Grant Phillip Atkins (born 3 April 1982) is an Australian rugby league referee. He has refereed in the top-tier National Rugby League since 2011, and has also controlled many finals and representative matches.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Grant Phillip Atkins | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 April 1982 | ||||||||||||||
Refereeing information | |||||||||||||||
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Source: rugbyleagueproject.org | |||||||||||||||
Early life and education
editAtkins is the son of former player Graeme Atkins.[1] He completed a Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) and a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) at the University of Western Sydney, followed by a Master of Communications through Griffith University.
From 2004 to 2010, Atkins taught at McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains. In 2011, he was a transition liaison officer for Catholic Education, Parramatta. Since 2012, Atkins has been a full-time rugby league referee.[2]
In 2016, Atkins recorded and broadcast a podcast series Pride of the West, interviewing Western Sydney identities such as Pat Cummins, Mark Geyer, Chris Bath, Paige Hadley and Jason Dundas.[3]
In 2023, Atkins was awarded an academic blue by the Australian Catholic University, which recognised the achievement of the university’s student athletes who succeeded at the top of their fields while meeting and exceeding academic standards. Atkins had refereed top-level rugby league while studying for a graduate certificate in high performance sports leadership.[4]
Refereeing career
editPenrith Junior League
editAtkins began refereeing in Penrith District Rugby League in 1997 and was awarded as the most improved junior referee that year, at age 15. He went on to referee their A-grade grand finals in 2004 and 2005.[5] Atkins was awarded life membership in 2018.[6]
New South Wales Rugby League
editAtkins was promoted to the NSWRL Referees Association in 2007.[5]
National Rugby League
editAtkins controlled his first NRL match on 26 August 2011, between Parramatta Eels and Sydney Roosters. He refereed top-grade matches every year since to the present, being a regular NRL referee since 2014.[1] Atkins has been appointed to eleven matches in the NRL end-of-season finals matches,[7] and served as a bunker review official in State of Origin series and in the NRL Grand Finals of 2021[8] and 2022.[9]
Atkins' representative appointments include City vs Country Origin in 2016,[10] Indigenous All Stars in 2015,[11] 2017[12] and 2019,[13] and Australia versus Samoa in 2023.[14]
Controversies
editAtkins has been involved in some unusual situations while controlling games, including retrieval of a mobile phone dropped by a streaker[15] and accidentally tripping a defending player.[16]
Despite calls for its removal,[17] Atkins has defended the role of the bunker in supporting referees to make the correct decision.[18] In an interview with Fox Sports, Atkins said referees make over 8500 passive decisions per game, but make only five or six errors per game.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b "Grant Atkins - Referee Career - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Grant Atkins". NRL Football Operations. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Nathan (20 April 2016). "Podcast shows west's pride • The Western Weekender". Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Athletes and performers reflect and celebrate a year of achievement". www.acu.edu.au. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b "ATKINS REACHES 100". Penrith District Rugby League Referees' Association. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Life Members". Penrith District Rugby League Referees' Association. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Rugby League Tables / Referees 1939-2024". afltables.com. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "'Favourite place in the world to referee': Sutton ready for decider". National Rugby League. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Klein, Badger ready to play their part in Grand Final showpiece". National Rugby League. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "City vs Country 2016 - NSW Country Origin 30 lost to NSW City Origin 44 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "All Stars 2015 - NRL All Stars 6 lost to Indigenous All Stars 20 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "All Stars 2017 - Indigenous All Stars 34 def. NRL All Stars 8 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "All Stars 2019 - Indigenous All Stars 34 def. Maori All Stars 14 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Internationals 2023 - Game 1 - Australia 38 def. Samoa 12 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Just when you think you've seen it all... a stray phone stops play in an NRL clash". Fox Sports. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Ref's 'trip' on star causes controversy as Broncos flogged". Nine. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "'It's all the noise': Ricky fumes at NRL bosses amid 'confused' referee's controversial calls". Fox Sports. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Ref's call: Atkins dismisses 'constant chatter' and nepotism claims". National Rugby League. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "The staggering NRL data showing just how few decisions referees get wrong". Fox Sports. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
Further listening
edit- Knell, Tristan (18 January 2019). "Episode 116 - Grant Atkins". talkingwithtk. Retrieved 29 September 2024.