resting a kiwi ref and appointing an Argentinian ref for the Bulls vs. the Jaguares game?  

ARTICLE

Sanzaar: NZ referee controversy stirred by disappointed coaches and media

Sanzaar have strongly defended their refereeing appointments and review system as controversy builds in Australia and South Africa over two Kiwi whistlemen.

Super Rugby's governing body has appointed under-fire Kiwi referees Ben O'Keeffe and Mike Fraser to officiate matches this weekend that once again involve New Zealand teams.

Fraser, who had a complaint made about him following the Stormers' loss to the Chiefs in Cape Town last Sunday (NZT), has been put in charge of the Chiefs' next match in South Africa, against the Sharks in Durban.

Kiwi referee Mike Fraser will control back-to-back Chiefs Super Rugby matches in South Africa.

O'Keeffe, who made a number of mistakes in the Waratahs-Crusaders match in Christchurch last Saturday, will control the Hurricanes and Queensland Reds match in Wellington on Friday night. He is the current New Zealand referee of the year.

The question of using non-neutral referees has been raised in both South Africa and Australia.

Brisbane's Courier-Mail labelled the tournament bosses as "out-of-touch powerbrokers" for rewarding "the worst refereeing display of the season" by giving O'Keeffe control of the Reds' clash against the Hurricanes.

They complain that referees aren't subjected to the same scrutiny as players when it comes to week-to-week performance-based selection.

The scenario has been inflamed in South Africa where the game has been surprised by a late refereeing change for the Bulls' clash with the Jaguares in Buenos Aires this weekend.

Originally the game was to be refereed by young Kiwi Brendon Pickerill. But Sanzaar has decided he needs a rest and have brought in Argentina's Federico Anselmi to control the match in what will surely be a hostile environment.

Sanzaar played down the controversies saying they were being created by "disappointed coaches and the media" and they backed their preference for a merit-based appointment system.

"As far as Sanzaar is concerned there is no issue whatsoever with match officiating," they said in an email to South African media after Fraser's performance in Cape Town was scrutinised.

"We have a very professional team of referees that are selected from the best officials from the national unions.

"There is also a very professional and robust system in place for the selection and management of match officials. That system is discussed at length with teams and coaches and reviewed every year.

"The coaches and teams have opted for merit-based appointments as an integral part of this process - that is the best referee for the job regardless of nationality.

"The controversies are created by disappointed coaches and the media to be honest.

"That said for individual matches the coaches have the ability to provide feedback to game manager Lyndon Bray each week. And they do provide a lot of feedback as part of the ongoing review process.

"Lyndon reviews all matches and works with the referees on performance and referee managers in the national unions, and adjustments are made weekly when necessary - for example we have had some injuries and illness this year."

 - Stuff