NRL match officials to honour Canberra's Noel Bissett

Considered the best referee of all time, Harrigan got emotional talking about the match officials honouring Bissett by wearing black armbands in the NRL's return.

Harrigan described Bissett as one of nature's gentlemen and thought the honour was thoroughly deserved.

Bissett died last month, while the NRL was in lockdown due to the coronavirus, but it's not surprising he's being honoured on it's return.

He was a life member of the referee's association, the Canberra Raiders and Canberra Region Rugby League - as well as being a member of the ACT Sporting hall of fame.

Bissett refereed one NSWRL first grade game, was the touch judge for another, but was the video referee for 73 games in Super League and the NRL.

He was also the video ref for game 3 of the 1999 State of Origin series.

Bissett was Harrigan's video referee on multiple occasions back when the pair were still involved at the top level.

And the latter would drop in to the former's house in Canberra for a BBQ whenever he was in town.

Harrigan couldn't speak highly enough of his friend and colleague, having watched the live stream of his funeral earlier this year.

"In your lifetime you could meet five people that you would classify as nature's gentleman, or one of those blokes that you'd never find anyone better - he's one of those five," he said.

"I think it's brilliant [they're wearing black armbands]. Thoroughly deserved and absolutely brilliant.

"I don't think you can talk about people in any higher regard ... would do anything for you, very gentle nature about him and always when you saw him his face lit up.

"I'm getting emotional just talking about him."

MORE RAIDERS NEWS

For his 60^th birthday a few days ago, Harrigan got a Road King motorcycle.

But it came too late for him to hit the road with his whistle-blowing mate.

"I had a bike and never got to ride with him and I finally got a big Road King on my 60^th birthday, which is just now, but my wife bought it for me a couple of months earlier," Harrigan said.

"I just wished I had the opportunity to ride with him because he loved jumping on his bike and going for a ride as well.

"He was always proud of his bikes when he had them. When you'd go over to his place he'd be always, 'Come have a look at what I got'.

"That's probably my only regret that I never got to ride with him."

NRL ROUND THREE

Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Melbourne Storm at Melbourne, 7.35pm.

Raiders team: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Bailey Simonsson, 3. Jarrod Croker, 4. Curtis Scott, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. George Williams, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Josh Hodgson, 10. Dunamis Lui, 11. Joe Tapine, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Corey Horsburgh. Interchange from: 14. Siliva Havili, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Sia Soliola, 17. Michael Oldfield, 18. Jordan Rapana, 19. Matt Frawley, 20. Kai O'Donnell, 21. Tom Starling.

Storm team: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen, 2. Suliasi Vunivalu, 3. Justin Olam, 4. Marion Seve, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. Jesse Bromwich, 9. Cameron Smith, 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11. Felise Kaufusi, 12. Kenneath Bromwich, 13. Dale Finucane. Interchange from: 14. Brandon Smith, 15. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, 16. Christian Welch, 17. Max King, 18. Tom Eisenhuth, 19. Brenko Lee, 20. Ryley Jacks, 21. Darryn Schonig.