Leeds Rhinos boss Gary Hetherington furious at NRL’s two refs decision
LEEDS Rhinos boss Gary Hetherington has slammed the NRL’s “arrogant and underhand” decision to deploy two referees in Friday night’s World Club Challenge match against Melbourne Storm.
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LEEDS Rhinos boss Gary Hetherington has slammed the NRL’s “arrogant and underhand” decision to deploy two referees in Friday night’s World Club Challenge match against Melbourne Storm.
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Hetherington confirmed the Super League champions had lodged a protest “in the strongest possible way” with the NRL.
The Rhinos were promised three months ago the blockbuster at AAMI Park, expected to attract a crowd of more than 20,000, would be played under international rules — with one referee.
NRL games are officiated by one head referee and one assistant.
Hetherington told the Herald Sun that Rhinos captain Kallum Watkins only learned of the decision on Wednesday.
“We just think this is an arrogant and underhand tactic by the NRL,” Hetherington said.
“It’s our belief the NRL are desperate to see the World Club trophy return to Australia.
“This changes the dynamic of the game, of course, we’re not used to it, we’ve never played under two referees before.”
Wigan defeated 2016 NRL premiers Cronulla last year in England, where the World Club championship is typically played.
The WCC was shifted to Melbourne, for the first time ever, late last year after Storm expressed concerns about travelling abroad so close to the NRL season after a hectic 2017 campaign and Rugby League World Cup on home soil.
Leeds agreed to travel Down Under to contest its eighth WCC despite the Super League season having already started.
“This is not Melbourne that’s changed the rules, this is the NRL ... who imposed this change on us, 48 hours to go without any consultation,” Hetherington said.
“There’s no reason to change, other than to make our own difficult challenge even bigger.”
The NRL said on Wednesday there was no agreement with the Rhinos to play under one referee.
“Historically in the World Club Challenge the visiting team has played under the home team’s domestic rules,” a spokesman said.
“This was the case when the Roosters hosted Wigan in 2014, in a match officiated under the two-referee model.”
Since 1976, the WCC has only been played in Australia four times, with the respective NRL premiers victorious on each occasion.
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