Opinion: The person responsible for dramatically turning rugby league from wrestle-mania to Wild West shootout was not Peter V’landys — it was Graham Annesley
Annesley, the former referee and current NRL head of football, handed a report to the ARL Commission chairman six weeks ago about returning to the one-referee model.
Meanwhile, those of us on the eastern seaboard who make up the traditional rugby league market were dancing, at 1.5m from each other, in the streets because the porridge of the ruck has sprung to life again.“Last year demonstrated to me that the wrestling issue wasn’t going away unless we did something dramatic,” Annesley said. “Although it’s felt that some clubs are better than others [at the wrestle], it was being felt right across the competition.
There were 6.25 tries per game, which is half a try per game up compared to rounds one and two but still less than the average 6.6 in 2019. Statistics can be interpreted whichever way you want, but the most telling number relates to fewer penalties. In another life, Annesley was a leading referee. In 1994, he controlled the first State of Origin played at the MCG. He introduced the use of video replays during Super League and also ushered in golden point after attending a Super Bowl with former chief executive David Gallop.“I’m not getting carried away,” he said. “I’m very aware we’re in a honeymoon period. Nobody really knew what the changes would be. I’m not complaining but the coaches will be looking how to counter the changes.
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