Why is a hooter used to terminate a rugby league game ?

Question

Is it because the game was originally played by factory workers in their mid -day leisure time and a hooter was sounded to signify the end of their break?

Answer 1

Its simply because the referee does not keep track of time like in rugby union or soccer. There is a seperate time keeper in rugby league, he sits up in the grandstand and if he just had a whistle then no-one on the pitch could hear him.

Answer 2

Because the referee is not the time-keeper.  He stops the official time-keepers' stop-watches by holding his hand in the air.  It gives him one less thing to worry about on the pitch

Answer 3

It started in the early 1970's when two independent timekeepers

( one nominated by each club ) were appointed for each PROFESSIONAL match.

In Sky televised matches, the timekeeping is by the television company.

In both cases a siren is used to inform the referee, who then blows his whistle to end the game.

Answer 4

You could well be correct.

As far as I am aware it is just tradition.

Answer 5

Because the referees can't tell the time.

Answer 6

You might be right. I think it is also used if the referee by some mysterious way lost track of the time the siren is used as a backup.

Answer 7

You might be right. I suppose they had to pick something and a hooter is loud, so why not pick that?