Wakefield Trinity and Wigan Warriors coaches latest to land big RFL fines

Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet and Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell have both landed fines from the RFL for their criticism of match officials.

Peet – who was fined for a breach of match day rules earlier in the year – has now had part of a suspended sentence activated due to comments he made after Wigan‘s win away against Huddersfield Giants, played in Dewsbury on June 14.

The comments which have landed Peet in hot water are believed to be as follows: “They’ve just won a game where absolutely everything was stacked against them, from the stadium, the way it was officiated, the pitch dimensions… I’m not criticising the referee.

“It’s just the game is being played at a very slow pace at the moment on a narrow pitch, and we had to find a way, we had some decent players missing, a few things went against us in the game and we had the last effect on the game.”

His fine earlier in the year had been to the value of £3,000, with half of it suspended until the end of 2026.

But having been penalised for another breach of the game’s Operational Rules, £1,000 of the remaining £1,500 from that initial fine has now been activated – so the Warriors head coach has been stung to the tune of £2,500 overall.

Elsewhere, Wakefield boss Powell has been fined £2,000 for comments he made following their defeat at Hull FC on July 10.

Powell questioned opposite number John Cartwright’s influence on the match officials during the half-time break after Hull came from behind to win the clash between the two.

With this being Powell’s first offence this season, half of his fine remains suspended until the end of 2026, so he will pay £1,000.

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Wakefield Trinity and Wigan Warriors coaches latest to land big RFL fines

Peet and Powell’s penalisations follow on from the fines handed to former Castleford Tigers boss Danny McGuire and ex-Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara last week.

Those fines were also handed out for a breach of the Operational Rules relating to public criticism of a match official, and relate to comments made during the pair’s time in charge of Super League clubs Cas and Catalans respectively.

In the RFL’s press release confirming Peet and Powell‘s fines, the governing body have again re-iterated that all clubs were sent a note in May expressing concern at the increasing number of public comments being made by head coaches relating to officials.

That note also stressed that comments deemed to be public criticism would breach both the Operational Rules and the game’s code of conduct, so could lead to compliance action, as has been the case here.

The Operational Rules that have been breached are as follows:

• Operational Rule D1.1 (b) (Improper Conduct) – Engages in conduct which is prejudicial to the interests of the Game, or which is improper conduct.
•  C2:6 – Each Person Subject to the Operational Rules agrees to be bound by and observe all other codes of conduct, regulations, rules and policies published by the RFL from to time.
• Operational Rule C2.10 (Behaviour Standards) – In accordance with Operational Rule D1:1(b), no Person Subject to the Operational Rules shall engage in conduct which is prejudicial to the interests of the Game, brings the Game into disrepute or which is improper conduct. In addition, no director of Club or other senior personnel shall act in a manner unbefitting of the position which they hold. The RFL expect such individuals to uphold the standards of the game and to set an example to other participants. By virtue of their position, such individuals will be held to a higher standard of behaviour than other Persons subject to the Operational Rules.
• C2:12 – No Person Subject to these Operational Rules shall make any public statement (written or oral) or cause to be published or post online material or content which contains criticism of the character of a Match Official or criticism of the manner in which a Match Official has officiated at a Match (whether a Match in which the Club or Player has taken part, or of any other game under the control or subject to the jurisdiction of the RFL).

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