The Case for Toowoomba as the NRL’s 20th Team & AI Bunker Possibilities | Ask Kenty
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How much do NRL referees and touch judges actually earn?
G'day and welcome to Kenti Blitz Ask Kenti Edition on a Sunday. Hope you're enjoying yourself. All right, I've got quite a lot of questions here, Kenti. You ready? Luckier than I'm here to get through them. Very good. Great. Raimondo. We hear a lot about the players' salaries, but how much are the referees and touchies, i.e. spectators with flags, to use your paid? Look, it varies, obviously, according to the level of talent. But roughly the top referees get about $300 a year. You come in at an entry level at the NRL of about, I think it's $105 a year, something like that. So look, they're paid well enough to be able to sit down and study the books for us. Did they say Ashley Cline was betting $400 grand a year?
Must be a very good bettor. Justin Harrison asks, what about an AI bunker, lads? Oh, no. Takes me back to the old A.I. Kenty days. Remember at the start of the year? Yeah, yeah. We saw how well that worked. So if that's what we wish for, be careful. All right. Doug Nash. Everybody screams for consistency from the referees, the judiciary, the bunker, week to week, game to game. How about the same from the commentators? Cannot believe the leakage from commentators who can't be consistent with their comments during a game because they don't know the rules.
Yeah.
Yeah, it is funny sometimes you hear people arguing a certain way. Why doesn't the bunker get involved in that? Well, the bunker's not allowed to get involved under the rules. We saw a bit of that last week. Look, the fact is, look, they probably should do a refresher course. The rules change that often, Warren. Look, I try and start with the rules myself, but they change that often. and interpretations change that often, it is pretty hard to stay up to date with all of them. But that said, that's your job. That's what the requirement is. So I don't disagree. I do hear some awful things said in commentary sometimes, and I just think this guy just doesn't know the rules, just doesn't understand the rules.
But that's life, isn't it? I get things wrong too. Not often, but every now and then.
Could an AI‑driven bunker improve decision‑making in NRL matches?
Look, Rory, let's be fair to you. All right, I've got one for you. This is another one around TV and commentary. Andy Ryan asks, I'd love to know your thoughts on the difference in TV commentary between Fox KO and the free-to-air coverage. I find Fox really leans into the theatre of the game. They take you on a journey, whereas free-to-air, I sometimes find the commentary strangely flat and talking about the old boys, how it was played, when they played, etc., Under the broadcast agreement, is there any actual expectation or direction around how the game should be presented and promoted by commentators? Only that the game should be promoted in a positive light, not negatively. That'll all come under scrutiny more next year when the media cop starts and he starts bringing out his baseball bat and hitting people over the head.
Look, that's just – yeah, look, I only listen to basically one side of the commentary in that argument between free-to-air and paid television, so I can't really compare which is the better one. But, look, it's usually a preference, really. If you are lucky enough to have both, to be fair, not everybody can afford Fox Sports. It is expensive, so that's the truth. But, look – whatever floats your boat in that regard. I do know there used to be a – he still works, but I won't say who he is. But there's a commentator that used to basically – he used to have his producer sitting behind him with a rolled-up newspaper, and every time he'd start to just bullshit on and on and on, he'd just get out of the back of the head with the newspaper and just get told to get back into
– That cannot be true, Kent. It's true. It's still working today, this bloke. Really?
Yeah.
I'll leave it up to you to guess. Like a little dog that keeps getting... Well, look, some
get
carried away with themselves. You know what I mean? My pet hate in the commentary is the rehearsed lines that are
said
and made to try and look ad lib as if they've just created this wit for themselves off the cuff.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How much do NRL referees and touch judges actually earn?
0:01–2:20
2
Could an AI‑driven bunker improve decision‑making in NRL matches?
2:20–8:09
3
What are the main differences between Fox/Kayo and free‑to‑air commentary and presentation?
8:09–12:37
4
Will Sam Burgess return to the NRL as a coach or player for South Sydney?
12:37–18:24
5
What pressures and demands do modern NRL coaches face?
18:24–25:00
6
How do clubs approach recruitment, player valuation and contract negotiations?
25:00–30:04
7
Why has contested possession disappeared from the modern game and should scrums be made contestable again?
30:04–34:59
8
How are NRL finances changing and what impact could new stadium locations have on the league’s future?
34:59–42:10
Speakers
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