With some Super League games surpassing the two-hour mark due to delays from the video referee, Jon Wilkin has demanded changes.
Ahead of Magic Weekend taking place this weekend in Newcastle, shown live on Sky Sports across May 3 and 4, Wilkin criticised the frequency in which decisions are being sent to the video referee.
The former St Helens skipper also critiqued the red cards dished out during Hull KR’s victory over Leeds Rhinos.
Time spent with the video referee has increased in Super League due to the introduction of Captain’s Challenge, where ach team has the opportunity to challenge an on-field call.
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Wilkin questioned whether the red cards in the Leeds Rhinos vs Hull KR match were too harsh
The video referee will check the incident and either the challenge will be successful, with the team keeping their challenge and getting the decision, inconclusive, where the call will not change but the team will keep their challenge, or unsuccessful, where the team loses both the call and the challenge.
There were various occasions during round nine of Super League where a Captain’s Challenge was quickly followed by a try being sent up to the video referee, increasing the amount of time and the optics around video referee involvement in a game.
Wilkin believes on-field referees are lacking “confidence” in their calls so have become overreliant on sending try decisions to the video referee.
“I think firstly, referees can make a decision on the pitch,” Wilkin ranted. “They’re allowed to actually give a decision.
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Highlights of the Super League match between Hull FC and Wigan Warriors
“It feels like every single instance that there’s any shadow of doubt, they go to check. It lacks confidence from the officials to make a call. Everybody in live sport wants referees to be bold enough to make calls.
“There’s a feeling in the game that you’d be more accepting of referees making a call and maybe getting it wrong after several looks.
“We’re getting to a situation now where they’re looking at the grounding of a try three times.
“The first angle quite often shows that the try scored. Then they check another angle. They’re checking to see if he got it down better on the second angle.
“It’s such a waste of time. It’s like a syringe that sucks the atmosphere out of the stadium.
“Even off the back of that, they’re still getting it wrong. There’s mistakes being made after looking at something five, six times.
“The Abbas Miski try against Hull [FC] for Wigan was painful.
“I like the video ref, but let’s put a clock on it and make them have to make a decision quickly and stop looking at so many angles just to prove that you’re right.”
Wilkin also took expressed frustration with the referee’s decisions on red cards in Leeds’ home game from the weekend, despite what he deems to be excessive use of the video referee.
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Highlights of the Super League match between Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR
“There’s been a real push in the game to reduce head contacts,” Wilkin said. “I see a real effort from players to adapt their technique to reduce those instances.
“The first one was a yellow card from Jack Sinfield, four minutes in and I thought this maybe would have set the tone for what we’re saying.
“For me, it was a yellow card, I don’t think it’s anything more.
“[Sauaso Sue on Sam Lisone] If the player’s dropping in height, there’s some allowances made for the defender.
“Sam Lisone is 120 kilos dropping at the knees of Sauaso Sue. It’s just not a red.
“Then the referee follows up with giving Arthur Mourgue about four or five head contacts in the game.
“The small Hull KR full-back [Mourgue] who gets hit by Ash Handley, that was another red card. And my point is, I just don’t think any of those last two decisions are red cards.
“We’re saying we want head contacts out of the game. The players are doing what they can. We just don’t need cards influencing games in a big way.”
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Watch the moment when Mikey Lewis sealed the victory for Hull KR against Leeds
Despite going down to 12 players just before the hour mark, Hull KR did fight back to take the win and retain their spot at the top of the table.
After their dramatic game, this Magic Weekend Hull KR will face Salford Red Devils, while Leeds Rhinos will play St Helens.
Sky Sports will be broadcasting all games from 3pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday.
Round 10 – MAGIC WEEKEND
Saturday May 3 – all exclusively live on Sky Sports
Leigh vs Catalans – 3pm
Hull KR vs Salford – 5.15pm
St Helens vs Leeds – 7.30pm
Sunday 4th May – all exclusively live on Sky Sports
Huddersfield vs Hull FC – 1pm
Wigan vs Warrington – 3.15pm
Castleford vs Wakefield – 5.30pm
Sky Sports will again show every game of Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.
