The first of three State of Origin Rugby League games was played in front of a huge crowd last weekend at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. The Queensland Maroons were victorious in holding off a young, fast-finishing New South Wales side. The Blues showed they weren’t going to be walkovers and towards the end of the game implemented their game plan of running from dummy half which turned around the bigger, slower and older Queensland forwards. It certainly sets the scene for a competitive game 2 which will be played in Sydney.

The biggest controversy in game 1 centred on the video referee. Some so called ‘genius’ at the NRL decided that there should be a grey area called the ‘benefit of the doubt’ in video ref decisions. This means that if there is any doubt about the decision then the advantage should be given to the attacking side. This has turned the whole process into a joke. Even when there is reasonable evidence suggesting that a try hasn’t been scored, the ref is apparently obliged to rule in favour of awarding a try.

The other complicating problem is that there are things that the video ref can’t adjudicate on. When it all gets too hard for the video ref then he can simply throw it back to the on field referee to make the decision; even though the on field ref has already indicated he has no idea of what has taken place. Why not make it simple? Hand the final decision to the video ref, let him review the footage, let him consult with the field ref and then let him make a call based on the evidence.

At least there is one thing you don’t need to consult anyone about and that is where the best place is to take a bet on the rugby league. 888Sport has all your State of Origin and NRL betting covered. Stop getting ripped off by other betting agencies and start using the convenience of your 888 account to back your favourite team and pocket a few extra dollars along the way.