A lot has been made about the decision which decided the game in Wigan Warriors‘ favour against Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge.
The decision was of course the winning try for Wigan Warriors from Jake Wardle who appeared to be held short of the line. However, Liam Moore referred the decision to video referee as a try and Chris Kendall couldn’t find the evidence to overturn the decision.
This has been questioned frequently especially by those down under and now the new RFL head of referees Phil Bentham has reflected on the decision.
He admitted, it was a 50-50 decision: “In terms of match decisions and tries as in the World Club Challenge, we have to have a period where obviously the referee gets to give his opinion and the video referee gets to give their opinion in a review process. But on the back of that, we also have a lot of calls where, or we have certain calls which would need some immediate input in terms of the media to kind of quieten down or to just accept that sometimes we’ve got it wrong. I think if we put that call on now, I would guess we would probably split roughly 50-50 in here as to whether we think they’re tries or not. Which made them very difficult subjective calls, ultimately.”
Process revealed in Wigan Warriors try
Phil Bentham has said that he immediately phoned referee Liam Moore. Moore stated that the ball was on the line when he arrived at the scene.
Bentham said: “The immediate thing that I did was to phone Liam Moore, who confirmed that on the Wardle try, the ball is on the line when he gets there, hence he sends it up as a try, and they’ve then got to find if there’s anything wrong, any sufficient evidence to overturn that call. So it’s factual that the ball is on the line.”
He also confirmed that the process carried out by Chris Kendall was perfect: “I thought the way that Chris Kendall structured it in terms of looking at it in full speed motion, shows that it’s a wet night, it’s slippy, the defenders are pulling on the guy. I can’t see, and I think Chris used it within his communication, he didn’t see any clear evidence of a movement. So yes, there’s movement across the ground, but there’s no second movement of that arm.”
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Richard codd
February 29, 2024 at 9:05 pm
Utter bullshit
Mark Robinson
February 29, 2024 at 10:57 pm
Can we not just do away with the try/no try call just send it for video ref to make decision. Example he sends that up as no try then it would not be given using same premise. Hated it for years I know many others have also.
WILLIAM FARRINGTON
March 1, 2024 at 6:26 pm
Stop lying the majority of the fans watching on TV could see the ball didn’t touch or cross the line in your statement it was a 50/50 decision which Moore got it wrong and Kendall couldn’t or wouldn’t overturn the decision
Kelly Onne
March 2, 2024 at 1:29 pm
Obviously no try
Paddy
March 1, 2024 at 2:01 am
Can’t see what all the fuss is about at the end of the day the ball was on the line .., the two defenders dragged him towards the line and that’s why it was a try..
both refs involved did and made the right calls all night… apart from the ball steel but during the game it equalled it’s self out..
well done wigan and you are going to take some beating this year.
Robert Tomlinson
March 1, 2024 at 4:26 pm
If Chris Kendall cannot see the double movement from the video footage this has to bring in to question his competency. Also if head of officials Phill Bentham thinks its a 50/50 call his competency has to be questioned too. Liam Moore was positioned on the blind side of the action and by the time he had arrived the ball was on the line. But if the guidelines are stopping Chris Kendall making the correct call they need changing immediately.
Last week I played email tennis with the RFL regarding the calls that have been made in the first few weeks. Red cards for Liam Watts and Fiamanu Brown at best were rugby collisions. Then blatant foul play like Franklin Pele and Harry Smith the later recieving a fine and Pele having his reduced even after throwing a punch in the meleè.Liam Watts red card should be quashed with immediate effect. For the RFL to think 50% of rugby league fans agree with the rubbish they keep spouting I suggest they put it to a poll and see if rugby league fans have confidence in how they are running our beautiful game. They might get a rude awakening.
All we have done is talk about officiating. The only decent official I have seen is James Vella and would you credit it he’s an Aussie with common sense and understanding.
Sorry for the rant but RFL you’re losing the plot.
Regards Rob Tomlinson
Minox
March 2, 2024 at 10:54 pm
Too shallow from a head coach. Who wrote this lies by the way? 🤦
Frank Charlton
March 3, 2024 at 10:08 am
Superb comment these refs are destroying a great game with their incompetence and the line judges or whatever they are called are even more clueless