Cup grand final referee Jarrod Cole: 'This one is for Toppy'

“Everyone’s had quite a tough year and we’ve battled quite hard as a group to get through the year so this one is for Toppy.

“Obviously last year coming so close (Cole missed out on the grand final to Tyson Brough), then losing such a close friend and mentor that I always would call and get tips and clarification off or even to keep me grounded… it does mean a little bit more this year.”

The physiotherapist, who in 2019 suffered a shock heart attack, has worked extremely hard since then to get back to the top. And has worked hard this year after narrowly missing out on getting the grand final last year.

“Worked hard on focusing on myself, splitting my roles between NRL touch judge and refereeing, and I think all the hard work this year from just missing out last year has paid off,” Cole said.

“Last year I was a little bit disappointed but I was content… I knew I’d had such a good year officiating. I got back into the NRL, I’d done the most touch lines I’d done, I’d had a great finals series, I’d done everything possible that I could do and it literally came down to Tyson - Broughy - pipping me at the post being the better ref during the finals series, which I understood.

“I was content with knowing how my year had gone. That bit of disappointment gives you motivation to get there again next year.

“It’s always in the back of your mind, the grand final, but my mindset every year is always to officiate well and have fun. When I’m having fun and officiating well, those other things just come with it. The desire is always there to be there on grand final day. But a little bit more knowing that I was so close last year.”

Cole will officiate with touch judges Nick Morel and Tori Wilkie.

“We had a really good game with the Norths v PNG game, very happy for both Nick and Tori,” Cole said.

“Obviously Nick has done multiple NRL lines, he’s done Cup grand finals, he’s got that big game experience…. Tori has come off a great year, having done NRLW lines, State of Origin for the women’s. It’s her first grand final. She’s got a big career ahead of her so very happy for the team.”

Cole said his goal was to have fun and enjoy the experience.

“Had a big year with my first NRL finals line, now this grand final, so it’s always about having fun, letting the teams play football and hopefully getting a good game out of it,” Cole said.

“If my year had ended last week after doing the first grade line, I would’ve been content with how my year went but obviously getting the phone call from Clayton Sharpe, Tim Rutherford and Andrew Wareham… obviously super happy and excited.

“How the year has gone, I feel like I have grown … the word growth is probably a good term for how I was last year to this year.  I feel like as a referee, that’s probably the biggest thing, the growth I’ve had in the last 12 months has led me to this point in time.

“The support that I’ve had from not only the officials in Queensland, but the NRL, and my family, have obviously got me through, got us all through, this year.”

QRL officiating high performance manager Andrew Wareham said, “all three have been the standout all year in regards to preparation, performance, delivery on field”.

“I think the really beautiful part for us is the fact that we were pushed to make a decision… we could’ve had any three of our referees or five of our touch judges go in, but those who have been selected are there because of their performance all-round… not only as on-field officials, but all-round what they bring as their total package, which is really important to our group and our culture,” Wareham said.

“Coley is your ultimate professional. He’s a giant sponge, he absorbs information, he leads from the front… he’s a natural born leader, people flock to him through his actions and his words... how he prepares, mentally and physically, for a game is a cornerstone to our group and testament to himself.

"When you look at the two who missed out, Nick Pelgrave and Tyson Brough, their preparation is equally as good. It was a very good problem to have."

Wareham added both touch judges - Morel, who will retire from on-field officiating after the grand final, and Wilkie, who has seen a meteoric rise this year - were well deserving of their appointments.

“What Morel has done on field, both as a referee and now as a touch judge, through his work as an NRL touch judge, through to what he has done in our group… he has been our leading touchie all year... continues to go from strength to strength so the time is right for him to step out on top on Sunday and move into the next aspect of his career," Wareham said.

“Tori has had a really meteoric rise. Everything she’s done, everything we’ve asked of Tori in the last two years, she’s delivered on. We asked her to go and out get fitter, get stronger… she’s done that. Tori now has become a really senior member of our group in quite a short time so whilst the rise has been quite rapid, how she’s handled it is impressive.

"And the danger you’ve always got when you've got someone who goes in that rapid rise is there could be a rapid fall, but for her, she really kept two feet on the ground, really kept well-rounded and humble in regards to how she is. For Tori, we couldn’t be prouder.

“Also worth noting those who missed out as well because they did nothing wrong. We were splitting hairs. For us, it was a lovely problem to have.

“We always know at the start of the year there’s going to be three. One referee and two touch judges and there’s some heartache for some in our group, especially those who have refereed in finals. But they can look back at their entire season as a success.

“We don’t want – as good as it is to get a grand final, we don’t want success to be defined by one game in September. It’s what each of them have brought. For us, our group, we’ve started to see year-on-year continual improvement.

“This year was a tough year. They lost Toppy in the middle of the year and how they bounced back from that and how they got around each other, how they supported each other and how they celebrate the success of each other is a credit to each of them, and the encouragement the group brings.”

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