“Is it your position that the action of the priest has no effect in the sacrament?”
Beyond being an instrument of The Church and so of Christ? If so, yes. There is nothing about his priestly ordination which makes him uniquely the source of God’s forgiveness nor of the the grace we receive by the sacraments. There is absolutely nothing any priest or other spiritual father can do to transmit or not transmit God’s uncreated energies, so he can have no effect on any sacrament. Priests are not gate keepers to God. Can his presence and actions have an effect on the sufficiency of the penitent’s confession? Of course. The Church has determined that his, or in the rare case her, presence is usually necessary.
Sorry, but this contradicts what our Lord said. Remember that our Lord said that the priest has the power to retains sin as well as forgive. Additionally, is not the action of the priest/bishop necessary for the sacraments of the Eucharist and ordination to Holy Orders?