Steve McNamara believes referees are being placed in an uncompromised position by being made to travel to France with Catalans' opponents. James Child and the rest of the match officials were on Leeds Rhinos' chartered flight ahead of the semi-final contest before returning to the UK with the Rhinos following the game.
The match officials were the subject of abuse from the Catalans supporters, who threw drinks and objects in their direction after the final whistle of the Dragons' defeat to the Rhinos. Child had sin-binned three Catalans players and sent one off in a bad-tempered affair.
McNamara was keen to stress he was not aiming his comments in Child's direction and admitted his side's discipline had conspired against them as they bowed out of the play-offs. But he said it was unfair on the officials to put them in a position where they are in close contact with the travelling team either side of a game.
