Warrington coach bemoans officials’ inconsistency as Sam Powell’s hip drop addressed

Warrington boss Sam Burgess bemoaned the inconsistency in officiating after Sam Powell was sin-binned for a hip drop tackle during the Wolves’ Magic Weekend defeat to Leigh Leopards.

Last weekend, Wire saw young centre Arron Lindop sidelined for circa six weeks by a hip drop tackle from Catalans Dragons ace Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet.

There were serious fears Lindop had re-ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) just two games into his return, and though that didn’t turn out to be the case, it took until Monday for Aispuro-Bichet to be punished.

The Dragons man was not sin-binned for the offence, but then landed a two-match ban.

Skip forward to Saturday evening’s Magic clash against Leigh at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Powell saw yellow for his hip drop on Tesi Niu early on in the second half.

‘I am just wasting my time. I am wasting my time, so I won’t waste my time’

Warrington were beaten 24-6 by the Leopards, and are now looking over their shoulders towards third-placed Hull KR, who they play twice in the next few weeks, on the Super League ladder.

Post-match on Merseyside, head coach Burgess was asked about the similarities between the incidents involving Lindop and Powell a week apart with different outcomes.

He said: “Well, there’s a reason you’re asking the question because last week, I would say we had a, let’s call it a similar tackle on Arron Lindop.

“I wonder if the rules have changed during the week. I don’t know, I’ve not got ears on the commentary, I don’t know what referees are doing.

“I can’t comment on it because last week it was no sin bin, this week it is a sin bin. I don’t know.

“I will explain that to him (Powell).”

Then asked whether he would ask the Rugby Football League for some clarity, Burgess pulled no punches in his response.

The Wire boss admitted: “No, I am just wasting my time. I am wasting my time, so I won’t waste my time.”

‘I’m sure he is going to face some judiciary stuff early next week’

Leigh head coach Adrian Lam was previously in charge of a Wigan Warriors side which included Powell.

He did not make a huge drama of the incident which led to his centre Niu being forced off injured, but said: “I coached Sam for a couple of years, and he’s not that type of player.

“But it didn’t look good. That’s out of my hands now.

“I was frustrated at the time because he (the referee) called a knock-on when it should have been a penalty, but luckily, they reviewed that and we got the penalty for it.

“I’m sure he (Powell) is going to face some judiciary stuff early next week.”