Super League players criticised for treatment of Chris Kendall

This week we have some huge games as Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves collide, Wigan Warriors and Hull FC butt heads and Challenge Cup winners Leigh Leopards battle league leaders Catalans Dragons but the biggest game comes at the bottom as Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers meet in what is effectively a do or die clash for survival.

So it is no surprise that the RFL have awarded this game to one of their most trusted officials in the shape of Chris Kendall who took charge of the Challenge Cup Final last week.

Kendall is also one of the most trusted officials when it comes to dealing with players as we saw when he sent off then Hull FC star Josh Griffin in the Challenge Cup.

Behaviour like this has seen Paul Cooke call on players to stop berating officials especially Kendall after he was subject to it in the Challenge Cup Final.

Cooke said on BBC Radio Humberside:

“I think it’s a really good idea for Rugby League to look at [yellow cards for berating referees] because I can’t stand it.

“Mikel Arteta got a yellow card in the Community Shield for asking for a Man City player to be booked, and I think that’s creeping into our game too where players behind tackles are waving their arms at referees and I just think that you’re trying to, not con the referee into something, but trying to force him into a decision.

“I was quite happy that Kendall turned around and penalised Hull KR for that because if there’s one thing you do know about Chris Kendall, and we’ve had this conversation with the Josh Griffin stuff, you can’t speak to him and you can’t berate at him.

“The other thing with Asiata is he never received any punishment for the tackle technique he has which injured Alex Walmsley and Agnatius Paasi in the semi-final.

“So if he goes in with that technique and you run in, there’s nothing illegal in what he’s done because the game’s not punished him.

“I just think the emotion of that scenario where the players run in you’ve got to be able to separate that emotion and think about it logically if that I’d have spoken about that pregame because if Asiata does do that and you run in there’s nothing illegal in it so you can’t run in.

“For them to run in on the very first set of six that they have the football and and then the penalty gets turned around that to me is just mind-boggling because it’s not it’s not being punished in previous games.”