The NRL has demoted referee Adam Gee for this weekend’s finals, with the grand final whistle-blower a shock omission from team lists on Tuesday.
Gee officiated the 2023 grand final between Penrith and Brisbane but was not given a game to control on the opening week of the finals with Ashley Klein, Gerard Sutton, Todd Smith and Grant Atkins selected.
Gee, who was not named in the NRL Bunker for any of the clashes either, has been chosen to be the standby referee for Penrith v Roosters as well as Saturday’s clash in Townsville.
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”We only have four games this week, and match officials have been selected on form,” NRL head of football Graham Annesley said.
“Todd has earned his spot based on really solid performances throughout the season.
“We are fortunate to now have more referees capable of controlling finals than we have games available.
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“Competition for positions inevitably drives improved performance and consistency.”
Annesley did not rule out naming Gee for the remainder of the NRL finals series, after he officiated games every week during last year’s series and the eventual decider, which Penrith snatched in the final seconds.