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Adam Gee will referee his second NRL grand final with Chris Butler as bunker official, while Ashley Klein and Grant Atkins were overlooked for the top job.
Adam Gee has been appointed to referee his second NRL grand final with Chris Butler to work as the bunker official in Sunday's Roosters-Knights decider.
Gee appointed bunker official for grand final
Gee has previously officiated the 2023 grand final between Penrith and Brisbane. The appointment follows Gee's handling of the Roosters' 36-20 preliminary final defeat of the Dolphins on Friday, in which he referred contentious tries to Jamayne Isaako and Rob Toia to the bunker, which were subsequently awarded by video official Ashley Klein, who deemed to not have sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision.
Incumbent 2025 grand final referee Grant Atkins was overlooked after he did not officiate in either preliminary final, with veteran whistleblower Gerard Sutton overseeing Newcastle's nail-biting 22-14 defeat of the Panthers on Sunday. Klein was demoted to bunker duties last weekend after failing to award an escort penalty to the Warriors. Klein had overseen all three Origin matches this year.
He will be in the bunker for the first game on grand final day - the annual State championship between the NSW Cup and QLD Cup premiers - when Penrith take on the Dolphins, which will be overseen by Kieren Irons. Tyson Brough and Phil Henderson will act as touch judges in the men's grand final. Belinda Sharpe will referee the Roosters-Broncos NRLW final on Sunday afternoon, with Wyatt Raymond acting as bunker review official.
The officiating appointments cap a dramatic week for the NRL's refereeing ranks, with Klein's shift to the bunker for the State championship representing a significant fall from the game's biggest matches. Klein had been the NRL's most trusted whistleblower for much of the season, controlling all three State of Origin fixtures before his preliminary final demotion.
Adams oversight highlights officiating reshuffle
Gee's return to the grand final stage comes three years after he controlled the 2023 decider between Penrith and Brisbane, a match widely regarded as one of the finest grand finals in recent memory. The Roosters' win over the Dolphins on Friday was not without controversy, as Gee sent two contentious tries to the bunker for review. Both decisions went in favour of the try-scoring side, with Klein ruling there was insufficient evidence to overturn the on-field calls.
Atkins, who controlled last year's grand final, paid the price for not being involved in either preliminary final, a clear signal that the NRL has reshuffled its top officiating ranks. Sutton, a veteran of multiple grand finals, handled the second preliminary final as Newcastle edged Penrith 22-14 to book their spot in Sunday's decider. The bunker appointments for grand final day extend beyond the NRL decider, with Irons taking charge of the State championship clash between Penrith and the Dolphins.
Sharpe and Raymond complete grand final lineup
Sharpe's appointment to the NRLW final continues her rise through the refereeing ranks, with Raymond supporting her from the bunker. Brough and Henderson will patrol the touchlines in the men's grand final, completing the officiating team for Sunday's showpiece event at Accor Stadium. The NRL's decision to overlook both Atkins and Klein for the men's grand final signals a changing of the guard in the competition's refereeing hierarchy.
Gee now has the opportunity to cement his legacy as one of the game's premier officials when the Roosters and Knights battle for the 2025 premiership.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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