Grant Atkins
{{Short description|Australian rugby league referee}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography|name=Grant Atkins|fullname=Grant Phillip Atkins|nickname=|image=|imagesize=|caption=|birth_date={{birth date and age|df=y|1982|04|03}}|birth_place=|death_date=|death_place=|refereecomp1=National Rugby League|refereeyear1start=2011|refereeyear1end=present|refereeappearances1=286|source=[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/referees/grant-atkins.html rugbyleagueproject.org]}}
Grant Phillip Atkins (born 3 April 1982) is an Australian rugby league referee. He has refereed in the top-tier National Rugby League since 2011, and has also controlled many finals and representative matches.
Early life and education
Atkins is the son of former player Graeme Atkins.{{Cite web |title=Grant Atkins - Referee Career - RLP |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/referees/grant-atkins-ref/summary.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}} He completed a Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) and a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) at the University of Western Sydney, followed by a Master of Communications through Griffith University.
From 2004 to 2010, Atkins taught at McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains. In 2011, he was a transition liaison officer for Catholic Education, Parramatta. Since 2012, Atkins has been a full-time rugby league referee.{{Cite web |title=Grant Atkins |url=https://www.nrl.com/operations/the-officials/match-officials/grant-atkins/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=NRL Football Operations |language=en}}
In 2016, Atkins recorded and broadcast a podcast series Pride of the West, interviewing Western Sydney identities such as Pat Cummins, Mark Geyer, Chris Bath, Paige Hadley and Jason Dundas.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Nathan |date=2016-04-20 |title=Podcast shows west's pride • The Western Weekender |url=https://westernweekender.com.au/2016/04/podcast-shows-wests-pride/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |language=en-US}}
In 2023, Atkins was awarded an academic blue by the Australian Catholic University, which recognised the achievement of the university’s student athletes who succeeded at the top of their fields while meeting and exceeding academic standards. Atkins had refereed top-level rugby league while studying for a graduate certificate in high performance sports leadership.{{Cite web |title=Athletes and performers reflect and celebrate a year of achievement |url=https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/news/2023/november/athletes-and-performers-reflect-and-celebrate-a-year-of-achievement |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.acu.edu.au |language=en}}
Refereeing career
= Penrith Junior League =
Atkins began refereeing in Penrith District Rugby League in 1997 and was awarded as the most improved junior referee that year, at age 15. He went on to referee their A-grade grand finals in 2004 and 2005.{{Cite web |title=ATKINS REACHES 100 |url=https://www.penrithreferees.com.au/news/p6wpshgnc6hltqj58754w12bc3t7el |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Penrith District Rugby League Referees' Association |language=en-AU}} Atkins was awarded life membership in 2018.{{Cite web |title=Life Members |url=https://www.penrithreferees.com.au/life-members |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Penrith District Rugby League Referees' Association |language=en-AU}}
= New South Wales Rugby League =
= National Rugby League =
Atkins controlled his first NRL match on 26 August 2011, between Parramatta Eels and Sydney Roosters. He refereed top-grade matches every year since to the present, being a regular NRL referee since 2014. Atkins has been appointed to eleven matches in the NRL end-of-season finals matches,{{Cite web |title=Rugby League Tables / Referees 1939-2024 |url=https://afltables.com/rl/misc/referees.html |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=afltables.com}} and served as a bunker review official in State of Origin series and in the NRL Grand Finals of 2021{{Cite web |date=2021-09-28 |title='Favourite place in the world to referee': Sutton ready for decider |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/09/28/gerard-sutton-named-to-referee-his-seventh-grand-final/ |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=National Rugby League |language=en}} and 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-27 |title=Klein, Badger ready to play their part in Grand Final showpiece |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/09/27/2022-grand-final-match-officials-confirmed/ |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=National Rugby League |language=en}}
Atkins' representative appointments include City vs Country Origin in 2016,{{Cite web |title=City vs Country 2016 - NSW Country Origin 30 lost to NSW City Origin 44 - RLP |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/city-vs-country-2016/game-1/nsw-country-origin-vs-nsw-city-origin.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}} Indigenous All Stars in 2015,{{Cite web |title=All Stars 2015 - NRL All Stars 6 lost to Indigenous All Stars 20 - RLP |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/all-stars-2015/game-1/nrl-all-stars-vs-indigenous-all-stars.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}} 2017{{Cite web |title=All Stars 2017 - Indigenous All Stars 34 def. NRL All Stars 8 - RLP |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/all-stars-2017/game-1/indigenous-all-stars-vs-nrl-all-stars.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}} and 2019,{{Cite web |title=All Stars 2019 - Indigenous All Stars 34 def. Maori All Stars 14 - RLP |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/all-stars-2019/game-1/indigenous-all-stars-vs-maori-all-stars.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}} and Australia versus Samoa in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Internationals 2023 - Game 1 - Australia 38 def. Samoa 12 - RLP |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/internationals-2023/game-1/australia-vs-samoa.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org}}
== Controversies ==
Atkins has been involved in some unusual situations while controlling games, including retrieval of a mobile phone dropped by a streaker{{Cite web |date=2024-06-22 |title=Just when you think you’ve seen it all... a stray phone stops play in an NRL clash |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2024-grant-atkins-finds-a-phone-on-the-field-roosters-vs-bulldogs-streaker-bizarre-moment-news-videos-highlight-referee-stops-play/news-story/963372158a1cbef6248a67277f2fac7e |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}} and accidentally tripping a defending player.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-27 |title=Ref's 'trip' on star causes controversy as Broncos flogged |url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news-2024-brisbane-broncos-v-canterbury-bulldogs-highlights-video-results-ezra-mam-referee-trip-20240727-p5jx12.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Nine |language=en}}
Despite calls for its removal,{{Cite web |date=2024-08-10 |title=‘It’s all the noise’: Ricky fumes at NRL bosses amid ‘confused’ referee’s controversial calls |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2024-canberra-raiders-postmatch-press-conference-loss-to-the-sea-eagles-ricky-stuart-blows-up-refereeing-decisions-news-videos-highlights/news-story/5985f2fafe3cb812327c0136b982fcb6 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}} Atkins has defended the role of the bunker in supporting referees to make the correct decision.{{Cite web |date=2018-07-25 |title=Ref's call: Atkins dismisses 'constant chatter' and nepotism claims |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/25/refs-call-grant-atkins-dismisses-constant-chatter-and-nepotism-claims/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=National Rugby League |language=en}} In an interview with Fox Sports, Atkins said referees make over 8500 passive decisions per game, but make only five or six errors per game.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-16 |title=The staggering NRL data showing just how few decisions referees get wrong |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2023-referees-grant-atkins-data-decisionmaking-wrong-decisions-controversial-calls-news-grand-finals-preseason-test-matches/news-story/420e986dfe461698ad9b0661113e4464 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}}
References
Further listening
- {{Cite web |last=Knell |first=Tristan |date=2019-01-18 |title=Episode 116 - Grant Atkins |url=https://www.talkingwithtk.com/single-post/grant-atkins |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=talkingwithtk |language=en}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Grant}}
Category:Australian rugby league referees
Category:Western Sydney University alumni
Category:Griffith University alumni