Tim Mander, Rugby League
Issue: Volume 4 Number 2
Persistence pays off
Before he won the Masters in April, Phil Mickelson had long been known as the best golfer never to win a major title. Top Australian rugby league referee Tim Mander can relate to that.
‘For so long Phil Mickelson lived in the shadow of Tiger Woods. For me it was Bill Harrigan. Ironically, Mickelson finally won the Masters this year and I finally got to referee the National Rugby League grand final,’ Tim said.
Refereeing the match between the Bulldogs and Roosters was not only a highlight of his successful career, it was testament to his persistence and determination.
‘I was thrilled when I got the grand final, but the most overwhelming feeling was one of relief.’
Tim had gone a long time without a major appointment and had to patiently bide his time during the Harrigan era, then rise above the disappointment of not being selected for any Origin games throughout 2004.
‘That was a tough time for me. I felt I’d earned the right through my experience and performances to get an Origin game and it was very frustrating when I was overlooked. In some ways I see getting the grand final as vindication of the fact I am right up there.’
Pure persistence paved the way for his comeback from the Origin setback.
‘My professionalism and pride kicked in and I decided I wanted to prove I was the best, so I took a week off then came back full of vim and energy.’
It worked. The 43-year-old was finally awarded the grand final, after a career that began when he was 15, controlling 261 first grade matches, six tests and four World Cup matches in a career that has spanned 13 years.
‘Getting the grand final was one thing; the next thing was making sure I refereed it properly.’
Because he’d been around for a long time, Tim did not get overwhelmed by the occasion.
‘It was great. I really soaked up the atmosphere. Sometimes you can be so focused you don’t really appreciate the occasion and I didn’t want that to happen. I made sure I took it all in as it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
‘The whole lead-up week was good. There were so many congratulations and letters of goodwill…going to functions…the media exposure. It was all great.
‘The actual game wasn’t as quick or as intense as the games in the previous few weeks, so in some ways it didn’t seem as difficult.’
His performance led to his selection to referee in the Tri Nations series between Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
Other than his persistence, Tim believes the key to reaching the top is self belief.
‘Having confidence is the key. You’re born with a certain amount, but you have to develop it through experience and pure weight of performance.
‘I know I’m a good referee and I know that 99 per cent of the time I’m going to make the right decision. That one per cent when I make a mistake I have to accept as part of the job. The objective is to identify the mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again.’
Keeping mistakes to a minimum and making sure all referees are interpreting rules the same way is a priority for Tim.
‘There is a lot of teamwork and camaraderie involved in refereeing nowdays. That hasn’t always been there. Referees used to do their own thing and were a bit protective of their knowledge.
‘Now we train together every Monday and Tuesday and we really strive to be consistent in our interpretations and rulings. There are lots of discussions analysing decisions we’ve made throughout the games.
‘And for someone like me there’s quite a bit of responsibility with regards to looking after the younger referees.It’s a funny thing…we’re competitive with each other, so there’s always that edge there, but also we’re good friends.’
That is one of the reasons he’s not even thinking about retirement yet. Plus he has unfinished business.
‘I’m planning to stick around for at least another year and who knows after that. I’m a classic example of persistence. If you hang around long enough you’ll get there. I still have goals I haven’t achieved. I still want to get that State of Origin game and that’s what’s motivating me.’
