Castleford Tigers coach Danny McGuire has a week to respond after the RFL formally began an investigation into his comments following last weekend’s loss to Wigan Warriors.
The governing body’s compliance department have now written to McGuire confirming they are looking into his post-match remarks. Tigers – who are third from bottom in Betfred Super League – were close to pulling off a major upset, but a late penalty followed by a converted try secured a dramatic 26-20 win for defending champions Wigan.
An upset McGuire slammed some decisions in the game as “pathetic” and claimed the standard of officiating in Betfred Super league is “getting worse”. Those comments could open the former Leeds Rhinos star to a potential charge of breaching the sport’s operational rules relating to criticism of match officials. Anticipating that, McGuire told his post-match press conference: “They can fine me, I’ll pay them back a pound a week.”
RFL referees’ boss Phil Bentham has already confirmed one of the incidents which upset McGuire – when Wigan succeeded with a captain’s challenge despite Tigers’ Will Tate being pulled back by Harry Smith – was a “clear error” by video referee Aaron Moore. Bentham has contacted Castleford to apologise and, in a statement, said: “It’s important the sport knows we do accept accountability when there has been a clear error. We will continue to work, week in, week out, in detail to avoid these errors in decision-making.”
However, Bentham’s apology is unlikely to insulate McGuire from possible disciplinary action, as his comments went beyond criticism of that one call. Wigan coach Matt Peet was fined £3,000 and handed a two-match touchline ban earlier this year after admitting breaching match day rules by entering the referees’ room without invitation and also operational rules on his standard of behaviour, following a Challenge Cup defeat by Hull FC. The touchline ban and half Peet’s fine were suspended until the end of next season.
McGuire has seven days to respond and a decision on whether to charge him will be made by the compliance department. If the Castleford boss is charged and pleads not guilty, he will face an operational rules tribunal.
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