Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths has dubbed the protocol for television match officials as a "shambles" following his side's defeat in the Aviva Premiership final today.
The Northampton Saints edged a dramatic match with a try in the dying stages of extra time at Twickenham, although Saracens felt aggrieved that they had a try of their own disallowed shortly after the hour mark.
Referee JP Doyle looked to have awarded Owen Farrell's score before TMO Graham Hughes seemingly interjected, resulting in the try being chalked off.
"Most teams in the Premiership would say the protocol has become a shambles, it's almost make it up as you go along. Some referees use the TMO as a kind of video operator, 'show me that again please', others take instruction, others take guidance. This sounds like sour grapes but it isn't, because this would be the case had that final try not been given," Griffiths told reporters.
"The TMO process is a shambles. It's something Premiership Rugby will have to look at, but the protocol needs to be clarified exactly what is meant to happen. The role of the TMO needs to be clarified: it's almost different with different referees and TMOs in different games. If you bring something into the game it's got to be decisive.
"I'm not going to say it cost us the title, but the protocol, for the good of the game, needs to be clarified. In the old days the referee would have looked at what happened and made an educated decision. Would that have been any better or worse than what happened? The TMO has got something to add in the sport, but how and when it's used has got to be clarified. It's not clear what the TMO says, who says it, when the referee's allowed to ask, when the TMO's allowed to ask, it just looks like a general hotch-potch."
Saracens also missed out on the Heineken Cup last weekend, losing 23-6 in the final against Toulon.
No Data Analysis info
