Matterson hits out at 'disproportionate' punishment

CASTLEFORD Tigers coach Terry Matterson has hit out at the recent fine handed to the club, claiming that were a bigger club found guilty of a similar offence the fine would not have been as great.
The Tigers are set to appeal against the £40,000 fine handed to them the RFL after the club were found guilty of misconduct for failing to carry out a meaningful investigation in the wake of the homophobic abuse suffered by Crusaders winger Gareth Thomas from their supporters.
“I just wonder whether if it was one of the bigger clubs if the same fine would have been handed out - but that remains to be seen,” said Matterson.
“I was out at the Leeds game the other day and they went on and on and on, and to be honest with you, I don't think it was fair, I think the RFL have come up with a poor decision there.
“It is something that our fans need to have a look at, no doubt about that, but I think it is pretty much right around the league, very similar”
“I don't think the league have handled it really well, to be honest, they've put Castleford out there around the world, and you know, it happens at every game, a different sort of chanting”
“It is something that our fans need to have a look at, no doubt about that, but I think it is pretty much right around the league, very similar.”
The Rhinos responded to Matterson’s comments with a statement on their website, outlining the policies they have in place to deal with crowd problems.
“As a club we take very seriously the matter of anti social behavior and have had a task force set up for nearly three years now to tackle this issue.
“Many of the problems are as a result of issues in general society however we take our responsibility for dealing with those issues inside our stadium extremely seriously.
“We have weekly meetings where all matters of anti social behavior from the previous game are discussed, the actions that were taken reviewed and, if necessary, adjustments made to our security operation”
“Through working with supporters and our own security staff, we have been able to pin point persistent trouble causers in recent years”
“We are not afraid to admit that there is an element of undesirables within our supporter base but we are determined to either persuade them to change their ways or make it clear to them that they are not welcome at Headingley Carnegie.”
The statement concluded by addressing the Rhinos supporters directly:
“It is extremely difficult for us to identify an offender after the game night, especially in terraced areas, so please contact the steward when you feel it is necessary.
“To those fans who conduct themselves in the right manner each and every week, we would like to say a big thank you and tell you to keep it up. Together we can be proud.”