Rugby League Results: Salford Red Devils Score Ruled Out After Clever Kick Attempt
In a thrilling Super League matchup, Salford Red Devils overcame St Helens 20-18, completing the double over the reigning champions. However, the game’s pivotal moment came when a try scored by Salford’s Chris Atkin was disallowed due to an unconventional kick attempt from Marc Sneyd.
Former Super League referees Richard Silverwood and Ian Smith took to social media to explain the rationale behind the officials’ decision to rule out Atkin’s try.
Salford had been awarded a penalty deep in the St Helens half, with the score at 10-6. Sneyd, seemingly intending to extend the lead to a converted try, placed the ball on the tee. As the Saints players regrouped, Sneyd raised his hand, mimicking a football corner kick, and struck the ball 25 yards wide to Atkin, who collected it and strolled over the line.
However, the try was quickly disallowed by referee Jack Smith and his team. According to Silverwood, the decision was at the referee’s discretion, as the pre-planned nature of Sneyd’s kick was deemed to constitute “misconduct” under the laws of the game. Ian Smith corroborated this, highlighting the specific law that prohibits “pretending to kick at goal from a penalty and then deliberately kicking it elsewhere.”
Salford head coach Paul Rowley admitted post-match that he was unaware of this particular rule, joking that it must be hidden away in the rulebook. Nevertheless, the decision stood, and the Red Devils had to settle for the 20-18 victory, which, as Rowley acknowledged, would have been more comfortable had the try been awarded.
This incident has sparked discussions among rugby league enthusiasts, with many praising the officials’ application of the rules and debating the merits of Sneyd’s innovative, yet ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to outsmart the opposition.
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