Why female footy referee has been BANNED from officiating one team’s games as bizarre connection emerges: ‘It’s not a good look’
- Kasey Badger will not officiate at South Sydney matches
- A connection has been made that the NRL was not aware of
- Football boss admits new detail ‘doesn’t paint a good picture’
A soccer referee has been suspended from matches involving the South Sydney Rabbitohs in what is believed to be an extraordinary incident in the NRL.
Saturday night’s match between Cronulla and the Bunnies was marred by awkward situations as Kasey Badger guarded the bunker and her husband Gavin Badger stood in the Souths penalty area to assist Ben Hornby.
Gavin, a former top referee, has been an advisor to the Rabbitohs for two years and the NRL therefore does not see a need for Kasey to officiate at the club’s matches.
According to News Corp, the NRL was not aware of the potential conflict of interest before the match against the Sharks and admitted it was “not a good prospect”.
“It won’t happen again,” said football director Graham Annesley.
“We don’t question Kasey’s objectivity or professionalism, but we recognize it doesn’t look good.”
There were no major controversies during Saturday night’s match, leaving the NRL with plenty of questions.
A female soccer referee has been suspended from officiating matches in South Sydney
Kasey Badger is married to Gavin Badger, who is an advisor to the Bunnies
Kasey is widely regarded as one of the best officials in the game
Football association chiefs are concerned about potential problems that could arise if a dispute arises while the couple are still in office.
Kasey is a renowned official who has a strong reputation in the sport.
Most fans and pundits were unaware of Gavin’s role at Souths until he was spotted in the coaches box during Saturday’s match.