Sky Sports pundits suggest Super League is being refereed differently to opening rounds after Marc Sneyd incident

Sky Sports duo Jon Wilkin and Sam Tomkins admitted Super League is being refereed differently now compared to the opening rounds of the season – but insist that is a good thing. 

The pair made the remarks at half-time of Salford’s game with Wigan Warriors on Thursday night following an incident involving Marc Sneyd and Patrick Mago that forced the latter to leave the field for a head injury assessment. Sneyd’s challenge ultimately went unpunished, with the scrum-half not receiving a card.

Wilkin compared the incident to the controversial Fa’amanu Brown red card in Hull’s game against Warrington in Round Two that led to a dramatic rewriting of the head contact framework – and insisted the two incidents prove that games are being officiated differently following the opening month.

“Put that next to the Fa’amanu Brown one, put those two together.. it is being refereed differently but we have to celebrate the fact the referees have seen it and have changed.”

Tomkins, when asked by presenter Brian Carney if there was any malice in Sneyd’s tackle, said: “I don’t think there’s any malice but if this was Round One or Round Two, he’d be on a yellow or maybe even a red – so it is being refereed differently.”

Tomkins, however, insisted he felt the challenge did not merit a card.

“Marc Sneyd deserves to still be on the field; there’s no malice on it, people don’t deserve to get cards for that.”

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