Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers coaches unite as video referee delays blasted

Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell and Castleford Tigers counterpart Danny McGuire have both criticised the delays present in Super League at the minute after their Magic Weekend clash lasted longer than two hours.

The meeting between the two West Yorkshire rivals at St James’ Park on Sunday night – which ended in a comfortable 32-8 Wakefield win – was the last game of the weekend.

Numerous decisions were sent upstairs throughout by on-field referee Tom Grant to video referee James Vella, and there were delays aplenty as a result.

Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers coaches unite as video referee delays blasted

Speaking post-match, both Powell and McGuire had their say on those delays, with the main one coming for a tackle on Tigers forward Dan Okoro by Trinity’s Isaiah Vagana in the first half.

After a lengthy delay, no card was brandished. Cas head coach McGuire was satisfied with that outcome when asked about it post-match, but was far from happy about the delays on the whole.

He said: “Some of the stoppages are horrific. I love our game, but we’re taking away any fatigue elements.

“No player should be tired… when my players are telling me they’re tired, I’m like, ‘how!?’

“There’s so many stoppages with the video referees and the game’s ugly at times.

“It’s not fast-paced, it’s not attractive any more. It’s taking what’s good about our game away from it.

“Make a decision and get on with it.”

‘It’s something we’ve got to do better, but I’d like to stop talking about it’

Since Trinity’s return to Super League, Powell hasn’t been shy in airing his frustrations with the video referee process.

And while he shared McGuire’s anger at the delays again post-match, he believes the conversation has been done to death now.

The veteran coach added:  “I watched the NRL this morning, you watch them give a try and it’s either confirmed or they stop it then have a look at it.

“If a try is given, then at least there’s a chance for it (the game) to just carry on, even if you change it to that (in Super League), it’d make a big difference.

“It’s tough for officials because our camera angles aren’t as good as they are in the NRL or other sports, so I reckon there’s a challenge there.

“We keep shooting ourselves in the foot though really, we shouldn’t be talking about it as we are. It just needs to change, just get it done, whatever’s best for the sport and for the sepctators.

“You want it to be easy on the eye, and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes we’re looking at it 30 times, and that’s too much.

“I can tell on some of them after two looks, it’s something we’ve got to do better, but I’d like to stop talking about it.