Wakefield Trinity’s head coach Daryl Powell has launched a blistering attack on the standard of video technology in rugby league, citing a series of contentious decisions that went against his team in their 16-12 defeat to Hull FC.
Powell’s ire was particularly directed at the video referee’s decision to disallow Mason Lino’s try, which was chalked off due to an obstruction on Jordan Lane. Powell claimed that Lane had “dived on the floor” and that the contact was minimal.
The Wakefield boss also questioned the video technology’s ability to accurately determine whether players were onside or not, citing the example of Tom Johnstone’s disallowed try. “The technology is appalling,” Powell fumed. “I just think, what are we doing?”
Powell’s frustration was compounded by the fact that the match was played without a match clock due to technical issues, leaving coaches and fans alike in the dark about the match time.
Despite his frustration with the video technology, Powell acknowledged that his team had made too many errors and had “handed the game away” to Hull FC. However, he remained adamant that the video technology had played a significant role in the outcome of the match.
The defeat was a setback for Wakefield Trinity, who had started the game strongly but were ultimately unable to capitalize on their early momentum. Powell will be looking for his team to bounce back from the defeat and improve their performance in their next match.