Saracens - Harlequins TMO

[Tiglon]

I've no problem with the commentary team commenting on incidents, its what they are there for. The problem is that the TMO should be good enough to spot these on their own and not need to commentary team to pick them up for them.
We know that some members of the commentary team have got the laws wrong previously so having them chatting away in the ear of the TMO and potentially swaying their decision is not right.
IMO thats how it should be for all decisions, whether we're talking about dangerous play or a knock on. The on field ref/linos are always gonna get the crowd and players trying to influence a decision, but thats what their training is for!

Agree with this. The commentary teams have consistently proved that they have fairly limited understanding of all but the most basic laws of the game. TMO shouldn't be able to hear them.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

I've no problem with the commentary team commenting on incidents, its what they are there for. The problem is that the TMO should be good enough to spot these on their own and not need to commentary team to pick them up for them.
We know that some members of the commentary team have got the laws wrong previously so having them chatting away in the ear of the TMO and potentially swaying their decision is not right.
IMO thats how it should be for all decisions, whether we're talking about dangerous play or a knock on. The on field ref/linos are always gonna get the crowd and players trying to influence a decision, but thats what their training is for!

Agree with this. The commentary teams have consistently proved that they have fairly limited understanding of all but the most basic laws of the game. TMO shouldn't be able to hear them.

But the TMO should know the laws so it shouldn't make a difference...
As the officials can't get where the hooker should be throwing into a lineout right I have little faith in them getting anything more complex correct.

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But the TMO should know the laws so it shouldn't make a difference...
As the officials can't get where the hooker should be throwing into a lineout right I have little faith in them getting anything more complex correct.
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You are right, It shouldnt make a difference....

[Old Hob]

A consideration is that the TMO has only the TV feed whereas the commentary team have a view of the whole pitch and the TV feed - (from half-way up the Crumbie at Tigers).

[Scott1]

I suspect a lot of attitudes on here would change if Austin or anyone else spotted an infringement that the TMO missed and it was brought back and it cost us a GP final trophy when in the same game he missed one similar that wasn't pointed out and maybe could've won us the game. We can NEVER have anyone outside of the officials influencing decisions ,it's ludicrous to even think otherwise! If officials make mistakes or miss things then they should be audited and punished accordingly while also hoping that citing commissions do their job properly when reviewing games after.

[CrumblingTerrace]

We can NEVER have anyone outside of the officials influencing decisions ,it's ludicrous to even think otherwise!

Try telling the Crumbie terrace that!

[Scott1]

We can NEVER have anyone outside of the officials influencing decisions ,it's ludicrous to even think otherwise!

Try telling the Crumbie terrace that!

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I suspect a lot of attitudes on here would change if Austin or anyone else spotted an infringement that the TMO missed and it was brought back and it cost us a GP final trophy when in the same game he missed one similar that wasn't pointed out and maybe could've won us the game. We can NEVER have anyone outside of the officials influencing decisions ,it's ludicrous to even think otherwise! If officials make mistakes or miss things then they should be audited and punished accordingly while also hoping that citing commissions do their job properly when reviewing games after.

Bang on. Refs make mistakes in the heat of the moment, thats why we have the TMO, who should be free from outside influence.

[Jimmy Skitz]

Austin is doing his job, nothing wrong with that, the simple solution is don't let the TMO hear the commentators, and just watch the footage with stadium noise and ref mic.

But if a TMO doesn't step in because a commentator saw something and doesn't want to look like he or she is being lead then they are not fit to be in the job

[Hot_Charlie]

Well I'm glad they've "been caught", even if it has destroyed the integrity of the TMO process.

So, the big question. What other decisions have been avoided due to it "looking like the TV commentators have highlighted them"?

[GB72]

The issue at the weekend as not so much of a surprise. I got the initial shock when I first heard that they had the commentary in the booth. I always thought that they just had the raw footage, unedited, to look at with no commentary.

[Old Hob]

I'm still a bit split on this. On the one hand, it is interference by someone who isn't an official; on the other, it's an extra pair of expert eyes keeping players safe. After all, it is still the officials who make the decision.

[Tiglon]

There's also the question of whether they've been instructed not to call things that commentators have highlighted?

The TMO sounded like he was very comfortable with his decision to ignore the foul play, and that the rest of the officiating team would agree with him.

[CrumblingTerrace]

I can't find a statement from Prem Rugby... have they said anything about this?

[Tigerbeat]

I can't find a statement from Prem Rugby... have they said anything about this?

On BBC

A spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union said: "The RFU conducts regular reviews following all games that take place, as will be the case for Saracens v Harlequins."