Rugby league refs urge football to stick with VAR despite controversies

FOOTBALL has been urged to stick with VAR by a sport used to going to a screen, rugby league.

And bosses in the 13-a-side code want fans in stands to know what is being talked about.

Football has been urged to stick with VAR by rugby league referee Liam MooreAlamy

Fans and pundits may want the video process scrapped from the round ball game after a number of controversial decisions.

But one of the officials used to having a third eye, Liam Moore, believes it should stay and will help in the long run.

He said as his sport prepares for its 29th season with technology: “Football isn’t engrained with VAR, whereas rugby league is with a video ref, even more so with every game having one this year.

“Everyone in rugby league is acclimatised to having one, I don’t think football is yet but in five or 10 years’ time, I think we’ll be having a different conversation about football.

“As a referee, if you can give me help so I can miss that clanger that decides a game by just spending 30 seconds to look at a replay, I’d take it any day of the week.

“In big games, no-one will forgive you if I didn’t go to the video referee and it turns out the decision is incorrect.

“So any move to get rid of video technology is flawed.”

All six Super League weekly fixtures will have video officials as part of a new broadcast arrangement with Sky Sports.

New interpretations, particularly regarding contact with the head, are being implemented, meaning St Helens’ Alex Walmsley would have been sent off for a challenge on Warrington’s Jordy Crowther – for which he was sin binned but avoided a ban – in last year’s play-offs.

But while TV viewers hear the on-screen official talk through the proves, no-one in a stadium can – however, that may change.

Former ref, now Rugby Football League head of legal, Robert Hicks said: “The longer-term aim was then every stadium would have the facility for the video ref-referee audio go out.

Liam Moore believes technology will help and football will get used to it in futureSWPIX.COM

“That’s our panacea, it happens in the NRL and happened a few years ago at a Grand Final at Old Trafford.

“We’ve nothing to hide. Sometimes it’s helpful, even when you get it wrong, if people can hear the audio. Our ideal situation is every stadium has a PA system of such a standard that it’s just a case of plugging a microphone link in.

“But stadia need upgrades – that costs money and the sport has to prioritise where it spends it.”

*EVERY Super League match not broadcast on TV by Sky Sports will be available on a pay per view basis as the competition launches its own streaming service.

All matches will be on the broadcaster’s online platform, which is being launched for the start of the next EFL season and will be included in subscriptions.

But Super League Plus, launched on January 23, will see the matches not picked for TV coverage made available for non-Sky subscribers with prices expected to be similar to what the Rugby Football League’s Our League has charged.