Paul Rowley brands official Jack Smith “a disgrace”

Today we saw Leeds Rhinos beaten by Leigh Leopards, a crucial game between Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity but the drama was at Salford Red Devils as they lost to St Helens despite leading 15-2.

The went on to lose 18-15 to the Champions in a great game between two top teams when they are at their best.

The win for Saints is key in their quest for a fifth consecutive Grand Final win whilst it damages Salford’s play-off hopes though they were helped by defeat for Leeds against Leigh though Hull FC’s form is a concern.

After the game, Paul Rowley spoke to Red Devils TV and was quite frustrated with the performance of referee Jack Smith branding him a disgrace.

“It’s so hard. If we’d have won the game, I’d come in and say probably exactly the same thing. I thought the officials were a disgrace,” he said.

“I think Jack, I’ve watched him on telly, he’s been a disgrace a few times this year, one for us at Warrington at home. So three games in a row now we’ve been absolutely let down.”

Rowley also questioned why they never get Chris Kendall or Liam Moore:

“So clearly Kendall and Liam Moore are the best two refs who get all the cup finals, we don’t get them too much so we must be deemed poor quality games.

“It’s kind of gloves off, I’m usually quite measured and take my time I don’t like to criticise because we’ve lost obviously, but again, I’d have said the same thing in victory.

“Games are very much decided by officials quite often and the obvious response to that will be, ‘they don’t miss a tackle’, ‘they don’t do a forward pass’, and no they don’t, but they don’t get batted 25 times a game either so a lot of it is just visual.

“Then when you’ve got a bright pink boot four foot in front of you on a touchline, then you would hope that somebody competent would make the right decision. As a result of that the sequence continues and we get a man in the bin and then there’s a try scored from a knock on.

“Usually in the last two games we’ve been on the wrong side of things and I never tread that path with the players. I always worry about what we can do and what we can do better but I’m finding it very, very hard to go in there and hit the players with a stick because I think they did everything we asked of them.

“I thought we were physically good, I thought the game was decided by the officiating. I can’t be any clearer than that. I’m happy to put it out there and I think it’s factual. Well I know it’s factual and so I don’t think I can be criticised for saying it as it is.”

He also implored the media to express their opinions: “Once you’ve finished quoting me, put your own opinions out there as well or please tell me if I’m wrong but I can see a lot of heads nodding so I’m going to assume you all agree.”

It has to be said every season officials are spotlighted. Some coaches have suggested that the rules have handcuffed the officials in 2023 and perhaps that is the case.

It is clear there needs to be more clarity.