Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 10:00 am  

Following his outrageous comments about last Friday's referee he should be brought before the judiciary and given a stiff penalty for his verbal attack on Mr Cobb. We teach boys from age 7 to respect the referee, accept his decisions (right or wrong) and keep your mouth shut or face the consequences. I have not seen the game and what Betts said may be true but, as a professional he should keep his views to himself, or temper them for the media. Joe Cobb may be the worst referee ever, or just have had an off day, or was it because Widnes lost? We need to throw the book at Betts to send the message out that such attacks on referees will not be tolerated

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 10:05 am  

Except we don't teach boys or girls to respect the referee. We teach them to scream and moan at him and if it doesn't go our way to get angry and worked up. And none of that occurs because of what Dennis Betts or anybody in SL does or doesn't do.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 10:06 am  

Totally agree. A few years ago John Kear had some issues with Ashley Klein; he raised it with the RFL who subsequently took action. Little of this made the press; handled correctly by all sides.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 10:09 am  

Him wrote:

Except we don't teach boys or girls to respect the referee. We teach them to scream and moan at him and if it doesn't go our way to get angry and worked up. And none of that occurs because of what Dennis Betts or anybody in SL does or doesn't do.

No Junior rugby club I have ever been involved in encouraged the kids to scream and moan at the referee.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 10:14 am  

alleycat wrote:

No Junior rugby club I have ever been involved in encouraged the kids to scream and moan at the referee.

Really? Not at any age group at your club had the coaches shouted and screamed at the referee? Or allowed the parents to shout and scream at the referee? I see it every weekend at different clubs across Yorkshire.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 11:54 am  

In my experience young lads are taught never to approach the referee, unless he calls you over and yes, they still have to call him sir

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 2:22 pm  

Him wrote:

Really? Not at any age group at your club had the coaches shouted and screamed at the referee? Or allowed the parents to shout and scream at the referee? I see it every weekend at different clubs across Yorkshire.

That was also my experience - coaches, assistants, parents and other spectators screaming at the (often junior) ref, with clubs unwilling, or unable, to do anything about it; the best deterrent I ever saw in the junior league, was a young ref who always came with his Dad, who looked a bit handy.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 2:24 pm  

Him wrote:

Really? Not at any age group at your club had the coaches shouted and screamed at the referee? Or allowed the parents to shout and scream at the referee? I see it every weekend at different clubs across Yorkshire.

Not at any club I have been involved in. I recall a couple of occasions where parents (from our club) have been spoken to by club officials and have subsequently calmed down. There are some junior clubs who, undoubtedly, encourage their kids and parents to scream at the (often 14 yr old) referee and I have personally submitted a lengthy report about one of those clubs to the authorities, but largely, at a junior level, most clubs teach the kids and parents to respect referees.

I will take a guess... you say you see it every week? Well I suspect that you have a problem at your club then.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 2:26 pm  

Laughing Gravy wrote:

In my experience young lads are taught never to approach the referee, unless he calls you over and yes, they still have to call him sir

Correct.

Re: Denis Betts : Wed May 04, 2016 5:50 pm  

alleycat wrote:

Not at any club I have been involved in. I recall a couple of occasions where parents (from our club) have been spoken to by club officials and have subsequently calmed down. There are some junior clubs who, undoubtedly, encourage their kids and parents to scream at the (often 14 yr old) referee and I have personally submitted a lengthy report about one of those clubs to the authorities, but largely, at a junior level, most clubs teach the kids and parents to respect referees.

I will take a guess... you say you see it every week? Well I suspect that you have a problem at your club then.

I don't have a club, I watch various clubs and I see it regularly and its regularly reported to have happened at other games. It's also one of the 2 main reasons reported to me by parents/kids who drop out of the amateur game.
I'd have to say you're either just not seeing/noticing it, or your club/age group is very much in the minority.