Griffith’s journey towards becoming a referee started in September, on a three-year programme designed to give former players the chance to have a crack at the job often described as the ‘hardest in football’.
After a brief flirtation with refereeing 10 years ago, when the idea of getting players into officiating was first tried, Griffith said it was an experience that stuck with him.
“I had a go at it in 2014 and I really enjoyed it,” he added. “Staying connected to the game and controlling the whole match – it was great.
“At the time there was no pathway, so I’m pleased that there’s an opportunity for ex-players because the game is calling out for that niche.”
While Griffith’s love for a tackle may have put him in front of a referee a fair bit, he says the way he tried to speak to them is something he is using on the new course.
“I think the way you communicate with players is key,” he said.
“Referees are human and will make mistakes but there is that communication aspect where you can talk to a player if you’ve got it wrong.
“I tried to communicate with the referee – it makes a little bit of a difference when you’ve got the armband because you can communicate a bit more and you’re also in the pre-match talk so you get that feel.”
Griffith knows that “shouting, screaming and balling” at referees “doesn’t do you any favours” adding: “Yes, there may have been a lot of yellow cards [in my career] but there was never any disrespect towards the referee”.