Leading NRL referee Gerard Sutton has been appointed to control Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup 2017 clash between New Zealand and Tonga at Waikato Stadium, which will determine the winner of Pool B.
Sutton, who had charge of this year’s NRL grand final along with Matt Cecchin, has refereed the past 10 consecutive State of Origin matches as well as the 2015 and 2016 ANZAC Tests.
Ashley Klein has been given control of the other vital Pool B clash between Samoa and Scotland at Barlow Park in Cairns on Saturday, which will decide who of the two teams qualifies for the quarter-finals as the third-placed team in the pool.
Super League referees Phil Bentham and Ben Thaler have been appointed to the two matches in Perth on Sunday featuring European teams, with Bentham to have charge of England-France and Thaler given control of the earlier Wales v Ireland match.
Robert Hicks will referee the Fiji-Italy match at Canberra Stadium on Friday night, while James Child is in charge of Australia-Lebanon at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night and Adam Gee will control the final RLWC2017 match in Papua New Guinea between the Kumuls and USA on Sunday.
RLWC2017 Match Officials Round 3
GAME: Fiji v Italy
DATE: Friday, November 10, 2017
VENUE: Canberra Stadium
KICK OFF: 7.45pm local
REFEREE: Robert Hicks
VIDEO REFEREE: Ben Thaler
TOUCH JUDGES: Michael Wise, Liam Moore
GAME: New Zealand v Tonga
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 2017
VENUE: Christchurch Stadium
KICK OFF: 5pm local
REFEREE: Gerard Sutton
VIDEO REFEREE: Steve Chiddy
TOUCH JUDGES: Chris Butler, Mark Craven
GAME: Samoa v Scotland
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 2017
VENUE: Barlow Park
KICK OFF: 4.15pm local
REFEREE: Ashley Klein
VIDEO REFEREE: Henry Perenara
TOUCH JUDGES: Grant Atkins, Jon Stone
GAME: Australia v Lebanon
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 2017
VENUE: Sydney Football Stadium
KICK OFF: 8.05pm Local
REFEREE: James Child
VIDEO REFEREE: Bernard Sutton
TOUCH JUDGES: Chris Sutton, Belinda Sleeman
GAME: PNG v USA
DATE: Sunday, November 12, 2017
VENUE: Oil Search National Football Stadium
KICK OFF: 3.05pm local
REFEREE: Adam Gee
VIDEO REFEREE: Jared Maxwell
TOUCH JUDGES: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Chris McMillan
GAME: Wales v Ireland
DATE: Sunday, November 12, 2017
VENUE: Perth Rectangular Stadium
KICK OFF: 3.35pm local
REFEREE: Ben Thaler
VIDEO REFEREE: Robert Hicks
TOUCH JUDGES: Dave Munro, