The NRL will face an unfair dismissal case brought against it by a referee who claims he was unfairly sacked from the game’s elite match officials squad.
Chris James, who has refereed 228 first-grade games, was let go on October 7 by NRL referees boss Tony Archer, almost a week after the end of the season.
Only a month earlier, Archer is said to have praised the work of James with younger referees.
James is now seeking reinstatement or compensation, with the support of the Professional Rugby League Match Officials (PRLMO) and the trade union body Unions NSW.
“Chris James is a first rate referee who has given a significant chunk of his working life to the game,” Silvio Del Vecchio, chairman of the PRLMO, said.
“Yet he wasn’t even permitted to invite his seven-year old son to watch his final match.
“Referees are essential to the NRL and yet in this case we see someone thrown on the scrap heap without explanation, let alone respect or recognition.
“It’s indecent and we will fight it.”