Group 7 referee Nick Mcinerny reached an extremely impressive milestone on June 30 when he refereed his 600th grade game.

McInerny, who has been refereeing since he was 13 years old, says that his true love for the sport and continued support from family and friends is what brings him back year after year.

“I started out as a 13-year-old and I did it because I was having a lot of injuries in my last year of footy in under 13s. And I wanted to take it up to stay involved in the sport. It does take its toll, you’ve got to have good support from the family and friends around you, which I’d be lost without,” says McInerny.

Since beginning, McInerny has watched both the sport and refereeing evolve and he is so happy to see females finally being able to get involved.

“There are a lot more games these days than there were when I first started. The games have gotten quicker, there's a lot more female participation now which is great to see, both playing and officiating which is good. And that’s one area which will be an issue going forward with all these other grades, having enough officials going forward,” says McInerny.

Referees are as vital to rugby league as having a field to play it on, and yet they are subject to a lot of unfair abuse from players, coaches and spectators.

This unfair abuse is one reason why referees are becoming scarce, and McInerny’s wish is that people involved in the sport would be more empathetic towards them.

“Group 7 has been pretty positive in trying to foster a family attitude at games, unfortunately that isn’t always the case. Unfortunately there are still some people who believe that they paid their money to get into the gate so they can say what they want and do what they want,” says McInerny.

“Some of the comments that I have had over the years have been quite derogatory, and people have just got to remember that we are all human, we will make mistakes which is part and parcel of the game, but we don’t go out there to deliberately make mistakes,” says McInerny.

McInerny loves a game with a good atmosphere and teams having a real battle. Some of his most memorable games have been the various grand finals he has officiated which includes the 2013 grand final between Gerringong and Warilla which ended in golden point.

“If you can get a game of footy where the two teams just play football and you can walk off the field after the game and no one talks about the referee, then I think the referee has done a great job in that game,” says McInerny.

Fellow referee Ryan Micallef speaks very highly of McInerny and his service to both the game and the Group 7 Referees Association.

“Nick is the kind of bloke to go about his work quietly and without any fuss. To do 600 career-grade games is a testament to his long-term dedication to officiating & rugby league in general. On top of his on-field refereeing, Nick has spent numerous years holding administration positions within our association, continuing to move us forward,” says Micallef.

Group 7 Referees Association President, Jarrad Borg nominated Nick for a life membership in 2018 and is forever grateful for his wisdom and advice.

“For myself, starting as a junior referee in 2007, Nick has been a cornerstone of my journey as both a coach and mentor. His extensive knowledge as a referee and his willingness to provide honest feedback made him an invaluable resource for all of us,” says Borg.

McInerny assures that he is not quite finished yet, next he aims to reach the 300 first grade games milestone which has only been reached by one other referee in Group 7 history.