Phil Rothfield

Now Rothfield is taking credit for the sackings of the 2 refs from  Sunday's games

Robert Finch sacks Ben Cummins and Gerard Sutton for NRL round seven

NRL referees boss Robert Finch has today sacked two referees for incompetent displays in the round six clash between Parramatta and Souths.

Referees Ben Cummins and Gerard Sutton have been dropped to the lower grades after their disgraceful decisions to sin-bin Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless and Souths centre Beau Champion.

The Daily Telegraph's Sport Editor-at-large Phil Rothfield described the decision as a victory for commonsense.

"This is a a great win for The Daily Telegraph and our readers who all drove the message hard yesterday that they were no longer prepared to tolerate sub-standard refereeing," Rothfield said.

Despite making the correct call to axe the whistleblowers, referees boss Finch was still standing by his edict to sin-bin players for repeated indiscretions.

In a statement released by the NRL at 2.45pm, Finch said: "Referees will continue to crack down on teams that continually breach the rules but it is clearly unacceptable for the wrong player to be sent to the sin-bin.

"Referees are accountable for their performances and between the two of them this error should not have occurred.

"It is now up to both Ben and Gerard to work their way back into the top grade, which I am sure they will do.”

The NRL statement continued: "Finch today also announced that the referees’ interpretation of the advantage rule would revert back to the discretion of the referees and that, from Round 7, the 10-metre territorial gain for the advantage rule will no longer apply.

"The 10-metre ruling was designed to get more consistency from all referees, which is what every club, player and fan wants, but it has become apparent that the advantage rule interpretation should be left to the discretion of the referees and that is what will occur from this week."

Also name another sport in the world that changes a rule mid season?

"This is a a great win for The Daily Telegraph and our readers who all drove the message hard yesterday that they were no longer prepared to tolerate sub-standard refereeing," Rothfield said.

Surely it can't be all him. I mean, surely he lays the 'fuckwit' on nice and thick, just to get a rise out of people.

Surely

True, but that was a stupid fucking rule. If you pick up the ball, take off and then get smashed - and in getting smashed lose the ball, then you should have to hand it back.

The option of diving on the ball was always there, but instead you took the advantage.

Pearce and Carney I'd have.

oh, and my post in Plodfields blog was in relation to him calling for Bird to come back to Cronulla to save them.

Kelly at half, Bird at lock.

Fucking idiot.