Rugby League talking points: Refereeing controversy, Super League’s relegation battle and Bradford Bulls’ Odsal goodbye

Scrutiny of the referees, both the play-off and relegation images, and the closing match of Odsal of Super League all feature this week.
It has been a difficult week for Super League’s game officials, who have a enough job without the barrage of criticism they have faced from some quarters.
On Friday, St Helens owner Eamonn McManus caused a stir with his comments Concerning the appointment of Robert Hicks into the Challenge Cup final and a Few of the conclusions that the Saddleworth referee made in his programme notes, at Wembley to the match against Castleford Tigers.
Those remarks have seen McManus – who published a statement on Sunday via the club site reiterating his views – referred into the RFL’s compliance team.
Wakefield Trinity head coach Chris Chester did not return on Sunday was left fuming from the situation which resulted in Liam Marshall scoring an attempt at Sunday’s 24-16 defeat.
Referee Scott Mikalauskas neglected to ensure Wigan winger Marshall tapped the ball to the markers by a 20-metre restart his second try of the game – .
“You’ve got a referee who’s on the place and just let Liam Marshall tap wherever he desired,” Chester said post-match.
“I really don’t know whether the principles have changed, however it is just a disgraceful telephone, a disgraceful call. It’s a phone you shouldn’t get erroneous.”
That defeat left Wakefield, that have only two wins in their past 13 Super League games, as a member of 3 groups hovering two points above the relegation area with two games left in the regular season.
A success in Perpignan over Catalans Dragons saw whereas Huddersfield Giants did by winning, Hull Kingston Rovers stay in that category.
It means underside side London Broncos should now win both of their remaining games away to Rovers – that will be live on Sky Sports this Friday – to have any hope of remaining up following a defeat at home to Leeds Rhinos on Sunday.
The Broncos have defied many naysayers to be in with a chance of avoiding the drop at this phase of the year and head coach Danny Ward has backed his team.
“The boys are devastated because they understand they have not performed well and they have lost, but it’s a brief turnaround and we have got to win the next two,” Ward stated.
“They’ve been in this situation before and hopefully they can draw on those experiences. It’s must-win time, it’s white and black so that it depends how the boys respond to that and they cope with this pressure and it gets the most out of them.”
Catalans’ defeat to Hull KR removed them in contention for a place in Super League’s top ten, leaving four groups jostling for place behind League Leaders’ Shield winners St Helens.
Castleford Tigers are two points beyond the play-off areas after last Friday’s 4-0 defeat to Saints, whereas Salford Red Devils, Hull FC along with Warrington Wolves are locked on 30 points heading into the final two rounds.
Nevertheless, it is currently year’s Grand Final champions win off to Wakefield.
The Warriors are currently on a run which has seen them suffer only one defeat – from rivals St Helens – into their 10 games since losing at Magic Weekend to Warrington.
Head trainer Adrian Lam knows the job is not completed yet, but is delighted with the way his side have seen their groove as the year builds towards the company end.
“The dressing room’s quite excited at the present time,” Lam said. “They know, they have been prepped along the way how significant this was and also the journey that we’ve been on to get here.
“I did not wish to mention the other hand if we had of lost, a possible likelihood of missing out to the five collectively. That’s how close it is.
“Everyone’s worked extremely hard and I believe we are in a fantastic place right now.”
As they bid farewell to Odsal, home to professional football league in the city since 1934 it had been an emotional weekend for the players, staff and fans of Bradford Bulls.
The floor that has hosted global Tests and after watched over 100,000 fans cram into it to get a Challenge Cup final replay will now have its own doors closed after getting prohibitively expensive for the club, with all the Bulls moving 11 miles off to ground-share in Dewsbury Rams’ Tetley’s Arena for 2020.
The 7,531 crowd in attendance Sunday saw Bradford sign off in the famous old ground in a top as they defeated Sheffield Eagles 30-10 from the Championship and chairman Andrew Chalmers has pledged the club will come back to the town.
As yet there are no firm plans as to where or when that is.
“It’s sad, however I don’t understand the finances in ultimate detail so we have just got to keep this team alive and kicking and hopefully progressing,” Bulls head coach John Kear said after the win over Sheffield.
“That’s what we will be attempting to perform at Dewsbury this past year before finally we return someplace in Bradford that is befitting of a group that’s difficult for Super League or is in Super League.”
Spare a thought for Barrow Raiders, who had to face the might of Toronto Wolfpack in Canada with 14 players on Saturday.
The Raiders’ squad has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks anyhow and the had many players who have been unavailable to create the excursion that was more than 3,000-mile.
Given those conditions, the 62-8 defeat – with all of the points of Barrow coming from Jamie Dallimore in his 100th appearance for the club against the full-time leaders isn’t a disgrace.
Unfortunately in the second tier, this reduction supported their relegation following two decades back for the Raiders. There is set to be Cumbrian representative in the Championship next year.
Whitehaven’s 74-6 triumph at home to West Wales Raiders on the weekend means they just must avoid defeat to Coventry Bears on Saturday to seal marketing.
Neighbours Workington Town may be arriving too if they could successfully browse the play-offs last year after missing .

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