Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis and board member Mark Bouris have avoided sanctions from the NRL Integrity Unit after being accused of verbally abusing and intimidating referee Mitch James during the Las Vegas Nines tournament.
James alleged the pair confronted him after a pool match between the LA Roosters and Brisbane Veterans, with Bouris reportedly saying, “you reffed us out of the game.”
Despite James filing a formal complaint, the NRL concluded there was insufficient evidence to sanction Politis and Bouris, issuing only a warning for them not to approach match officials in the future.
The two officials denied any wrongdoing, with Bouris insisting, “We were not in his face, I made sure we stayed our distance.”
However, James, who had traveled to Las Vegas at his own expense, expressed frustration with the NRL’s response, calling it “disgraceful” and vowing to escalate the matter.
In an email to the Integrity Unit, he criticised the decision as insufficient and argued it sent the wrong message about the treatment of match officials.
“This response does not acknowledge the direct verbal intimidation and inappropriate comments made towards me,” James wrote, adding that he was unfairly removed from officiating another match.
James, who expressed concerns over the precedent the case set for rugby league officials, is now exploring further action outside the NRL to address the issue.
Source: nine.com.au
