This is a Macarthur Rugby League Wrap exclusive

BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

Senior competitions in Sydney’s South West have been thrown into turmoil just a week out from the 2024 finals series after a controversial decision from the NSW Referees Association to send local officials home and replace them with referees and touch judges from Parramatta and surrounding regions.

Wests Tigers Macarthur, Group 6 Referees and Western Suburbs Referees Association have been left shellshocked after an e-mail sent to members two weeks ago informing them that referees and touch judges wouldn’t be required for the most important part of the season despite controlling senior matches – from first grade down through the entire 2024 season.

It will leave the hardworking officials out of pocket for what appears a head-scratching decision from NSW Referees.

A source close to the situation has exclusively told the81stminute.com that an e-mail was sent on the 1st of August from NSW Referees blaming complaints regarding selection of officials in this year’s games.

All parties have requested more information from NSW Referees about the complaints but there has been a cone of silence since from NSW Referees and no further information has been provided to Wests Tigers Macarthur, Group 6 Referees or Western Suburbs Referees.

According to sources, officials from all local parties had been working side-by-side and there had been no issues with delegation of officials for any matches throughout the season and the change, so far into the year, has left officials bewildered.

Group 6 chairman Grahame Andrews has been handed the role of referees boss for the entire region for the remainder of the premiership through all grades – replacing the three-team independent committee that presided over games previously.

“Neither of the local referees associations [Wests Referees or Group 6 Referees] are appointing referees to the most important games of the year,” one told the81stminute.com.

“They [Andrews and NSW Refs] did the appointments last week and couldn’t cover the games.

“We had three Under 18’s games with no touch judges.

“Before the takeover, all games, all season, have been covered.

“Wests refs, Group 6 refs and Wests Juniors have all emailed NSW about their displeasure of the decision and haven’t received any response.

“So we have Grahame Andrews, who has never refereed a game, appointing referees and NSW Referees Association appointing referees who haven’t watched any games this year.

“Both associations have asked NSW Referees for a meeting and it keeps being denied.”

One high-ranking Wests Tigers Macarthur official has also complained to NSW Referees with no response.

“How can you have one guy, at this point of the season, with certain connections to one club, running all the referees?” they asked.

In a move that may shock fans, local referees bosses are considering boycotting the premiership if they aren’t allowed to allocate their own officials.

“Both associations are very close to withdrawing all referees for the remainder of the season if the associations aren’t allowed to appoint their own referees to the finals series.

“It’s really disappointing.

“We’ve been working so hard. Both associations. To make this work and they’ve done this.

“If anything, it’s made the associations closer.

“It seems there’s an agenda to get certain people the higher grand finals at season’s end. We have a rule that if you aren’t at least at 80% available throughout the season, you aren’t eligible to officiate in the finals.

“We think one referee who is close to people has complained about that.

“I think both associations should be appointing their own referees in the finals series.

“Not the chairman of the group [Group 6] and NSW Referees.”

The81stminute.com understands upwards of 15 local referees are currently not scheduled for the finals.

We have also been told that officials have not been paid for games complete due to the confusion and lack of communication.

@woodward_curtis