Chris Kendall has opened up about his “sleepless nights” over wrong decisions in a Super League clash.
The game he refers to occurred in the 2023 Super League season, where St Helens hosted Leeds Rhinos at the Totally Wicked Stadium early on in the season.
At one point, Saints lead 24-12, but following a Curtis Sironen sin-bin, the Rhinos pulled it back to 24-all.
Konrad Hurrell was then sent off for Saints, and Blake Austin secured the victory with a late drop-goal to make the game 25-24 to Leeds Rhinos, condemning Paul Wellens to his first defeat in charge.
Asked on The Bench Podcast with Jenna Brooks and Jon Wilkin for an example of a wrong decision he had made in his career, Kendall responded: “I think it was a couple of years ago, I came here to St Helens against Leeds in a Friday night showpiece event.
“Jon Wilkin was on the commentary and I missed a shoulder charge.”
Credit: Imago Images
He continued: “I then penalised Jack Welsby for running in, which is just how it happens, and I then end up having to send off Konrad Hurrell for hitting someone in the head with his shoulder.
“Then by Sod’s law, Leeds end up dropping a goal to win in the last minute of the game.
“Those are difficult moments in your career. I had a few sleepless nights thinking of that. That’s not the external noise, I’m not looking on Twitter and thinking oh well yeah so-and-so saying I’ve done badly so-and-so …
“That’s me. I expect high standards of myself and when I drop below that it’s difficult to take.”
Super League referee talks about pressure of the job
Credit: Imago Images
Kendall continued, talking about how tough the job can be, and how it has got trickier this year.
He said, on how to get things out of your head: “It’s got to go and that comes with experience. That’s something that’s hard to deal with and it’s even harder at the minute with young referees coming through every game on Sky, every game on TV, there’s no hiding place.
“When you’re refereeing on TV, you’re refereeing under six or ten cameras every single week whereas before you could go somewhere on a Sunday afternoon, referee and relatively go under the radar unless there’s a major incident.
“Now, there’s no hiding place for the young lads.”
