Director of rugby Gary Gold has refused to blame the Sharks’ loss to the Waratahs on the poor officiating of Australian referee Rohan Hoffmann, but he has called for consistency and competency.
An inept performance from Hoffmann was widely criticised in various rugby circles after the clash in Sydney, with former Wallabies wing and now SuperSport analyst David Campese suggesting it was a “joke”.
A number of dubious decisions, as well as a couple of contentious TMO rulings, predominantly went against the Sharks as they slipped to their sixth successive defeat in Super Rugby.
One key turning point came late in the game when Sharks winger S’bura Sithole looked to have scored a fantastic try in the corner, but it was disallowed upon review even though it seemed unclear whether he was in fact in touch before planting the ball. The no-arms tackle that bundled Sithole into touch was also overlooked.
Gold said they had felt hard done-by, but admitted they couldn’t use that as an excuse.
“I do feel a bit unlucky, but when you are in a position where we are on the table, the last thing you can comment about is calls that don’t go your way… I thought we hurt the 'Tahs on turnover ball; we looked after the ball well, we asked a lot of questions with ball in hand and I thought he was very unlucky not to score there – but the officials saw it differently and we respect their opinion… If Sbura’s try had been allowed we would have been within one score and it would have been a hell of a ball game with seven minutes left to go,” he added.
Gold also rejected calls for a return to neutral referees in Super Rugby, but said they just wanted greater consistency in decision-making.
“I don’t mind where the guy comes from, it doesn’t bother me. Whether you’re coaching internationally or at this level, we just want a referee who’s competent. If he’s the best man for the job, then he can do it. I’m not overly bothered about that – I’d like to believe there is too much at stake for it to matter if a person comes from a certain place. A handful of years ago, they started assigning the best man for the job and the best refs got the best games – that’s how they’ll grow as refs and become the best in the world and go to the World Cup. I don’t have a particular view about where the guy comes from, we just want consistency and competency.”
Gold also commended the work being done by Sanzar game manager Lyndon Bray, although it remains to be seen whether the Sharks might approach him behind the scenes for a response to some of the controversial decisions.
“A guy like Lyndon Bray is working hard in terms of trying to improve refereeing. I have a huge amount of respect for what he and his team are doing. I believe they are trying really hard to get that right. Being in the position we’re in, I’m not in a place to comment on the refs at the moment. I just have a lot of faith in Lyndon and what he’s trying to do. I know what his vision is and it’s pretty difficult for him to achieve. I just hope he’s given all the support he needs, the game needs it.”
This Friday the Sharks will take on the Reds in Brisbane, and they’ll be desperately hoping that nothing stands in their way of breaking their on-going losing streak and finally picking up a win on tour.