Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One-tenth of the population of the greater Townsville region in North Queensland regularly attend Cowboy matches and up to half a million people watch the NRL on television every weekend. Rugby League attracts and involves some half a million Australians every weekend. Rugby League has done more for social cohesion and a fair go for first Australians than any other social mechanism in this country. The game of Rugby League is subject to numerous resolutions from time to time in this parliament—in other words, the game is of great significance, particularly to the people of North Queensland.

Last Friday night, for the third year in a row, the integrity and capabilities of the NRL match officials must be viewed with serious apprehension. Following a 2012 Manly and North Queensland semi-final, when three—all were played repeatedly on the television news—miscalls eliminated the northerners in that year, in 2013 a seven-tackle try by Cronulla cost us the semis again. Arguably, three blatant errors knocked out the pride of North Queensland for a third year in a row.

I just reckon it is impossible to accept the argument that the referee has just made a mistake. In last Friday night's game, at the 73rd minute, Sydney's Sonny Bill Williams dropped the ball when he was standing upright to play it. Television replays clearly show that no Cowboy player was remotely near the ball. Instead of calling a knock-on, the referee penalised the Cowboy player for interference, when he was nowhere near it in time or space, and awarded the Roosters a penalty. This indefensible error, which resulted in a Roosters' field goal that gave them a one-point winning margin, eliminated North Queensland—(Time expired)