NRL referee Ben Cummins has opened up about the severe impact on his mental health following his controversial 'six again' call in the 2019 grand final, which saw the Sydney Roosters defeat the Canberra Raiders. In an emotional confession, Cummins revealed he locked himself in his house for a week and had 'negative thoughts' about his life after the incident.
Cummins' family also suffered, with his son facing abuse at school and his daughters targeted online. 'I basically locked myself in my house for a week. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it. I had some thoughts about what I wanted to do with my life and they were pretty negative,' he said.
The controversy arose when Cummins initially called 'six again' after a Raiders attacking kick, allowing Jack Wighton to play the ball. However, Cummins quickly reversed his decision, meaning Canberra had to hand over possession. The Roosters then scored a try through James Tedesco, taking a 14-8 lead and eventually winning the match.
Cummins admitted his error, saying, 'I realised I stuffed up big time and I tried to correct the call... But Jack Wighton didn't see that and he got tackled and the Roosters get the ball and go down the length of the field in the next set and score.'
The revelations come amid heightened awareness of mental health in rugby league, following the recent death of former player and coach Paul Green. Cummins' story highlights the intense pressure and abuse faced by officials in professional sport.
