Featherstone Rovers boss Ryan Carr holds clarification talks with referees’ department

Rovers have won both their home matches in the Betfred Championship, but have yet to pick up a point on the road after defeats at Bradford Bulls, Leigh Centurions and Widnes Vikings.

They are sixth in the table and in the wake of the 44-22 loss at Widnes yesterday, Carr insisted: “We didn’t get any favours off the officiating.”

He said: “The officiating away from home has been hurting us [in] all three games.

“I have discussed it with Phil Bentham [a former top referee now working for the RFL] and the feedback I got was he agrees.”

Despite that, Carr stressed his team did not play well enough to end their away duck.

“That is not the reason we lost,” he added.

“Widnes played too well and we didn’t play at the standard we wanted.”

It was Widnes’ first game since last week’s takeover which brought the club out of administration and they were roared on by a crowd of 5,782.

“It wasn’t how we planned to play,” Carr reflected.

“We ran into a good Widnes team with a lot to play for and a lot of emotion behind them.

“They started off too fast for us and I think after the first 16 minutes it was 22-0.

“From that point on it was 22-22 and if you take the first 16 minutes out it was a close game, but we had three sets in the first 25 minutes and when you don’t have the ball it is hard to win games.

“They played the game the way we wanted to play.”

Carr reported several “niggles” including a groin problem suffered by winger Luke Briscoe who will be assessed before Sunday’s home game against unbeaten Sheffield Eagles.