Luke Fitzgerald on Nigel Owens

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I'm not saying he is Reffing to get YouTube views.

But he used to only make a comment every so often in the pro game, now it seems to be every game he tries to make a quip about something and that to me smacks of doing it for attention, and most of that attention will be from Viral views. Just becuase he isn't uploading the videos doesn't mean he isn't aware of what he is doing.

Being a part time comedian (which according to you he is poor at) he prob has a draw to the limelight.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

i like using snowflake as a insult ironically i guess. Most people who use it legitimately are very oversensitive who live in their own echo chamber and accuse others of being triggered and needing of safe spaces when they are just as bad.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

He's an attention seeker, that's my problem with him. I know my share of refs (like we all do here) and i'm reasonably convinced i'd be able to recognize them and would be able to call them by name (and say hi!) if they were having a pint next to me at the pub. however, i hardly ever notice when garces, poite, barnes, peyper, hackson or doyle (to name a few) are assisting on a game on tv. Yet, I vividly recall at least 5 games where Owens was an assistant ref. I can't say the same about any other assistant ref. He was nearly jumping, arms up, screaming "look at me please, i'm here". I genuinely dislike that. Refs should not be the centre of attention. I find it hard to believe people do not purchase rugby tickets nor cable tv to watch a ref make jokes.

Don't get me wrong, i understand his jokes can be funny. That's not the point. The problem is that on the field, he is the authority, and i believe authority figures should be very careful when they make jokes. Refs are not on equal grounds with a player. The player might not like it if the ref makes fun of them (and might affect concentration, nitpicking, i know!) and/or the player might feel awkward about responding in kind just in case the ref might not like it and hold it against him. It's a subtle thing, i agree, but i see no purpose whatsoever for it to have a place on a rugby ground.

Again, i've seen refs tell a player "you are not a referee". Turn the tables and I wonder how would Owens react if after one of his one liners a team captain would have said "sir, you are a not a comedian, you are a ref, kindly act accordingly". Pretty sure he wouldn't have like it one bit.

 

[smartcooky]

I'm not saying he is Reffing to get YouTube views.

But he used to only make a comment every so often in the pro game, now it seems to be every game he tries to make a quip about something and that to me smacks of doing it for attention, and most of that attention will be from Viral views. Just becuase he isn't uploading the videos doesn't mean he isn't aware of what he is doing.

Being a part time comedian (which according to you he is poor at) he prob has a draw to the limelight.

Nah, he's always made these kinds of comments, they just get reported more than they used to.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

however, i hardly ever notice when garces, poite, barnes, peyper, hackson or doyle (to name a few) are assisting on a game on tv. Yet, I vividly recall at least 5 games where Owens was an assistant ref. I can't say the same about any other assistant ref.

Really? I notice them when they make horrific calls or miss simple offsides or forward passes ... you see what you want to see as they say. They all get involved the same amount.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Really? I notice them when they make horrific calls or miss simple offsides or forward passes ... you see what you want to see as they say. They all get involved the same amount.

Given the bias the flag in your avatar suggest, if you notice them all the same, you've just proved my point.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Given the bias the flag in your avatar suggest, if you notice them all the same, you've just proved my point.

Wondered when that argument was coming ...

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Some of his quips are quite funny, especially when players are trying to take the **** (Hogg, Webb) however some of his stuff comes off as just doing it because he can. Personally my favourite bit of ref banter was between Barnes and Andy Goode.

Also don't like the term snowflake, it's often said by the same people who love saying "cuck".

 

[smartcooky]

Given the bias the flag in your avatar suggest, if you notice them all the same, you've just proved my point.

Hah! That's really funny. Cymro has been around these forums even longer than I have, but I have never known him to show bias when discussing Welsh players or teams, let alone a referee?

The reality of this business with Nigel Owens in that his comments are simply reported more than they were. Also, the live/open miking up of referees is a relatively recent thing. There were probably comments that used to be made which were never reported on because no-one but the players heard them.

Now that the media/trolls have their radar ears out every time he referees, of course there will be more reports and it will seem that he is making them more often.

