FORMER Castleford Tigers star Kenny Edwards has slammed what he has labelled a “terrible” RFL and standard of Super League refereeing following his UK exit.
Edwards, who has plied his trade with Huddersfield Giants, Catalans Dragons and most recently Castleford in Super League, hung up his boots at the end of the 2023 Super League season.
And, whilst the Australian has revealed he enjoyed the more open attacking play in the northern hemisphere, there were two main issues with rugby league in this country.
“I enjoyed it a lot, but there are things I struggled with sometimes. I did enjoy playing in a different environment, it’s not as tense as it is in the NRL,” Edwards told League Express.
“You get to have a bit more fun because there is a lot more attacking footy and it’s a lot more attacking-based than the NRL which is more defensive-based and the best defensive teams win.
“I enjoyed being able to take my family around Europe, I enjoyed that component of being able to show my kids a different part of the world that I probably would never have been able to if I didn’t move to Super League.
“But, the refereeing was terrible – that’s not a reflection of the referees themselves, that’s a reflection of the league and the time and effort put into referees.
“Obviously, their budget is next to nothing so how you can expect good referees when they are not being given the money and effort that is needed? That’s probably the biggest thing – I don’t even know if they are full-time.
“The people that run the league are terrible, I haven’t got one good thing to say about them. They wonder why the league has gone backwards.”
Edwards also laid into the Disciplinary Match Review Panel which has come under more intense scrutiny in recent years.
“I remember watching the Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos back in the heyday. The money has gone backwards, the league has gone backwards, everything has and it all comes down to the people that run the league.
“Even the Match Review Panel, it was shocking. For the people that run the league, I can’t say a good word about any of them.”
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