I think the match yesterday showed just how random the umpiring is. There is no doubt we got the rub of the green, although there is probably little, other than the play on call, that was flat out wrong. The subjective nature of the rules means that many, many calls can be "correct" no matter whether paid or not paid.
That Fyfe got a 5-1 free kick count, after an almost equal free kick count for the rest of the year, indicates some focus on his treatment. He has been scragged and held all year, with little paid in his favour. Whether the club spoke to the umpiring department, the Yeo incident triggered some review, or the rule of the week was holding around stoppages who can say.
Listening to Hayden Kennedy each week on Whistleblowers makes me feel there is no desire to strive for consistency and narrow the band of subjective calls. On the whole, this is not to do with rules, but interpretations of what is prior opportunity, what is reasonable to impede and harrass around a stoppage etc.
The umpires department needs to place a value on consistency, and they need to do statistical analysis to improve on this front, because the current approach, where everything in the subjective band can be called either way just doesn't cut it.
That Fyfe got a 5-1 free kick count, after an almost equal free kick count for the rest of the year, indicates some focus on his treatment. He has been scragged and held all year, with little paid in his favour. Whether the club spoke to the umpiring department, the Yeo incident triggered some review, or the rule of the week was holding around stoppages who can say.
Listening to Hayden Kennedy each week on Whistleblowers makes me feel there is no desire to strive for consistency and narrow the band of subjective calls. On the whole, this is not to do with rules, but interpretations of what is prior opportunity, what is reasonable to impede and harrass around a stoppage etc.
The umpires department needs to place a value on consistency, and they need to do statistical analysis to improve on this front, because the current approach, where everything in the subjective band can be called either way just doesn't cut it.