Billy Slater, a legendary player in the NRL, has attacked “coward” supporters who heckled referee Kasey Badger following the Wests Tigers and Bulldogs match in round nine. If the Maroons coach thought they could do a better job than Badger, he called out the cyber warriors who were criticizing the rookie referee online.
On Saturday, Badger engaged in multiple contentious discussions with players, and both their behavior and the contentious phone calls Badger made have been scrutinized. Fans were incensed by the referee’s actions after Canterbury and Wests Tigers’ ugly game, which resulted in two players being sent off the field and $11,800 in fines from the NRL.
Badger has garnered media attention following several rounds in 2024. Fans and Titans coach Des Hasler criticized her officiating after last month’s Canberra-Gold Coast match. But by appointing Badger as the referee for round 10 action, the NRL has once again demonstrated its faith in her.
She will be in charge of Sunday’s Sydney Roosters vs. Warriors game at Allianz Stadium. The announcement of her hiring coincided with a warning to players and coaches from NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and football boss Graham Annesley that criticism of officials will not be taken lightly. Furthermore, Slater declares that the mistreatment of referees—especially Badger—must end.
“Go ahead and perform if you believe you can do it better. Go ahead and raise your hand to officiate,” he said on the Billy Slater podcast. “Avoid being a coward on social media and abusing others.
Put on the boots and grab a whistle if you believe you can outperform the person you are going after. It is not your place to mistreat people. We rely on the referees because they perform an excellent job. We cannot have a game without referees. It strikes me as a cowardly move.”
Ref abuse, according to Graham Annesley, isn’t “gender-specific.”
According to Annesley, the problem of abusive referees is not “gender-specific,” and players and NRL fans alike should be more understanding because mistakes are “part of the game.” “Even when referees do make mistakes they don’t make them because of their gender,” he stated on Monday.
