 Northern hemisphere officials are frustrating ex-All Black Marshall |
Ospreys scrum-half Justin Marshall has criticised the negative refereeing he feels dominates the Magners League. "I thought games would be freer than the Guinness Premiership as there's no relegation," said the 81-cap All Black, who moved from Leeds in the summer.
"But the officiating has taken me by surprise, they really want to penalise you and a lot of it is unnecessary.
"The Ospreys have suffered by trying to play too much under those rules. I'll be happier in the Anglo-Welsh Cup."
Marshall's team is still smarting from Friday's humiliating 43-7 league defeat at Ulster.
The Kiwi admits that the result was "embarrassing", but says that the refereeing played a part.
 | In the southern hemisphere officials play the advantage and have sympathy with the attacking team |
"We were penalised out of the game in the first half," Marshall told BBC Sport Wales.
"We were in the game, but were trying to play out of our own half and that put pressure on us - we have to look at that.
"David Humphreys banged over the goals, we had a couple of sin-bins and it was game over.
"It's a different game to the one that's played in the southern hemisphere, there the officials play the advantage and have sympathy with the attacking team.
"Here the referees look to be negative at the breakdown and consequently there are not a lot of phases to the game.
"It's a shame because sides like the Ospreys who try to play the game are just wasting their time."
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