He’s been entrusted with the past 12 State of Origin matches and three NRL grand finals.
Now, despite a chorus of criticism in week one of the NRL finals, it seems Ashley Klein remains on track to make it four premiership deciders with reports the 45-year-old will be appointed to one of this weekend’s NRL semi-finals.
Klein was at the heart of several hugely controversial moments in Sunday’s Raiders-Broncos extra time epic.
None more so than the head butting incident involving Reece Walsh and Hudson Young in the 53rd minute that left Raiders fans apoplectic when both players were sin-binned and a penalty awarded to the Broncos.
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According to the Daily Telegraph, either Grant Atkins or Todd Smith will referee the Raiders-Sharks match on Saturday night in Canberra, leaving Klein set to control the Bulldogs-Panthers clash at Accor Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Klein was memorably labelled a ‘protected species’ by veteran reporter Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield in 2023 and the latest move by NRL officials is unlikely to change his opinion of the polarising whistle blower.
Since making his NRL debut back in 2009, Klein has refereed 424 regular season games and 29 finals.
Bill Harrigan holds the all-time refereeing record for grand finals, officiating in ten season deciders between 1989 and 2003.