According to Graham Annesley, the head of football for the NRL, the decision to exclude Kasey Badger from officiating any South Sydney games as long as her husband Gavin stays employed by the team is merely a public relations ploy to dispel any notion that their connection may have any impact on selections.
Cameras captured Gavin in the South Sydney box during Saturday night’s Sharks vs. Rabbitohs match, which Cronulla won handily. Kasey was in the Bunker for the game.
The former referee has been a consultant for the Rabbitohs, visiting during opposing sessions once a week and sometimes attending games.
The Sharks had a controversial call on Saturday night when the Bunker reversed a try. Although the NRL has cleared that incident, they have opted not to have Kasey involved in any way as long as her husband is still at Souths.
Annesley told the NewsWire, “It’s just not a good look.” On Saturday, Kasey rejected a challenge from a captain of South Sydney.
The perception of any conflict of interest is something that the NRL will not tolerate.
“That is the sole explanation for our actions. It was unrelated in the slightest to Kasey’s moral character or any of the game’s choices.
“There can be no suggestion of any perceived conflict as we were unaware that Gavin was still working with the club, but we will make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.”
Perceived conflicts of interest are nothing new; in 2020, Bernard Sutton, the former referees chief, was informed that he was no longer in charge of selecting officials, citing his two brothers’ positions as referees as grounds for potential nepotism in the wake of allegations of preferential treatment.
After leaving the NRL, Sutton worked as a consultant with the Storm, which at the time caused some controversy.
According to a Souths representative, the club accepted the NRL’s ruling.
