100% needs to retire. The guy is completely past it. He had one of the poorest games I've seen on Friday. Look, the drop ball from Milford for the field goal, I can forgive. The knock on was missed and they couldn't review it, it happens. However, the way he handled the Moga try was very poor. Milford gets over the line, Klein doesn't even get himself in a good position but he thinks that Milford has grounded the ball. He takes a couple of steps back, points at the grounding and at that point he absolutely had to blow his whistle. Instead, he lets play carry on because tbh, he was clearly lost (if you see his other decisions he sent up stairs, he had no idea what to say to the bunker), and as a result he lets Milford pass back and Moga scores. This gives the bunker no choice but to award the try. He wasn't supposed to get his contract renewed last year but the NRL must've decided that getting rid of two experienced guys in one hit in him and Maxwell would be too much so they gave him one more year. There's no way they will renew it next year.
Agreed. Heard Ginane on Triple M say Klein is awful to Bill Harrigan and he didn't exactly disagree. They said he had big raps but hasnt fulfilled his potential which is exactly right. I met him when I was still reffing back when he first came out from England to do a Test match and at that time he certainly was a bloke you thought might be the next Mander or Harrigan. But he's gone way down hill. So has Sutton tbh. Cecchin is, imo, clearly the best ref in the game.
Yep by far the best referee in the game and the best bloke (Dave Munro a close second). Grant Atkins is the golden boy and he is good but right now he cannot make a decision for himself. He sends it upstairs by far more than any other referee. Very much playing it safe.
Atkins is good on everything except ruck speed imo. He's had a number of games get fiery and out of control because he doesn't set a good early standard. Not all the time of course but it has happened a few times this year. Fucked if I know why Archer has been pairing Klein with my old mate Chris Butler. The former is well past it, and the latter is too green.
Yeah the lack of control was very evident in the Raiders and Manly game. They really tested his mettle. I just feel like he is so obviously got a checklist in his head of all of his KPI's and he is just ticking the box one by one to ensure that he gets a good review the next day. You can never be a stand out referee with that mentality.
Yeah but if you get rid of Cummins you can't keep Badger either imo. They just don't have any other experienced refs to fill the void.
Badge got offered a job this year with NSWRL as a development officer and now has a pretty large and time consuming outside role. I'd say his days are coming to an end too. He has no plants to retire though and will continue to referee as long as the NRL keep offering him another contract.
