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RFL to investigate Catalans Dragons following Leeds Rhinos incidents

On Friday night, Sky Sports viewers were treated to a rather tempestuous affair as Leeds Rhinos travelled to the south of France to take on the Catalans Dragons in an elimination play-off.

Whilst the rugby league product was great – when there was actually rugby being played – most of the match was ill-tempered with four cards being shown to Catalans players.

That has since yielded four bans – one each to Mitchell Pearce, Dylan Napa and Gil Dudson – with the Dragons falling foul of the Disciplinary Match Review Panel.

However, there are set to be further repercussions for the French club with the Rugby Football League set to investigate the incidents at the final whistle.

The first stage was to wait for the reports to come in from the match commissioner and the other officials and now they have been received, a compliance investigation will begin, an RFL spokesperson told Serious About Rugby League.

There were unsavoury scenes at the end of the play-off game with Catalans fans seemingly unhappy with the way in which referee James Child officiated the game.

One reporter who was there, tweeted: “James Child, Jenna Brooks and Terry O’Connor pelted with drinks and plastic glasses on the sidelines after the final hooter here.”

It’s not exactly a good look for the sport, with Leeds head coach Rohan Smith calling the actions ‘disappointing.’

“It’s disappointing, it was a tough contest,” Smith said.

“I thought that the referee adjudicated things strongly in the second-half. There were 50/50 calls that went both ways and when the crowd kept roaring he refereed the game as he wanted which is good to see.

“To see our players treated like that it is disappointing.”

It remains to be seen if there will be any punishment following the incidents but it was a sour way to end a season that promised so much for the Dragons.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Susan Norman

    September 12, 2022 at 5:42 pm

    I am glad to see it is being investigated. Disgusting behaviour. Unfortunately it’s not the first time this has happened at the Catalan Dragons. They do not have stewards on game days. Away teams have to run the gauntlet on arrival and departure again no stewards. If this behaviour continues they should be banned from superleague. This would be extreme I know but the club has to take responsibility and ensure players, referees and supporters are protected.

  2. Susan Norman

    September 12, 2022 at 6:04 pm

    I’m glad to hear that the incident is being investigated. It was disgusting and unfortunately not the first time. Catalan Dragons don’t appear to have stewards on match days. Away teams have to walk a gauntlet of fans on arrival and departure with no stewards visible. The Club needs to take responsibility to ensure players officials and fans are safe. If they can’t do this they should be banned from Superleague. It does not show our game in a good light.

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