Super League star warns ‘game is in serious trouble’ as he labels competition ‘hard to watch’
Jake Trueman in action for Hull FC in 2024
Super League ace Jake Trueman has warned the ‘game is in serious trouble’ in a social media post, labelling the competition ‘hard to watch’ after a weekend which has seen plenty of controversy.
Trueman – who was crowned Super League’s Young Player of the Year in 2018 – has more than 100 top flight appearances on his CV, made between Castleford Tigers and current club Hull FC.
Now officially a Wakefield player on loan at Hull until the end of the current Super League season, the 25-year-old will be eligible to play for Trinity in their Championship play-off campaign when that comes around.
The likelihood is that he will remain a Super League player in 2025 with Trinity almost guaranteed to be promoted up to the top flight courtesy of IMG.
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Super League star warns ‘game is in serious trouble’ as he labels competition ‘hard to watch’
Half-back Trueman, who is currently sidelined through injury, didn’t mention any specific incident in his social media post about the current state of affairs in the game.
But his post came at 3:30pm on Saturday afternoon, circa half-an-hour into the clash between Warrington Wolves and St Helens at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
By then, both sides had seen a man sent to the sin-bin in that game following reviews of incidents by the video referee with players staying down to seek treatment following collisions.
Trueman’s X post (@JT6Trueman) said: “Super League is becoming hard to watch. Too many penalties and cards and video referee too involved.
“Whoever is in charge needs to make some big changes, otherwise the game is in serious trouble.”
Super league is becoming hard to watch, too many penalties and cards, video ref too involved, whoever is in charge needs to make some big changes otherwise the game is in serious trouble.
— Jake Trueman (@JT6Trueman) September 7, 2024
There was around a five-and-a-half minute delay between Warrington’s Lachlan Fitzgibbon connecting with the head of Saints winger Tee Ritson, and the yellow card being shown to the Wolves forward by referee Chris Kendall.
Earlier in the weekend, Hull KR had seen Jai Whitbread sin-binned in the second half of their defeat at Wigan for a high shot on Tyler Dupree.
Similarly, in that instance, the yellow card only came Whitbread’s way once the Warriors forward had sought treatment, bringing a break in play which allowed the video referee to review the incident in depth.
Trueman is far from the only person to voice their concern about the state of the game over the weekend, with plenty of replies to his post on X agreeing with his stance, including the handful that we’ve picked out below.
Bang on. It’s turning into a farce, this game is far from the great game I watched 40 year ago, such a shame people miss out on that game. I could almost cry to see what it’s become. Game I loved is gone, will never return unless either disclaimers are signed or helmets are on
— Simon Paul (@PaulBec22280558) September 7, 2024
Well said Jake you’re saying what us fans have been saying all this season, nice to hear this from a professional player
— Gordon McQueen’s Warm Up MBE,CBE, Dodgy Knee (@antwright21) September 7, 2024
The game we all love IS in serious trouble.
On the field as well as financially.
All the fault of the unfit-for-purpose RFL. The NRL can’t take over quickly enough for me.
— Steve (@Steveloisda) September 7, 2024
Spot on truey what’s stopping a team who are down on the board taking a dive for the yellow
It’s rife now and it’s getting worse by the game
— Keith (@Keithschips) September 7, 2024
As fans we all watching the game and love the game but if we can see the issues, the players can see the issues and the coaches can see the issues why can’t the refs/rfl see the problems.
— Chris bailey (@Weeman6878) September 7, 2024
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