During a week where other Sharks Have Heart instigated events have included a Junior League Club Blitz and a Coach the Coaches session, 40 current and potential local referees received a glimpse of what it’s like to ‘Train Like an NRL Referee’ in attempting to inspire the next generation of match officials.
Current NRL Referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, former leading official Tony Archer, along with members of the NRL officiating group in Cameron Paddy and Damian Brady led he session at PointsBet Stadium on Tuesday in running the locals through their paces, while imparting their vast experience and knowledge on the attending group.
Specific situations were covered in a mock game, training drills conducted, with the two senior officials offering tips and advice along the way, before going over a range of topics and issues in a Q and A session.
Przeklasa-Adamski believed the Sharks Have Heart ‘Train Like a Referee’ event would encourage and motivate young referees while helping to keep them in the game.
“Recruitment and retention of referees has historically always been challenging and training sessions like this evening help provide the junior referees motivation and inspiration to stay involved in the game we all love,” he said.
“The Cronulla Referees are very lucky to have a supportive NRL franchise that has afforded them the privilege to train out on Pointsbet Stadium.
“For many of these officials it was their first time out in the middle of an NRL field and from what I saw this evening there’s a few who are already setting their sights on one day living out their dreams of officiating in the NRL,” Przeklasa-Adamski added.
Current General Manager of Elite Officiating Jared Maxwell, a former leading referee himself, began his career in the Cronulla Junior League, as did Paddy, a young referee who is currently running the sidelines as a touch judge at NRL matches.
For a number of those at the event this was their first exposure to refereeing, with opportunities to become a rugby league referee still available. Contact [email protected] for more information.
