THOUGH Hull KR dominated from start to finish in their 32-12 Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington Wolves, there were a number of flashpoints.
Indeed, it perhaps wasn’t even referee Liam Moore in the limelight, but rather video official Chris Kendall.
Kendall had to decide on four Captain’s Challenges, with all four going in KR’s favour one way or another.
Whilst the first-half went by without Kendall having to get too involved, the second-half immediately thrust the official into action.
In the 41st minute, referee Moore ruled Warrington’s Ben Currie had stripped the ball from Rovers’ Joe Burgess, awarding KR a penalty which the Wolves challenged.
It appeared as though Burgess may have lost the ball in contact, but it took Kendall two minutes and seven seconds to rule that it was inconclusive, and play carried on with Rovers in possession.
But, fans didn’t have to wait long for Kendall’s second intervention, with Warrington challenging a Joe Philbin knock-on inside his own half.
That decision took Kendall two minutes and three seconds to rule it was inconclusive, with Moore’s on-field decision taking precedence.
Perhaps the most controversial decision occurred just before the hour mark.
On this occasion, Moore initially ruled in Warrington’s favour after Josh Thewlis and Jack Broadbent contested a high ball, with the ball ending on the floor. The on-field call was a handover to Warrington.
KR challenged and that decision was overturned. Kendall had decided that Broadbent palmed the ball backwards whilst Thewlis then knocked on in the air.
It took Kendall two minutes and four seconds to reach that decision.
Kendall was called upon just four minutes later.
Warrington were awarded a penalty for ruck interference from Hull KR’s Peta Hiku, which had caused winger Matty Ashton to play the ball incorrectly.
Rovers challenged that decision and again Kendall ruled in favour of Willie Peters’ side.
Kendall decided that Hiku had been pushed by Warrington’s Marc Sneyd hence why the former had caused the ruck infringement.
That decision took Kendall one minute and ten seconds to overturn.
All in all, it took video referee Kendall seven minutes and 24 seconds to make four decisions.
In fact, the game itself took over two hours, finally coming to an end just after 6pm.
When the Captain’s Challenge was introduced after success in the NRL, it was expected to raise the standards of officiating.
But, with camera angles seriously lacking, unlike Down Under, that just isn’t possible at times and the ridiculous amount of time spent looking at the same video footage leads to boredom and exasperation at home and on the terraces.
Something needs to be done.