LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has hinted that the captain’s challenge could be introduced for Super League in 2025.
The rule, which has been operating for a number of years in the NRL, allows any captain of any Super League team to question the referee’s decision by going to the video official.
That has seen an official’s decision being overturned on numerous occasions, improving the accuracy of refereeing throughout games.
For Beaumont, he believes that the captain’s challenge would have been introduced in 2024 had the sport had all the cameras and angles available.
“One million precent (I back it), I’m pretty certain you will see that from next year and I think the intention was to actually have it this year with every game on Sky and having a video referee at every game,” Beaumont told Leopards TV.
“But I think there were some concerns around the number of cameras and angles to be able to fully look at all angles of the incident.
“With a captain’s call, it can be called from anywhere on the field. For me, I would still have done it anyway and if the footage then proved to be inconclusive, you would stick with the on-field call. It’s as simple as that.”
Beaumont also feels that the captain’s call would help referees “become perfect” in what is an incredibly difficult job.
“I think it is massively important for the referees and it would help them too. They don’t get things wrong on purpose, they make mistakes like all of us, they give what they see.
“They can’t always see what players might have seen from where they are and the touch judges might not have seen either. They are never going to be perfect.
“I think the rule helps them become perfect. You can use them five, six or seven times a game if you keep getting it right. I don’t see any disadvantage against it.”
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