Round 13
Bradford Bulls 38 l. Leeds Rhinos 42

2007 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

McNamara satisfied with Match Officials meeting
Sat May 12, 2007
Source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

Bradford Bulls Coach Steve McNamara yesterday met with the Match Officials Department of the Rugby Football League following the events at the end of the game against Leeds Rhinos in Cardiff last weekend.

McNamara met with Referee's Controller Stuart Cummings, Touch Judge Controller Tony Brown, Match Referee Steve Ganson and Video Referee Ashley Klein, at the Referees Headquarters in Leeds.

Steve McNamara said today:

"Having met with all the parties involved I am satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and we at the Bulls are completely happy to have either Steve Ganson or Ashley Klein officiating at Bulls games in future. In my opinion it is in the best interests of the game to have the best referees officiating in the engage Super League and not sitting on the sidelines. I also apologised to Steve Ganson for comments I made following the game regarding the awarding of the penalty against our team as I have since discovered that he played no part in that decision."

The Club, meanwhile, will continue to press its complaint with the RFL.

News sent by: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk


Bradford Bulls Statement: Steve Ganson Apology
Tue May 8, 2007
Source: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

I have seen match official Ganson's apology to the rugby league community and in particular to the Bradford Bulls' players, officials and supporters in relation to his ill-judged decision not to go to the video referee in the dying seconds of last night's Millennium Magic encounter with Leeds Rhinos. This decision by Mr Ganson decided the outcome of the game.

Whilst Mr Ganson's apology is fine as far as it goes, and gratefully acknowledged, sadly he omits any mention of why the 'penalty' was awarded in the first place and importantly - by whom? As has been widely reported in today's newspapers there was no infringement by a Bradford player - this is clearly confirmed by the video evidence. Sadly, there is no mention either of what role, if any, video referee Ashley Klein played in 'assisting' Mr Ganson not to go to the screen. Later in the week, therefore, we shall be demanding an answer to these and maybe other questions ? such as the no small matter of Mr Klein's other contributions to the outcome of game - from RFL Match Officials Director Stuart Cummings.

I want to take this opportunity to publicly place on record my sincere appreciation to Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington for his kind words of consolation in the immediate aftermath of the game, and for his honesty in recognising the injustice of what we had together witnessed. I also thank the Leeds head coach Tony Smith for his honest comments reported in the media.

The Leeds Rhinos club is justifiably a proud club, with a great tradition, and a club which above all values its reputation for right and fair-dealing in everything it does. For these reasons I shall be inviting the Leeds Rhinos to do the right thing again now, for the benefit of their own reputation certainly, but also for the good of the great game of rugby league and of the Super League ? namely, to voluntarily hand over to Bradford Bulls what is, as the whole game now acknowledges, rightfully ours ? the two points so cruelly taken from us by Mr Ganson's failure to act.

Finally, I wish to place on record that the Board of Bradford Bulls stands shoulder-to-shoulder with head coach Steve McNamara in relation to his comments to the media after the game. In the unique circumstances of this game, his candour was both understandable and forgivable.

News sent by: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

Tue May 8, 2007
• Referee Steve Ganson apologies to Bradford Bulls
  
Mon May 7, 2007
• Rhinos win classic derby in dramatic circumstances over Bulls
  
Sat May 5, 2007
• Leeds coach interview ahead of Millennium Magic
  
Fri May 4, 2007
• McNamara and Vagana look ahead to Bulls v Rhinos at Millennium
  

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