Young ref keen on big league

 By FREDRICK JEJERI
A YOUNG rugby league official says the game’s administration should be actively looking to replace the ageing ranks of referees with vibrant and energetic candidates in order for standards to improve.
Simon Max, pictured, aged 18, from Towan village, Nipa, Southern Highlands, said he aimed to one day referee at the national level in the Digicel Cup and other major domestic competitions but he admitted there would need to be a change in attitude by administrators, as well as fans and players, to make refereeing a task worth doing.
“I was 16 and doing grade eight at Butibum Primary School when I started refereeing in the Lae schools rugby league competition,” Max said.
“Lae rugby league officials brought me into their competition and then recommended me for more games. “It makes me feel good to know that as a young referee, I’m being given opportunities in the major competition in Lae,” he said.
The Lae Secondary School tenth-grader’s role models are local referee Luxie Metta and Paul Wani.
Max was an in-goal touch judge during the 2014 test between PNG and Tonga in Lae.  He assisted referees and match officials at Digicel Cup games in Lae.
Lae schools rugby league competition president Dennis Miall said he was pleased to see a youngster make a commitment to refereeing and invited more youths to try it.
“In Lae schools, we encourage the young men not just to play but to be involved in other areas of the game. We’ve been running this competition for close to 10 years and we can produce good players and officials,” Miall said.
“We’ve had players like Mark Mexico, Kingston Pisep, Warren Glare, Ishmael Balkawa and Bill Paul — just to name a few — who have come through our system and gone on to play in the Digicel Cup, Kumuls and overseas.”
“Max is one of those children  who decided early on that he wanted to be a referee and we’re happy that he’s committed to his role and doing well.
“He’s experienced helping out in big matches and refereeing in the Lae Rugby League,” he said.
Miall said the school competitions were producing positive results and making a difference in the lives of many of the city’s youth and he called on the business community and other individuals to help develop the talent.