 

[The Jones Boy]

I think Nigel Owens is the best ref in the world.
He has a style that reminds me a little of Steve Walsh and for me those two are the stand out refs of the last 30 years.
They both allowed the game to flow and punished teams when they were cynical.
Steve Walsh makes Nigel Owens look like a shrinking violet when it comes to hogging the camera, he was a massive poser. He should have been doing brylcream adverts but he was a cracking referee and we could never have him because he was a Kiwi.
Owens is dynamite, lightning in a bottle, if only there were more like him.
For my money, the best ref in the world by a country mile.
Bring on the quips, he's always funny and entertaining and doesn't take any Cr@p from the players.
Luke Fitzgerald, what a .... nothing
Jerome Garces is awful, just awful, he's like a beginner in comparison and compared to Owens experience he is a beginner.
The biggest improver in reffing quality in the last 10 years has got to be Wayne Barnes, he is almost average now ;-)

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Luke Fitzgerald, what a .... nothing

lol

 

[smartcooky]

I think Nigel Owens is the best ref in the world.
He has a style that reminds me a little of Steve Walsh and for me those two are the stand out refs of the last 30 years.
They both allowed the game to flow and punished teams when they were cynical.
Steve Walsh makes Nigel Owens look like a shrinking violet when it comes to hogging the camera, he was a massive poser. He should have been doing brylcream adverts but he was a cracking referee and we could never have him because he was a Kiwi.
Owens is dynamite, lightning in a bottle, if only there were more like him.
For my money, the best ref in the world by a country mile.
Bring on the quips, he's always funny and entertaining and doesn't take any Cr@p from the players.
Luke Fitzgerald, what a .... nothing
Jerome Garces is awful, just awful, he's like a beginner in comparison and compared to Owens experience he is a beginner.
The biggest improver in reffing quality in the last 10 years has got to be Wayne Barnes, he is almost average now ;-)

I agree in part, but I would not be so harsh on Jerome Garces. I would have him every day for an AB's game over the other French ref, Romain Poite.

Barnes still has a problem with forward passes... he often misses them, and sometimes calls them when they aren't.

As for Nigel Owens, he is what he is. His relaxed persona is part of who he is.. the ball boy mock yellow card episode is a great example of this. If he tries suppress that, it could affect his performance.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Cymro, i was half serious, no need to change the flag.
Btw, i stand correct, the only one i notice when he's assistant ref is NO.

And to be honest, ask an Italian or a Japanese (to name other countries that play vs Tier 1 without having refs of their own at that level, hence eliminating the bias) if they can spot others like you claim.

Non english speaking teams have to put up with all the directives on the pitch being in english already. Adding jokes doesn't help.

 

[Groundhog]

"Luke Fitzgerald what a nothing" says internet troublemaker, phenomenon and self proclaimed pursuer of 'the everything', The Jones Boy on 141 domestic, 34 Irish and 1 Lions cap Luke Fitzgerald who was forced to retire at the age of 27.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

"Luke Fitzgerald what a nothing" says internet troublemaker, phenomenon and self proclaimed pursuer of 'the everything', The Jones Boy on 141 domestic, 34 Irish and 1 Lions cap Luke Fitzgerald who was forced to retire at the age of 27.

a winner wouldn't get injured and i only like winners. sad!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

a winner wouldn't get injured and i only like winners. sad!

Do all Americans have to sound like trump all the time now?

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Do all Americans have to sound like trump all the time now?

According to the "American vernacular and syntax guide of 2017" yes

In all seriousness, it's good to see refereees becoming less anonymous. In my mind, referee abuse stems from the idea that the ref is not an individual but rather a drone that is assigned to that particular match.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Cymro, i was half serious, no need to change the flag.
Btw, i stand correct, the only one i notice when he's assistant ref is NO.

And to be honest, ask an Italian or a Japanese (to name other countries that play vs Tier 1 without having refs of their own at that level, hence eliminating the bias) if they can spot others like you claim.

Non english speaking teams have to put up with all the directives on the pitch being in english already. Adding jokes doesn't help.

I'm sorry but I truly don't understand the point you are making here. Half serious? Come off it.

If if you want to create a survey about AR's then crack on fella, but I'm sure there are better things to debate here. I'm pretty confident that most of his jokes are done towards people who have English as their first language or a very good grasp of it. I could well be wrong. But again this is really *** for tat argument here. Move on lad. Please.

 

[Groundhog]

Do all Americans have to sound like trump all the time now?

Tigs.....They're rapists. And some I assume are good people

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

According to the "American vernacular and syntax guide of 2017" yes

In all seriousness, it's good to see refereees becoming less anonymous. In my mind, referee abuse stems from the idea that the ref is not an individual but rather a drone that is assigned to that particular match.

Does trump know the meaning of the words vernacular and syntax? Could he even spell them? Surely it should just be "The bigly best guide to English"