Walsh back in business
30 Sep 2010
The IRB has ended referee Steve Walsh’s two-year Test exile and the Kiwi will call the Wales vs South Africa game in November.
The New Zealander was suspended from international rugby after turning up drunk to a conference of leading southern hemisphere referees in Sydney in 2008.
A year later, Walsh was stood down by the New Zealand Rugby Union. He revived his career in Australia.
However, the IRB on Thursday announced he would be in charge for Wales’ match against South Africa, followed by Scotland’s match against Samoa.
Nigel Owens will referee the Boks’ first tour match against Ireland. Stu Dickinson will officiate the Scotland vs SA fixture and George Clancy will take control of the England vs SA Test at Twickenham.
50 Comments
30 Sep 2010, 08:09 am
oh hell
30 Sep 2010, 08:15 am
Drunk Dragon
30 Sep 2010, 08:44 am
Welcome back Steve. Hopefully things will go better for you this time.
30 Sep 2010, 08:50 am
Now stay off the juice and cut out the “winking” to the opposition and you will be alright…………..Piet van Zyl has been placed on standby just in case !!!
30 Sep 2010, 08:52 am
IRB referee panel is a bit of a joke
They must be desperate to let him back in, come on are there not any decent refs around at the moment
30 Sep 2010, 08:53 am
disgrace!! thats NZ for you!
30 Sep 2010, 09:00 am
Having a few drinks to celebrate tonight, Steve?
:-~
30 Sep 2010, 09:09 am
Oi! Give that man a Bells!
30 Sep 2010, 09:14 am
In comparison with Joubert, Steve is a Super Saiyan
30 Sep 2010, 09:23 am
never liked him, don’t rate him and hope he won’t be part of rugby for too lond. most bias ref i’ve ever seen…
30 Sep 2010, 09:50 am
The compassion from bloggers on this site is overwhelming at times
30 Sep 2010, 10:03 am
@quotas_sux(quota_conrad_jantjies_is_jorrie_muller)-6:
Considering you clearly don’t know that Walsh is not contracted to the NZRU anymore, your snide comment can be dismissed as the utterence of an ignorant twat.
30 Sep 2010, 10:08 am
wynkop
30 Sep 2010, 10:29 am
@RedMan(RedMan)-11: i rate the job, not the person. he should be a professional, but even when he sobered up he was inconsistant.
30 Sep 2010, 10:30 am
I tend to agree with Logie on this one…walsh is a certified d@@s
30 Sep 2010, 10:30 am
@Brads(Brads)-12: ignore that twit. he’s thought and rambling are irrelevant in modern society.
30 Sep 2010, 10:30 am
Ahh just before the world cup. Good on you Paddy you sneaky bastarde, sneaking kiwis as aussies. Very smart.
This twat is part of the league of ****** ***** fixers!
The Old firm is back in business, Paddy, Welsssshhhhh, Dicko lets fix some gamescrew.
I thought we saw the last of this ****.
30 Sep 2010, 10:46 am
JL1 @ 5
Quotas_Sux @ 6
KevinRack @ 17
ooooooh, LOOK ! – all the Keo Morons lined up in a row.
The very same ones who applauded the Bulls winning the S14 with the help of 80% SA refs, particularly at home at Loftus. The same ones whose paranoia-infused logic even labelled their own – highly capable – J.Kaplan as a “cheat…..in Paddys pocket” for having the temerity to control a game where the ABs were victorious vs Australia.
Im no S.Walsh fan, that is on the record, but he has served his time and looked to have the ego under control on his comeback in this years S14. He deserves a 2nd chance, as does everyone in life, and I hope – just like W.Barnes – that he proves the detractors wrong by putting in professional performances that shows that he has learned from his mistakes.
30 Sep 2010, 10:48 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-18: what? with paddy behind him he can walk on water!
30 Sep 2010, 11:43 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-18:
Good work Walshy, you can’t keep a great ref down for long, your wrong about the ego I know this guy very well, perception only.
30 Sep 2010, 11:48 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-20:
Is he ***?
Is he married?
30 Sep 2010, 11:49 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-20:
I mean g a y.
30 Sep 2010, 11:54 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-21:
He can start with cutting out the chummy-chummy dialogue with players.
30 Sep 2010, 11:57 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-20:
Is he? Well?
30 Sep 2010, 12:10 pm
Back in time to stitch up the Boks again …
30 Sep 2010, 12:21 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-24: I can’t remember the last time i winked at another guy. my money is on stevie putting from the rough.
30 Sep 2010, 12:37 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-18: What mistakes have Wayne Barnes made?
30 Sep 2010, 12:56 pm
He who controls the himself, controls the game! Go Steve!
30 Sep 2010, 13:55 pm
in keeweeland
they call
any man
who
doesn’t like
sheep
g@y
30 Sep 2010, 14:16 pm
well done to steve…!! he’s been through the ringer… taken 12 steps and come out the other side…
good luck to him and kudos for turning things and his life around…
i have to admire the guy…!
30 Sep 2010, 16:21 pm
Steve, Warren Brits is looking for you.
