Quote Hudd-Shay="Hudd-Shay"I've just read that the referee for the Dewsbury game was 20 years old. Surely that can't be right. I know there's a shortage of match officials but if true this is another indication of where the RFL place the Championship in their list of priorities.'"
I haven't seen the fellow in question referee a game yet but he's actually one of the ten full-time officials, is therefore eligible to take SL games so it's definitely not a reflection on the Championship.
Three of the remaining nine full-time referees are 25 years old or under, there is definitely a youthful look to the new intake.
There has been a huge number of referees lost to the game in the last few years. Phil Bentham, Richard Silverwood, Tim Roby Joe Cobb, Chris Campbell, George Stokes, Matt Thomason, Thierry Alibert, and tragically the late Chris Leatherbarrow, are all no longer officiating for one reason or another and there maye be others I have forgotten. We don't know what's gpoing to happen with Ben Thaler either.
In general I think we all need to try and be more supportive of referees, it's a thankless job and we don't have a game without them.
