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The\u00a0NRL<\/a>\u00a0have reportedly made a decision on the match official who will referee the 2025\u00a0NRL<\/a>\u00a0Grand Final between the\u00a0Melbourne Storm<\/a> and Brisbane Broncos<\/a>.<\/p>\n After being named the referee in two of the last three NRL<\/a> Grand Finals – 2022 and 2024 – Ashley Klein emerged as the favourite to officiate this year’s decider.<\/p>\n However, it seems that the 46-year-old who has refereed 20 State of Origin<\/a> matches and the 2008 and 2022 Rugby League World Cup<\/a> finals is set to be looked over in favour of another candidate.<\/p>\n Speaking on\u00a0Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin,\u00a0The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield revealed that Klein is set to be axed in favour of Grant Atkins.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m 99.9% certain that Ashley Klein will be sacked as grand final referee,” Rothfield said on Sunday before the Brisbane Broncos<\/a> went on to defeat the Penrith Panthers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAll Grant Atkins has to do is get a pass mark at Suncorp Stadium…and he will referee his first grand final.\u201d<\/p>\n This decision to select Atkins over Klein comes after the latter whistled 18 penalties during the opening preliminary final and has been under the spotlight since the start of the 2025 NRL Finals<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I just think he was a little bit sensitive for the game,” Brad Fittler<\/a> said on\u00a0The Sunday Footy Show.<\/a><\/p>\n “You’ve got to give the game room to breathe and I don’t think he allowed that. There was a lot of high tackles and a lot of contact penalties given that most probably weren’t.<\/p>\n “I just thought he was way too sensitive and if he wound that back a little bit \u2026 but I don’t think it actually dictated who won the game.<\/p>\n “It just could have made for a better game with more points scored.”<\/p>\n
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