The NRL has reportedly given referee Grant Atkins “a tick of approval” for how he handled his Las Vegas assignments, in which he presided over the Dragons vs. Bulldogs game, where as many as a half-dozen calls were dubbed suspect by fans.
There were calls for Atkins to be dropped after making what many — including Dragons coach Shane Flanagan — saw as major bundles, including a stripped ball call that gave Canterbury a penalty in the 89th minute of golden point and allowed them to go on and win by a single point. Stephen Crichton slotted the winning field goal in the round one clash.
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The league will not be booting Atkins from active rotation, though, with the grand final referee expected to appear in the bunker when the Cronulla Sharks host the Gold Coast Titans at Ocean Protect Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Veteran journalist “Bulldog” Ritchie also told listeners on Big Sports Breakfast that the NRL had given Atkins “a tick of approval for his handling of the Vegas nightcap” despite the ever-growing backlash for his perceived errors. That information was then shared by @LeagueScenePod on Twitter.
The NRL will retain GF referee Grant Atkins in the referee rotation despite being on the end of a lengthy complaint list by Dragons coach Shane Flanagan.
The NRL gave Atkins a tick of approval for his handling of the Vegas nightcap.
— The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) March 4, 2026
For what it’s worth, The Sporting Base understands all round one assignments were settled before Vegas had even begun, so whether Atkins is to be dropped or not will actually be decided between this weekend and next. It’s very unlikely that Atkins, seen by NRL HQ as one of the best whistle-blowers in the game, is actually sidelined in round two, though.
Ritchie also suggested Vegas’ two referees – Atkins and Ashley Klein – will “return to top-line duties in Round Two.”
The Dragons will feel like they were very dudded in their 15-14 Vegas loss.
One of the loudest agitators was Dragons’ coach Shane Flanagan, who declared his team had been dudded by a single point in golden point after the controversial call in the final minute; the Dragons were ruled to have stripped a ball out. Replays, however, appeared to show a loose carry. (And this Base writer definitely leans towards it being a loose carry, too.)
“It’s a loose carry mate, every day of the week, without a doubt. There was that, there was a lot of others. We didn’t get the rub of the green, that’s for sure, but it wasn’t decided in my view, the right way,” Flanagan said after the loss.
“There was a couple of others that went to the bunker that were strange. We didn’t get the rub of the green in any of those decisions. I’ll just reiterate, the game has been put on a real high pedestal, but tonight, it shouldn’t have been decided the way it was. Good luck to the Bulldogs; they were good enough to kick the field goal, but we should have gone home one point each.”
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“I don’t want to keep on focusing on the negatives because it has been a great week, a great promotion, but in the first half, we saw Stephen Crichton put on report for a high shot. The game earlier, there was a similar tackle and a bloke got ten minutes for that tackle. I’m just trying to work out some consistency,” one NRL journo said in the post-match presser.
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“Mate, can you just write your words that you just said and put your name underneath it, because I am exactly the same. Like, seriously, come on. There was another one there that Setu Tu was running back, they kicked it in behind, he is running back towards the ball, Kikau pushes him in the back, and they get a penalty. Like, come on,” Flanagan replied.
“There was about six or seven of them [decisions that went against us].”
