THE Queensland Rugby League Referees High Performance Unit has again shown it can provide a genuine pathway for officials wanting to reach the highest level in the game, with a number of its members being offered contracts with the NRL.
Chris Butler who this week was appointed to take charge of the National Youth Competition grand final
He is the third Queensland referee to be offered this opportunity following the footsteps of Brett Suttor in 2006 and Gavin Morris in 2008.
Fellow academy members Michael Gordon, Tim Rutherford and Nick Morel have been offered NRL part-time referee (second tier) contracts for 2014; while Belinda Sleeman has also been offered a 2014 NRL part-time referee contract via the Women in League Officials program.
This years Intrust Super Cup grand final referee Clayton Sharpe has had his multi-skilled contract with the NRL renewed, as have fellow Cup referees Peter Gough and Michael Wise.
We see this as a huge bonus and this is another clear progression and pathway for Queensland match officials, QRL Referee High Performance Coordinator John Topp said.
While Butlers new role will require him to make the move to Sydney; the remaining members of the squad will train out of the QAS facilities on Mondays (full days) from November 11 for season 2014.
The sessions will run as a partnership between the QAS, QRL and NRL and will mirror those run in Sydney.
We are excited that our match officials will be given this opportunity and wont have to be away from their family and travelling to Sydney every week, Mr Topp said.
In an added bonus, some additional members of the QRL Referees Academy will be able to experience the training of the top level officials with training, review, recovery, gym and theory sessions all taking place at the QAS facilities.
QRL Referees Academy member highlights
Chris Butler
27 years old
currently works for Event Rentals
member of the Brisbane RL Referees Association
1999 started refereeing in the Modified Games system (ran lines in 1998)
2014/15 NRL Fulltime Referee
Some Career Highlights
2006 National Under 18 Schoolboys Port Macquarie - Grand Final Referee
2007 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2008 Queensland v NSW u18 Referee
2008 debut - 43 National Youth Competition games
2009 debut - 69 Queensland/Intrust Super games
2011 debut - NRL Touch Judge
2012 Queensland v NSW Residents Referee
2012 National Youth Competition Grand Final Touch Judge
2013 National Youth Competition Grand Final Referee
Michael Gordon
24 years old
currently works in the family owned Power Sports Trophy business
member of the Gold Coast RL Referees Association
2003 started refereeing in the Modified Games system
2014 NRL Part time Referee second tier
Some Career Highlights
2010 National Under 18 Schoolboys Burleigh - Grand Final Referee
2011 Queensland v NSW Under 16 Referee
2011 FOGS Colts Grand Final Referee
2011/12 Gold Coast A Grade Grand Final Referee
2012 debut - 12 National Youth Competition games
2012 debut - 14 Queensland/Intrust Super games
2013 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2013 NRL Referees Academy
2013 Queensland v NSW Under 18 Referee
2013 FOGS Cup Grand Final Referee
Tim Rutherford
27 years old
currently works for NRL as a Game Development Officer
member of the Brisbane RL Referees Association
2000 started refereeing in the Modified Games system
2014 NRL Part time Referee second tier
Some Career Highlights
2006 National Under 15 Schoolboys - Perth
2007 National Under 18 Schoolboys Townsville
2010 debut - 25 National Youth Competition games
2011 debut 31 Queensland/Intrust Super Cup games
2012 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2012 FOGS Cup Grand Final Referee
2013 NRL Referees Academy
Nick Morel
26 years old
currently works for Suncorp as a Portfolio Officer Governance & Process
member of the Brisbane RL Referees Association
2001 started refereeing in the Modified Games system
2014 NRL Part time Referee second tier
Some Career Highlights
2007 National Under 15 Schoolboys Adelaide
2008 National Under 18 Schoolboys Darwin
2009 Queensland v NSW u16 Referee
2009 FOGS Colts Grand Final Referee
2010 debut 20 National Youth Competition games
2011 debut 17 Queensland Cup / Intrust Super Cup games
2012 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2013 NRL Referees Academy
Belinda Sleeman
26 years old
currently works for The Courier Mail as a News Producer
previously worked for The Morning Bulletin in Rockhampton and The Ipswich Times and QRL
member of the Ipswich RL Referees Association
2006 started refereeing in the Modified Games system in Rockhampton
2014 NRL Part time Referee WILOP (Women in League Officials Program)
Some Career Highlights
2010 National Under 15 Schoolboys Canberra
2010 QRL Cyril Connell Under 16 Grand Final Referee
2012/13 Ipswich Reserve Grade Grand Final Referee
2013 National Youth Competition Quarter Final Touch Judge
Chris Butler who this week was appointed to take charge of the National Youth Competition grand final
He is the third Queensland referee to be offered this opportunity following the footsteps of Brett Suttor in 2006 and Gavin Morris in 2008.
