BRADFORD coach Kurt Haggerty says Super League coaches will have to review each referee’s enforcement of this year’s quicker rucks on a weekly basis – because they’re all different.
Haggerty was seen speaking to referee Marcus Griffiths after the Bulls were caned 9-2 in the penalties during their 26-8 win at Cherry Red Records Stadium.
“Marcus is a very good referee,” said Haggerty. “I’ve got a relationship with Marcus, I’ve known him a long time. I just wanted some clarity and he’s great, he’ll spend some time with me.
“Because there’s some penalties where I’m going ‘yeah I get it Marcus, I can see it’s a penalty’ and there’s others where I’m going ‘I haven’t got a clue why you’ve given that’. He’s just got to give me that clarity.
“But I think what’s really difficult with it, I’ve just spoken to the senior players … because there’s no clarity or determination of what the ruck looks like … we want it faster but nobody really knows what it looks like.
“So each referee will have a different version of how it looks.”
Getting around the problem, Haggerty said, would be a laborious process for him and his fellow Super League coaches.
“For me to feedback to the players … what I’ll have to do and I think each Super League coach will have to do the same, is individually review every single referee, see how they ref the new rucks and go from there.
“And I think that’s probably the best version I can help the team with.
“I’m with them. I absolutely support them. I want a faster game. The Bulls play a style of rugby that suits the quicker rucks.
“We’ve Andy Ackers, you’ve got (Mitch) Souter. We’re very supportive of it but we’d just like a little bit more black and white of what this looks like and what you can and can’t do. I think that will help everybody.”
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