In the current issue of Rugby League World, Dave Hadfield looks at some of the games which to certain players represent the worst match of their life. From Don Fox, Sid Hynes, Adrian Morley, Steve Hampson, Gary Connolly and more, some of the greatest players have a bit of a 'mare on the biggest stages.
But what's your worst match? Whether as a player, coach, administrator or supporter at any level of the game, tell us your worst experience and we'll publish a selection of your comments in the next issue, due out 5th Nov.
You can post your comments here, or email them to
feedback@rugbyleagueworld.net or tweet them to @rlworld
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Here is mine[/size
Date: Sunday 6th May 2007
Time: 19:46
Game: Bradford Bulls 38-42 Leeds Rhinos
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
It had been a great game with both sides giving 110% for the previous 77 minutes, but as we entered the final two minutes with Bradford receiving the ball following a Sinfield kick on the last tackle and trying to run the clock down by playing percentage Rugby League.
With 60 seconds to go, Leeds had one last set of six to win the game from deep and had made it over halfway with a charge from Gareth Ellis who looked for support and forced the pass to Buchanan which just rolled down his body as Harris made a crunching tackle, before hitting Ellis's right leg and the ball ending up in the arms of Bradford player Matt Cook.
But Steve Ganson and Ashley Klein had other ideas and cue two of the most disgraceful decisions every seen in Rugby League.
First, Bradford now had the ball in the shape of Matt Cook following the error by Ellis, but Ashley Klein had seen something that nobody else to this day had seen and told Steve Ganson to award a penalty to Leeds with Klein claiming that the ball had come off Harris with Cook in front and offside.
The replays showed this to be utter fantasy on Kleins part as the ball had indeed come off the Leeds players foot and the penalty should not have been given.
The second great injustice was as Sinfield was ready to convert the penalty that had been disgracefully awarded to Leeds, Jordan Tansey had already set off sprinting down towards the Bradford try line and as Sinfields penalty attempt hit the right hand post, Tansey who has a good 10m offside put the ball down.
Steve Ganson had earlier called on Ashley Klein eight times to rule on the legitimacy of tries and the Bradford players/supporters were incensed when he gave Tansey's try right on the hooter.
Replays confirmed what everyone in the ground (myself included) and those at home watching had seen and that Tansey was indeed offside and the try should not have been given.
We had seen the game outrageously taken away from us by the match officials and Steve McNamara got straight to the point in his assessment of the game claiming his side were "cheated" of victory.
Those two decisions caused a furore with every Bradford supporter in the Millennium Stadium with "CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT" reverberating around the stadium.
It was a dark day for Rugby League, with the evidence caught live on Sky Sports that two match officials had influenced a result of Rugby League in favour of the Leeds Rhinos over the Bradford Bulls.
Both would be dropped the next weekend but it was little punishment for their disgraceful decisions.
To this day myself and many other Bradford supporters believe there we're exterior motives at play on that cold wet Sunday evening in Cardiff.