Fellow academy members Michael Gordon, Tim Rutherford and Nick Morel have been offered NRL part-time referee (second tier) contracts for 2014; while Belinda Sleeman has also been offered a 2014 NRL part-time referee contract via the Women in League Officials program.
This years Intrust Super Cup grand final referee Clayton Sharpe has had his multi-skilled contract with the NRL renewed, as have fellow Cup referees Peter Gough and Michael Wise.
We see this as a huge bonus and this is another clear progression and pathway for Queensland match officials, QRL Referee High Performance Coordinator John Topp said.
While Butlers new role will require him to make the move to Sydney; the remaining members of the squad will train out of the QAS facilities on Mondays (full days) from November 11 for season 2014.
The sessions will run as a partnership between the QAS, QRL and NRL and will mirror those run in Sydney.
We are excited that our match officials will be given this opportunity and wont have to be away from their family and travelling to Sydney every week, Mr Topp said.
In an added bonus, some additional members of the QRL Referees Academy will be able to experience the training of the top level officials with training, review, recovery, gym and theory sessions all taking place at the QAS facilities.
QRL Referees Academy member highlights
Chris Butler
27 years old
currently works for Event Rentals
member of the Brisbane RL Referees Association
1999 started refereeing in the Modified Games system (ran lines in 1998)
2014/15 NRL Fulltime Referee
Some Career Highlights
2006 National Under 18 Schoolboys Port Macquarie - Grand Final Referee
2007 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2008 Queensland v NSW u18 Referee
2008 debut - 43 National Youth Competition games
2009 debut - 69 Queensland/Intrust Super games
2011 debut - NRL Touch Judge
2012 Queensland v NSW Residents Referee
2012 National Youth Competition Grand Final Touch Judge
2013 National Youth Competition Grand Final Referee
Michael Gordon
24 years old
currently works in the family owned Power Sports Trophy business
member of the Gold Coast RL Referees Association
2003 started refereeing in the Modified Games system
2014 NRL Part time Referee second tier
Some Career Highlights
2010 National Under 18 Schoolboys Burleigh - Grand Final Referee
2011 Queensland v NSW Under 16 Referee
2011 FOGS Colts Grand Final Referee
2011/12 Gold Coast A Grade Grand Final Referee
2012 debut - 12 National Youth Competition games
2012 debut - 14 Queensland/Intrust Super games
2013 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2013 NRL Referees Academy
2013 Queensland v NSW Under 18 Referee
2013 FOGS Cup Grand Final Referee
Tim Rutherford
27 years old
currently works for NRL as a Game Development Officer
member of the Brisbane RL Referees Association
2000 started refereeing in the Modified Games system
2014 NRL Part time Referee second tier
Some Career Highlights
2006 National Under 15 Schoolboys - Perth
2007 National Under 18 Schoolboys Townsville
2010 debut - 25 National Youth Competition games
2011 debut 31 Queensland/Intrust Super Cup games
2012 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2012 FOGS Cup Grand Final Referee
2013 NRL Referees Academy
Nick Morel
26 years old
currently works for Suncorp as a Portfolio Officer Governance & Process
member of the Brisbane RL Referees Association
2001 started refereeing in the Modified Games system
2014 NRL Part time Referee second tier
Some Career Highlights
2007 National Under 15 Schoolboys Adelaide
2008 National Under 18 Schoolboys Darwin
2009 Queensland v NSW u16 Referee
2009 FOGS Colts Grand Final Referee
2010 debut 20 National Youth Competition games
2011 debut 17 Queensland Cup / Intrust Super Cup games
2012 Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship
2013 NRL Referees Academy
Belinda Sleeman
26 years old
currently works for The Courier Mail as a News Producer
previously worked for The Morning Bulletin in Rockhampton and The Ipswich Times and QRL
member of the Ipswich RL Referees Association
2006 started refereeing in the Modified Games system in Rockhampton
2014 NRL Part time Referee WILOP (Women in League Officials Program)
Some Career Highlights
2010 National Under 15 Schoolboys Canberra
2010 QRL Cyril Connell Under 16 Grand Final Referee
2012/13 Ipswich Reserve Grade Grand Final Referee
2013 National Youth Competition Quarter Final Touch Judge
