Leeds Rhinos boss questions sin-binning and stoppages as Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont hits out

Rhinos prop Justin Sangare was sin-binned for the second successive game - following an alleged late challenge on Tom Amone - and Leeds players including Jarrod O’Connor, Andy Ackers and Brodie Croft were penalised in incidents which will be studied by the RFL’s match review panel on Monday.

In each case, referee Chris Kendall consulted his video assistant Ben Thaler before - with the exception of the Sangare incident - deciding not to produce a yellow card. Previously this season there have been complaints about the number of players being sent-off or sin-binned, but Friday’s game produced the opposite reaction, with Leigh fans upset at seeing Leeds keep 13 players on the field for all but the final few minutes.

Adding to their anguish, the hosts also had a touchdown ruled out on video evidence - backing the referee’s on-field call - for a double-movement. Another was chalked off for a foot in touch, after Kendall sent it to the video official as a try and Leigh full-back Gareth O’Brien was sin-binned for a professional foul. From the press seats, those decisions looked correct.

Though he didn’t specify which incident/s he was upset over, Leigh’s owner Derek Beaumont took to social media to claim “that is why the game is not investable and needs an absolute overall [sic]!” He said: “I have kept quiet till now! Council meeting Wednesday and I will do my talking there! I will not sit and watch our game be driven into the ground! Fine me but you will not silence me! Game on.”

However, in his post-match press conference Rhinos coach Rohan Smith felt there were too many stoppages to look at incidents he believes weren’t worth more than a penalty. He said: “The sin-bin we suffered made the back end of the game an even bigger struggle against a quality attacking team. That’s a big, fast footwork front-rower taking the ball into the line and he doesn’t get hit, he gets contacted. If you are a ball player, any size and you take the ball deep into the line, you should assume you are going to get tackled. That is not a late hit.

“The game could have shifted from there. Everyone around me, every single incident, is screaming for a yellow card. That’s what we’ve created for ourselves. If we want the game to be 12-a-side, change the rules at the start of the year and play 12-a-side - we’ll have two front-rowers, lose the loose-forward, keep all the other positions the same and play 12-a-side. Everyone is yelling for it, all we are talking about is sin-bins, yellow cars, high tackles. That was a good game of footy, two good teams and it nearly got spoiled.”

Video referees have been given more input this year with every Betfred Super League match being televised. Smith added: “Poor Tariq Sims [of Catalans Dragons,] got sin-binned last week [against Rhinos] for trying to save a try. I didn’t disagree with the eight-point try decision, he did make contact with the head in the act of scoring, which is an opportunity to be an eight-point try. But a sin-bin, what’s that for? I am just confused.”

Lack of consistency is clearly frustrating the Leeds boss who claimed “there is a clear difference from referee to referee how the ruck is adjudicated on”. He said: “It’s almost as if you have to prepare for the opposition and also gameplan how the game might be refereed.

“The high tackle stuff, no one tries to do high tackles. Behaviour has changed over the course of time and there’s fewer high tackles than ever before, but the penalty is the punishment. That is a big punishment, then we go sin-bin, suspension, fine - it is too much.

“How many times did we go to the video referee tonight? And most times it just turned out to be a penalty, but the game slows down, it stops, the crowd are agitated and shouting for a yellow card, then they don’t get it so they are agitated and the referee is under more pressure from the crowd because he stopped the game to let the video referee check.

“You take the attrition out of the game, there’s no flow. That is taking away from what was a good game, in my opinion.”

Smith pointed to the Croft incident, when he was penalised for a tackle in the air, as an example. He said: “He contests on a kick and correctly gets penalised. Why are we having a 40-second stoppage? Leigh should be kicking to touch and we should be on the back foot. We stop the game, tell Brodie ‘you don’t do that any more’. He knows, he just gave away a penalty. Why are we stopping the game?”

Rhinos scored their second try during O’Brien’s spell off the field. Asked if he felt that yellow card helped his team, Smith responded: “If you had a choice or playing against 12 men or 13, you’d choose 12, but [O’Brien’s card was for] repeat offences. I think we’ve had a few of those, where teams are intentionally slowing us down. The referees have no choice, I just think the referees drift in and out of applying the new ruck interpretations.”