Sky Sports pundits slam Rohan Smith comments as “unfair”

Leeds Rhinos Head Coach Rohan Smith spoke on Sky Sports after provided his side’s 22-12 defeat to Hull KR and was also asked about a crucial decision in the second half.

Speaking to Sky Sports following the defeat, the Leeds Rhinos boss said of the game as a whole: “Oh a great hard game I was really proud of the way we defended. Yeah we got beaten to some scraps and a ball that bounced off the post that we had pretty well covered.

“A last pass slap that was forward on a bit of good deep. Good hard game easily could have gone either way I’m really proud of our players.”

He was also asked about the crucial yellow card for Sam Lisone. This came when the game was 14-12 but saw Leeds reduced to 12 men for a second time and allowed Hull KR to extend their lead to 16-12 before taking it to 22-12 in Lisone’s absence.

Smith had his say on the matter and seemed to suggest that there was some milking going on by Hull KR players: “Yeah, it’s the way the game is now. If anyone feels contact there, they’re making it look worse than it is, I think, at the moment. But that’s, you know, it’s like football almost in some ways. It was a high tackle. We respect that it should have been a penalty, but I think with all the coaches that’s, you know, is that a yellow card?

“We’re talking about duty of care of players, and we’re actually asking 12 men to do the job of 13 now when it was, you know, that one I’m not sure.”

Sky Sports pundits suggest Rohan Smith comments are “unfair”

After these comments from Smith, Brian Carney suggested that these comments were “unfair.” Jon Wilkin and Jamie Jones-Buchanan agreed there was no milking but Wilkin said: “It is probably one of those where he has only seen it a few times and he may admit that he’s not right there but there is a lot of appealing, arms out and appealing and we don’t want that.

Meanwhile, Buchanan said that the cards cost Leeds the game: “What I’ve learnt is the fact that to win games you need as many players on the field as possible to win games.”

Wilkin added: “I thought they played well in patches. They were brilliant in the first half but that was undercut by the yellow cards for James Donaldson and Sam Lisone.”