Castleford Tigers owner Martin Jepson has spoken out publicly for the first time following the Rugby Football League’s (RFL) admission of a costly refereeing error in their narrow defeat to Wigan Warriors. The controversial call, which saw Wigan awarded a successful captain’s challenge late in the game despite apparent foul play, has sparked outrage throughout the rugby league community.
The Tigers were leading during the final quarter of the Super League clash on Saturday evening when Wigan halfback Harry Smith appeared to pull back Castleford’s Josh Simm, denying him the chance to claim a kick. Despite clear video evidence, the captain’s challenge from Wigan was upheld, shifting the momentum of the game and ultimately helping the Warriors secure a heartbreaking win over Castleford.
Castleford head coach Danny McGuire was quick to vent his frustration after the match. Speaking live on Sky Sports, McGuire accused officials of failing to uphold basic refereeing standards in Super League.
“Some of the decisions tonight were pathetic,” McGuire fumed in his post-match interview. “It’s getting worse. And I’m fully prepared to take whatever fine comes my way for saying that.”
The former Leeds Rhinos legend didn’t stop there. In his post-match press conference, he doubled down on his criticism, lamenting what he sees as a decline in officiating quality. He praised retired referees like Richard Silverwood, Steve Ganson, and Ian Smith, suggesting today’s referees should take a cue from the standard those officials once set.
In a rare move, Phil Bentham, the RFL’s Head of Match Officials, publicly admitted that the decision was a mistake and offered a formal apology to Castleford Tigers.
“It’s important that the sport knows we do accept accountability when there’s been a clear error,” Bentham said. “We will continue to work, week in, week out, to avoid these errors in decision-making.”
But the apology has done little to ease the pain for Castleford, who lost crucial league points as a result of the blunder. Tigers owner Martin Jepson finally addressed the matter echoing the frustrations of the club’s supporters.
“I am happy they now see what most people keep complaining about for some time now,” Jepson said. “The apology won’t bring back the points we lost due to this—and that is my pain.”
Jepson added that incidents like this damage the integrity of the league and called for stronger accountability.
“It is unacceptable and annoying when things like this happen,” he continued. “We await to see the punishment for those responsible. At the club, we will continue to build, and we sincerely hope this doesn’t happen again.”
Fans and pundits have called on the RFL to introduce stricter protocols around captain’s challenges and improve video review processes, particularly in high-stakes situations like this one.
With Castleford fighting to climb the Super League table, every point matters. And while the apology may be a step in the right direction, it offers little comfort to a team that feels robbed of a deserved victory.
As the fallout continues, the rugby league world watches closely to see whether this controversy leads to meaningful change—or just another footnote in a growing list of officiating grievances.
Leave a Reply