GROUP NINE
By Stephanie Muir
smuir@dailyadvertise r.com.au
TOP Wagga referee Bernie Nix is expecting Kangaroos and Gundagai to try his patience to the limit in the Group Nine grand final on Sunday at Equex Centre.
Nix has predicted both Kangaroos and Gundagai will look to toe the line, but says the teams both know the situations and times when things are going too far.
"Roos, in the same way as Gundagai, will push the boundaries," he said.
"If there is a penalty earned I will award it, and they are all pretty good about it."
Kangaroos have been on the back end of a 35-79 penalty count in the last seven games, but Nix has only controlled two of the games.
The horrific count, leaves Roos with a poor penalty count of more than one in two.
Nix had rebuked suggestions the unfavourable penalty count indicated Kangaroos were a difficult team to handle with whistle in hand on the field.
"No, they definitely aren't," he said.
Nix said he had only refereed Kangaroos a handful of times during the season, and could not provide captain-coach Grant Wooden with any words of wisdom to avoid the hefty penalty count ahead of the grand final.
"Not really, I haven't done Kangaroos that many times this year, and even from Sunday I would have to look back at the tape to remember what the penalties were for," he said.
The accomplished local referee has been handed the prestigious honour of his ninth first grade grand final.
"I am very much excited to have the opportunity to referee my ninth," he said.
"I was very lucky to get past the other guys, in particular Scott Muir."
"There are a lot of very capable and talented referees to pick from at the moment."
Nix said despite his unrivalled big-game experience, he would feel the butterflies come Sunday morning.
"I do feel the nerves, even (Sunday) I'm sure I was feeling very similar to the players," he said.
Nix said it was hard to split his Group Nine grand final appearances to pinpoint a highlight, but his debut on the big stage was a memorable moment.
"Each of my appointments for a first grade grand final stands out, but it was my very first one that stands out as the biggest highlight," he said.
"To achieve my first one was very special, and I would never have thought I would be appointed to eight more."
During his distinguished career, Nix said he was lucky that there was not a game that sticks in his mind as the worst he had ever refereed.
"Different moments in different games have been a low point, when things haven't gone to plan, but there is not one game that stands out," he said.
Nix tries to avoid wallowing in his performance, and always tries to clear his memory bank ahead of the new game.
He admits he often does rethink aspects of the game after the final siren, and sometimes struggles to halt the mental replays.
"I think I do think over the games, but I also try to move forward," he said. "Come Saturday or Sunday night I am thinking over the positives and negative,"
"Sometimes there are things I think that I know I won't do again, will do differently or I shouldn't have done, or there is something that I will do again."
Nix said he was not intimidated by the vocal band of loyal supporters, and he did not find walking off the field after the grand final a frightening or daunting prospect.
"Not really, I have never had much trouble," he said.
"Sometimes the supporters of their team will say something to me but I don't let it affect me."
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter