Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin has opened up the ‘disconnect’ between Super League match officials, players and fans after a chat with referee Chris Kendall.
Wilkin has been outspoken and highly critical about some of the decisions referees have been making in recent weeks, with the likes of Sauaso Sue and Ash Handley being given somewhat soft red cards. That was before the Magic Weekend controversy that saw St Helens winger Lewis Murphy sin-binned after catching a Leeds Rhinos defender in the head with his knee while jumping.
Liam Knight was given a red card at St James’ Park, too, and in truth, few could argue with the decision at the time. As if to add to the confusion, though, Knight was cleared without charge by the Match Review Panel, with contact being the decisive factor.
As such, it’s fair to say players, fans and coaches are struggling to know where they stand at present, with the way the game is being officiated proving to be a constant talking point week after week.
Wilkin isn’t the only pundit to openly criticise such decisions, but he has revealed what leading referee Chris Kendall said to him in a private conversation ahead of Magic Weekend.
Super League pundit talks with referee
“I had a great chat with Chris Kendall because I came out really strong after the Hull KR-Leeds game saying I really think this is wrong and I don’t think anybody in the game would think that’s a red card,” Wilkin said on Sky Sports’ podcast The Bench.
“We had a conversation and he said, ‘if in doubt, we’re going to downgrade everything. If we think it’s a red and there’s any doubt, it’s going to be a yellow. If there’s any doubt and we think it’s a yellow, it’s just going to be a penalty’. Then Lewis Murphy gets a yellow card for jumping to catch a ball…
“I’m putting on ‘the bench’ the disconnect between match officials, Phil Bentham’s department, and the players. There’s a big gap between what fans and players expect and what the referees enforce. There’s such a difference.”
Warrington Wolves playmaker George Williams, who will miss the remainder of this month at least due to injury, concurred with the pundit and made reference to the Murphy incident in particular.
“You have to use some common sense,” Williams said. “I understand there’s head contact but he’s jumping for a ball and it’s just an action of playing rugby.
“Even a fan that’s not played, you can see there’s no intent to hit him in the head, it’s just jumping for a ball.”
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Jeff twist
May 7, 2025 at 11:35 am
In some matches it looks like officials are trying to fix games.
Eric T Cat
May 7, 2025 at 12:13 pm
Odd that isn’t it. If you look at the figures for certain referees there are some teams might as well not bother turning up if that referee is in charge. It could be random chance. But, the bookies invest heavily in anti fraud IT, they analyse sports and betting patterns the Nth degree, if there is the slightest whiff of fraud they’ll be on it! I’m not a gambling person, but I applaud the hard work and efforts of the gambling industry to try and keep sports free of match fixing.
The data is on The Rugby League Project website.
You need a certain number of results to get a meaningful sample size, which is an argument in itself, 100 is the generally accepted figure, but I’ve had 8 for some smaller data sets, 23 or 25 argued others, and I’m sure others argue other values. Take Mr Kendall, Hull FC versus St Helens, four times he’s refereed, 0-4. It could be St Helens have been better in the period he’s officiated, but FC have beaten Wigan in that period. But four matches it’s pure random chance, no implication is made, no inference can be drawn, there isn’t enough data.
We do need a bigger pool of top flight officials. We need improved rules on matters. Video refs spending five minutes desperately looking for an excuse to disallow or allow a try is ridiculous. If it’s that close go with the on field d3cision.
Johnny
May 7, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Why mention hull fc I am an fc fan when did we last win a game when this horrible arrogant ego seeking c…
Had the whistle he is hated throughout the game like his wife Liam moore
Griffin 8 games nearly finished his career hull v saints kuntle
Luke Gail off for fkl wilkin don’t try and cover up up for these pair of cheating bastards Wigan v Penrith
Two try two yards short of the line bentham ex top ref but he needs rid of these two
Weekend player runs into kuntle he obstructs the player falls on the floor and awards the try
Kr are at the top of the tree thanks to moore who virtually lives at caravan park
StSimon
May 8, 2025 at 11:52 am
Surely Bentham has a few simple fixes to employ on the big issues, not rocket science.
1. Limit your time reviewing a decision to 30 seconds max……no wonder players are pulling hamstrings, they spend an eternity warming up only to stand still for an age during the game.
2. Contact with the head
A could it have been avoided Yes or No.
Yes, card/report
No……play on
….pretty simple really.