Leading referee axed for finals after Eden Park controversy
Leading referee Ashley Klein has been dropped for the preliminary finals this weekend after his performance during the Warriors and Knights match.
The Eden Park elimination final was marred in controversy by several contentious decisions, but perhaps the most glaring statistic for Klein was five successful captain’s challenges.
However, the most significant call was late in the match when Klein ruled Tyson Frizell was not an escort when Leka Halasima was taken out in a kick contest.
“Look at Tyson pretend to catch it, he’s a billion to one to catch that ball ... some of the great acting,” Andrew Johns said on Nine.
9news Sydney’s Danny Weidler has since reported that’s led to Klein missing out on a final.
In the aftermath of the match, Warriors coach Andrew Webster described the officiating as “frustrating”.
“I thought they were trying to find ways to take it off us,” he said.
“... (Frizell) was going across Leka pretending to try and catch the ball, which they’ve told us you can’t do.
“But at the end of the day, you make your own luck in this game, we had enough opportunities to win that game.”
Klein did have some support though with former Warriors star Shaun Johnson praising his work.
“Ashley Klein probably reffed the best game I’ve seen in a longtime tonight. He didn’t take any gamesmanship in terms of people laying down, he didn’t let people approach him whinging, he didn’t make the game about him,” he said on Sky Sport NZ.
“He let the players come and play, and they dictated the outcome.”
The match at Eden Park ended with ugly scenes as projectiles were thrown at the referees from above the tunnel.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George confirmed to media he’ll seek a please explain from the NRL.
“It was disappointing because a warning was sent out to the clubs about [escorts] this week; it was extremely obvious that’s what occurred with [Frizell],” he said.
Ashley Klein talks to Knights players. Getty Images
“Then to have no review or anything done by the referee, it was disappointing. We have to move on.”
Klein could still feature in the grand final having refereed all three State of Origin matches this year.
