Oxford RLFC v Newcastle Thunder
Referee: B Pearson
Touch Judges: J Barr N Lawrenson
Reserve Referee: R Snelson
M Com: G Kershaw

Referee: Billy Pearson (Wakefield)
Previous Oxford games:
19/06/2016 - Oxford 6 York 50 (penalties 6-8 against)
20/05/2017 - South Wales 18 Oxford 38 (penalties 8-12 against)
The York game might have been his first ever at this level. Is also the touch judge for Featherstone v Swinton next Wednesday. He has another hobby - I think he’s the one showboating to the camera:



Touch Judge: Jamie Barr (St Helens)
It’s almost a year since his last Oxford game, which was an Abingdon defeat to York (see Billy Pearson section above). Before that, our paths seemed to cross almost every week. Here he is with his dad, although some nonentity has got a bit in the way.


Touch Judge: Nathan Lawrenson (Wigan)
Second touch judge appointment for an Oxford game, the last being the tremendous victory over Hunslet earlier this season (have I mentioned that before in these posts, I wonder?). And here are both of our touch judges for this week’s Newcastle game, pictured as part of the 2015 Champion Schools officiating team (Nathan Lawrenson on the left, Jamie Barr on the right, with Ryan Calder in the middle):


Reserve Referee: Ryan Snelson (St Helens)
Third time at an Oxford game, and again it’s quite a long gap because the last one was away to London Skolars in March 2016. Must be a keen fisherman, and that may well be the main topic next time we get him, but here’s a photo of him refereeing Clock Face Under-18s:


Match Commissioner: Gerry Kershaw (York)
It’s over two years since we last saw him, so I’m pretty much going to repeat what I wrote then (also a Newcastle game). He is a former top flight referee from the 1970s through to early 1990s, including the 1981 Challenge Cup Final. Was video ref in the 2000 World Cup Final and the 2002 Grand Final. Also notable for being attacked by a female Warrington fan after refereeing a game there (she was arrested and fined). Coupled refereeing with teaching. You can watch him in action (well, as a match commissioner) at the Leeds v Featherstone Challenge Cup clash this weekend.

I saw him referee Castleford v Australia in 1990. He gave penalties to the Australians all through the game, but in the last 15 minutes when the result was not in doubt he gave penalty after penalty to Castleford. A Cas fan shouted at him that all he was doing was evening up the penalty count so that it would look OK in the papers - that was the first time I ever thought about that concept. So you could say that Kershaw was the inspiration for me including penalty counts in these posts.