Catalans owner vows never to play a final again under English referees

Correspondent
Catalans owner Bernard Guasch at Nou Camp

Catalans Dragons president Bernard Guasch says he will never again allow his team to play a final under English referees after condemning the officiating at Saturday night’s Super League Grand Final.

Bernard Guasch says he was incensed by the decisions of referee Liam Moore and the rest of his officials during the Dragons’ 12-10 defeat by St Helens in their inaugural Grand Final at Old Trafford.In an interview with the Perpignan-based L’Independent newspaper, Guasch says he endured a sleepless night after watching the match again and viewing incidents he claimed changed the course of the game.Guasch says he was particularly angered by the lack of action over an early punch by Saints forward Sione Mata’utia and the failure to spot full-back Lachlan Coote putting a foot in touch as he palmed a Catalans penalty back into play.

Guasch says the club intend to compile a dossier of crucial incidents to send to the Rugby Football League and, although he knows it will not change the result, he intends to remain firm on his demand for neutral referees in future.

“As long as I’m president of the Catalans Dragons, I’ll never play a Super League final again until we have three Australian referees,” he said.

“I’m furious, at some point I say stop? I wanted to react like an English gentleman because I have a lot of respect for this competition.

“I am proud to have lived these three extraordinary days at Old Trafford as the English know how to organise them.

“But I saw the match again and I tell myself that I cannot let this go by without reacting and making a decision.”

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Super League Bernard Guasch

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