Cessnock coach Al Lantry has blasted the use of multiple referees in games saying it cost his team its chance of playing finals in their 30-10 loss to Souths on Sunday.
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“It’s probably the first time I’ve lost my cool all year about the referees, but it sucks that a season comes down to the way the refs controlled the game really,” Lantry said.
“These games of the round when they throw two extra officials into it. It makes it five officials on the ground.
“We can see in NRL that it’s not working, so why are we trying to do it in ours.
“Instead of having one ref in charge who should make the decision, we had another two referees that’s three opinions, plus two touch judges that’s five opinions on a play.
“You could hear them arguing between each other.
“With one referee controlling the game you learn what you can and can’t do within the first 10 or 15 minutes, but you throw three into the occasion and they all referee differently how can a player get used to what is going on.
“Every 50/50 call went against us in the first half. There were three very clear ones where the ball went to the ground during the ruck and they called it a rake.
“It was quite obvious in all three that the player had just lost the ball. They scored off all three.”