Legendary coach Wayne Bennett can't see the NRL reverting to a one-referee system no matter how scintillating the Rugby League World Cup is.
The debate over how many officials are needed to control a game has been reignited by an action-packed start to the World Cup.
Games in the tournament are being controlled by a single official.
Australia captain Cameron Smith, the most experienced and arguably most respected NRL player, opined after the Cup opener that a match "tends to flow a lot more" with one referee.
The NRL introduced an extra official in 2009, wanting to crackdown on certain issues such as grapple tackles.
League officials are set to review the contentious topic following the World Cup.
Brisbane coach Bennett, who is mentoring England in the ongoing event, believes one referee is the right number but says the NRL won't be willing to admit as much.
"They won't change now," the supercoach told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
"Those that rubber stamped it won't give themselves up and say 'we might have made a mistake here'.
"That won't happen."
Asked about the benefits associated with one referee, Bennett was frank.
"All I know in life is the less people you've got sitting around the board table, the more effective you are," he said.
Kangaroos duo Josh McGuire and Matt Gillett voiced their support for a one-referee system earlier this month.
New Zealand's Simon Mannering, a veteran of some 280 NRL games with the Warriors, also recently praised the change.
"Not necessarily that the game is ruled differently, just there's no grey area between what one ref is saying and what the other ref is saying," Mannering said.
"With just one officiator out there the buck stops with him, so I find it a lot simpler and easier."
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