Matt Peet responds to suggestion home town referee should not have officiated semi-final

Wigan Warriors lost in their Challenge Cup semi-final against Hull KR at Leeds Rhinos’ Headingley Stadium yesterday.

It was a terrific and captivating Challenge Cup tie between two teams who have served up three classic encounters in 2023 so it was no surprise that they did so again.

That being said, it is almost a shame that coming out of the game the conversation is being dominated by the red card shown to Joe Shorrocks at the start of the second half.

He was deemed to have caught Mikey Lewis in the chin with his shoulder and thus this was deemed “direct contact with the head” and he was sent off.

After the game, Matt Peet had his say on the decision: “I don’t think I’m going to make any comment on it to be honest. It is a big call in a big game.

“I don’t know how if the player is that dazed, I don’t know how he stays on after a head injury assessment.

“The referee makes the call, it is what it is.”

When asked about Joe Shorrocks’ reaction Peet highlighted the fact Liam Moore is from Wigan:

“He’s upset and confused, a partisan crowd, a referee from Wigan who feels under the spotlight.

“We just have to be better and deal with it.”

This prompted the question ‘should a different official have been selected?’

Peet’s response was: “I am not commenting on that, it was a massive call and I wonder if that was a sin bin would everyone say it should have been a red.

“It was a big call to make, that and Mikey Lewis didn’t get checked out even though he was staggering all over the place.

“If that was our player we would have brought him off.”

Matt Peet’s side will now turn their attention to the Super League whilst Hull KR can look ahead to a Challenge Cup Final against Leigh Leopards on August 12th.