30 Sep 2010, 18:49 pm
Willievz @ 28
on field ? I suppose Safas are more qualified to answer that than most given that the last 2 occasions he had the distinct pleasure of refereeing the Boks (in Perth, and Brisbane ?), he was liberally branded a “cheat”.
Not that that distinguishes him from any other ref tho I suppose.
30 Sep 2010, 21:47 pm
Walsh IS a good ref,communicates well,and good on him for turning things around,cannot fault him for that.
Welcome back Steve Walsh !
30 Sep 2010, 23:14 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-24: He’s the partner of Melodie Robinson, a SkyNZ TV sports presenter who is herself a rugby expert and who played on the wing for the Black Ferns.
1 Oct 2010, 00:55 am
Even if he officiated a game 10 sheets to the wind he’d still do a better job than the uneducated mamparas that ref some of the games in the Currie Cup..
1 Oct 2010, 02:30 am
Steve Walsh is quite a good ref. A thousand times better than any Northern hemisphere ref that is for sure.
Whatever happened to Scott Young. Haven’t seen him for a 3-4 years. He was Australia’s best ref in my opinion and he wasn’t too old either?
1 Oct 2010, 02:39 am
Walsh isn’t up to test standard, I can only think he’s getting the nod because Australia has very few other refs (well that and Paddy being a Kiwi).
1 Oct 2010, 03:03 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-37:
Well he can go with the other refs of 2010 that were not up to standard according to some people on this site and you.
But of course join in on the conspiracy rubbish that gets spewed around here. If its not injuries or the weather or the refs fault,who is else is to blame BH for an incompedent team?
1 Oct 2010, 03:07 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-38: pipe down son
1 Oct 2010, 03:10 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-39:
Get stuffed Dad
1 Oct 2010, 03:12 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-40:
1 Oct 2010, 05:24 am
The new model Steve is better than the old one. Good for him for getting his act together. Apart from thebrumbies blooper in the S14 he has been very good this year.
1 Oct 2010, 06:21 am
So can Steve Walsh referee New Zealand games if he is an Aussie Ref? I hope not, but what I really hope for is Wayne Barns reffing a knock out match for New Zealand and missing another forward pass that knocks them out of the world cup! A little harsh perhaps, but 95% of the world rugby population would hose themselves if it happened again!
Is there actually a good referee in World Rugby, who has the respect of everyone, like the Italian football referee Piere Luigi Colina, he was incredible and had the respect of everyone.
1 Oct 2010, 08:37 am
Personally… I feel Wayne Barnes is THE best ref in the world… followed by Kaplan and then the rest…
and of our local up and coming refs i rate Pro Legoete the best and he will become a great ref in the future…
i know a lot of you will spill your coffee at that… but watch the guy when next he refs… forget about what happened in the past and see how he has put in so much work and IMO has been excellent this year.
one this is for sure… he refs the scrums better than any other ref on the planet… he is the ONLY ref at moment who is regularly pinging guys for driving in… all the props are doing it… Pro in the only guy who’s really insisting they push straight…
he’s also very personable, confident and firm with the players…
not long before he climbs the ranks…
1 Oct 2010, 11:29 am
@ufo(ufo)-45:
Mark Lawrence.
1 Oct 2010, 13:46 pm
Great news ………………………welcome back Stevo.
A Kiwi in Dingo ensemble.
I love it.
Just another 1.5% swing in favour of the Home Team come 2011.
The Planning has been PERFECT thus far:
1 – In the lead up year, slaughter the Boks at home and away. So as to cause unrest and panic in the Eye Gougers camp. tick.
2 – Infiltrate the highest levels possible of Referee influence. tick.
3 – Stage the event in early spring when only those born with webbed feet, have any realistic chance. tick.
4 – Get Sonny Bill. tick.
5 – Get Deans into top Ozzie job. tick.
6 – Manage the seedings so France are in the same Pool. tick.
And still a year to go…………………………………………………
Wait till Enrico January turns up in 2011 and is denighed entry to NZ because of his CONVICTIONS.
And Percy.
And we don’t have diplomatic Relations with Zimbo………………….so any Boks carrying a Zimbo Passport will be turned back at the Border.
But in the meantime………………….welcome back Stevo.
8)
1 Oct 2010, 14:16 pm
@Panzer Chief(cane)-46: ‘The Planning has been PERFECT thus far:’
indeed, what could possibly go wrong?
1 Oct 2010, 14:27 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-47:
The Webbed Feet of Anglo Celts perhaps.
8)
1 Oct 2010, 17:51 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-45:
hey bp… you well?? how’s life in the land of the 3N Champs…!!!
yeah… lawrence is a good ref too…!!
6 Oct 2010, 03:12 am
Hi all.
Sorry I’m a bit late on this, but always thought Walsh lacked credibility due to his need to make friends with the players.
The best ref coming out of NZ at the moment is Glen Jackson (Former Bay of Plenty/Chiefs first-five).He ref’d Canterbury/Otago last weekend, and you could tell that the players really enjoyed having someone there that knew what they were talking about (Bugger-all grizzling from the front rows).
This guy is better than walsh/barnes/lawrence allready.
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