Leeds Rhinos star sent off to ‘even it up’ against Hull KR, claims Jon Wilkin in red card rant

Jon Wilkin has hit out at Chris Kendall and the refereeing team suggesting that they tried to “even it up” by sending off Leeds Rhinos captain Ash Handley in his side’s 20-14 loss to Hull KR.

Handley was sent off on the 70th minute for making high contact with the shoulder on Hull KR full-back Arthur Mourgue with Chris Kendall flashing the red card claiming that there was no mitigation for the Rhinos’ centre.

That decision came just ten minutes after Rovers’ Sauaso Sue was sent off for failing to wrap his arms as head contact with Sam Lisone, despite the fact the Leeds Rhinos forward was rapidly losing height.

Jon Wilkin has slammed both decisions with the Sky Sports pundit suggesting that the second red card was given in an attempt to “even it up” following the controversial first red send-off.

Jon Wilkin suggests Chris Kendall ‘evened it up’ with Leeds Rhinos red card versus Hull KR

ANOTHER red card! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/sHFiM4098H

— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) April 25, 2025

When trying to explain the Handley send-off, Wilkin argued: “This is Chris Kendall and the referees going ‘We’ve given one, we’ve got to even it up’.

“It’s just a yellow card or a penalty. If this is a red card, then Jack Sinfield gets sent off after two minutes and nobody wants to see any of those as red cards. I don’t think they are.”

Sinfield had been sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge which was far higher and in a more upright position than either of Sue or Handley’s red card, but Wilkin argued Handley’s was far less severe.

He explained: “I think it’s a misunderstanding. That’s clumsy, it’s not reckless. It’s not forceful. Look, it’s just a bad look. It’s a bad look. We’ve got it wrong last night and tonight. The refs have got it way wrong in loads of ways.”

St Helens and England captain Jodie Cunningham argued that consistency was all that fans wanted and suggested that had possibly been why Handley was sent off in the light of Sue’s red card, something Wilkin hit out at.

He argued: “We can’t just keep chasing the ace and going ‘I’ve given a red for that now therefore everything that’s like that or near that is a red’. It’s just not right.

“There’s got to be a point where the referees go, ‘We got this wrong’. Chris Kendall’s got to go ‘That probably wasn’t a red card on reflection’ and he can’t just double down and go ‘Right, Ash Handley’s sent off now’. Where does it stop?”

Both pundits went on to confirm their belief that each of the three incidents, Sinfield’s yellow and the two red cards, should have all simply been yellow cards.