| Chris James | |
| Refereecomp1: | National Rugby League |
| Refereeyear1start: | 2009 |
| Refereeyear1end: | 17 |
| Refereeappearances1: | 228 |
| Refereecomp2: | Pacific Cup |
| Refereeyear2start: | 2009 |
| Refereeappearances2: | 2 |
| Refereecomp3: | City vs Country Origin |
| Refereeyear3start: | 2013 |
| Refereeappearances3: | 1 |
| Source: | [1] |
Chris James is an Australian former rugby league referee who controlled 228 first-grade games.
James started his career controlling matches in the Group Six Rugby League competition.[2] He was graded into the NSWRLRA in 2004, becoming referee number 900.[3] In 2009 he made his National Rugby League debut, controlling a match between the Gold Coast Titans and the Newcastle Knights. That year, he also controlled the Jim Beam Cup grand final and matches at the Pacific Cup.[1]
He became a regular first grade referee and controlled the 2013 City vs Country Origin match. His 100th NRL game was on 5 April 2014, between the Penrith Panthers and the Canberra Raiders.[3] In 2016, Tyson Frizell was suspended for a match for making contact with James, during a match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.[4]
He was sacked by the National Rugby League in 2017 and took legal action, backed by the Professional Rugby League Match Officials and Unions NSW.[5] The parties reached a confidential settlement in 2018.[6]
James was appointed Football Operations Manager of the Sydney Roosters in 2020.