Nick Politis, the chairman of the Sydney Roosters, is reportedly facing an investigation following claims of referee abuse during a recent Nines tournament in Las Vegas. Alongside board member Mark Bouris, Politis allegedly confronted referee Mitch James after a match between the LA Roosters and the Brisbane Veterans, which ended in a narrow 12-10 defeat for the former.
The situation escalated when James reported that Bouris reacted vocally to decisions made during the match, stating, “You reffed us out of the game,” to which James retorted, questioning the value of Bouris’ advice. Politis then made further remarks, prompting a ground manager to intervene. This confrontation has since been referred to the NRL integrity unit following a complaint from James.
While Bouris acknowledged that an incident took place, he denied any hostility or abuse was directed towards James. He insisted that their comments did not involve swearing or threats, claiming they merely expressed discontent with the officiating standards. Bouris remarked, “We did go over and I did say that I had seen a lot of football and that refereeing was disgraceful,” distancing himself from the more severe accusations aimed at referee conduct.
James’ report also indicated that he was jokingly accused of being the father of players from the Brisbane side, despite being only 35 years old. This petty insult appears to have been an unnecessary dig amidst the heated discussions, hinting at the tensions simmering within the tournament.
As the investigation proceeds, the implications for both Politis and Bouris remain unresolved, with the drama highlighting the pressures and emotions often involved in competitive sporting environments. The integrity of officiating in the code is under scrutiny, and the outcomes of this incident could have further ramifications for all parties involved.