Illawarra Rugby League Referees

Footy is back across the Illawarra this weekend with a full round set to kick off.

All eyes on First Grade as Will Damato and Thomas Inness take charge, continuing their strong presence in the top level of our competition.

Best of luck to all match officials heading out this weekend — enjoy the return of a full schedule.

Proudly supported by our major sponsors Dwyers Truck Centre and Warrigal Charters , along with Extreme Carpet Cleaning, Wollongong, TLE Greentech Wollongong, Community Bank Wollongong and DP World.

1925
On this day, Illawarra referees stood their ground. After one of their own was labelled “incompetent” by the local league, officials threatened to strike — a bold move that showed just how important respect for referees has always been in our game.

A reminder that while the game has evolved, backing our match officials has always mattered.

Proud of the history. Stronger for it today.

Match Official Appointments – Round 20

Another strong weekend ahead with Illawarra representation across the major competitions.

Michael Ford takes charge in the NSW Cup as the Warriors host the Dragons in New Zealand, while Lachlan Greenfield backs up with a Sydney Shield appointment at Wentworth Park.

Best of luck this round.

Proudly supported by Dwyers Truck Centre and Warrigal Charters .

Round 19 is here, and three of our officials are set for big appointments across the weekend.

Michael Ford takes charge in the NSWC, Lachlan Greenfield backs up with a busy double RMC + NSWC, and Thomas Inness earns a well-deserved double at WIN Stadium including a NSW Women’s Premiership centre debut, and a NRLW Standby

These opportunities don’t come easy and reflect the consistent hard work being put in week after week.

Best of luck to all three this round.

Proudly supported by Dwyers Truck Centre and Warrigal Charters.

We’d like to congratulate Thomas Inness on his debut this weekend as a Centre Referee in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership.

Thomas will take to the field this Sunday afternoon at WIN Stadium, officiating ahead of the NRLW fixture — a great opportunity on a big stage and a reward for his commitment.

Best of luck, Thomas — we’re all behind you.

Proudly supported by Dwyers Truck Centre and Warrigal Charters .

Continuing with our new daily series: Behind the Whistle!
Each day, we’ll shine a spotlight on a referee or touch judge who has helped shape, serve and contribute to the great game of rugby league.

Today we feature Luke Potter, a proud rugby league Touch Judge who built an impressive career on the NRL sidelines.

Luke made his NRL Touch Judge debut in Round 13, 2008, and went on to serve the game with professionalism, consistency and dedication. As NRL Touch Judge #99, he earned 113 NRL appointments across seven seasons, including four finals series matches.

He was also rewarded with representative honours as a Touch Judge in the 2011 City v Country fixture, a reflection of the trust and respect he earned through his performances.

A wonderful servant of the game and another important name in the history of rugby league’s touch judges.

Who will be featured tomorrow? Stay tuned!

Another big weekend of footy across the Illawarra, with plenty happening right across the grades.

Congratulations to Brad Nutland on his Opens League Tag debut, stepping up into a new space with confidence. Jake Arntzen also took the field for his Under 14’s debut.

Great to see referees continuing to develop and take on new challenges each week, contributing and giving back to junior and senior competitions across the region.

Proudly supported by Dwyers Truck Centre and Warrigal Charters .

Congratulations to Lachlan Greenfield on his Massey Cup debut this weekend 👏

A well-earned appointment at Parker Street Reserve, 4pm Saturday.

Read more via the link 👇
https://linktr.ee/idrlra

Proudly supported by Dwyers Truck Centre and Warrigal Charters .

2026 June Recap
Read now: https://linktr.ee/idrlra

From wet weather and disrupted schedules to strong training numbers, new referees stepping straight into game day roles, and key milestones across all levels — the progress hasn’t slowed.

With the season now at the halfway point, the group continues to build depth, resilience and momentum heading into the back end of the year.

A true weekend of grit across the Illawarra, with heavy rain making for tough, muddy conditions but outstanding commitment from all match officials from start to finish.

A big congratulations to Kai de Francesco on making his Under 15s debut, Latahni and Maddy also completing their first game as a referee, stepping straight into the action with confidence. Great to also see Taylor DeLand-Cleveland return from injury, taking control of a 3rd Grade player milestone game in a strong comeback performance.

Big numbers across a full schedule of competitive footy, with referees front and centre in testing conditions and doing the job week in, week out.

A big thank you as always to our sponsors for their ongoing support of the association: Dwyers Truck Centre, Warrigal Charters , Extreme Carpet Cleaning, Restoration Wollongong, TLE Greentech Wollongong, Community Bank Wollongong, and DP World.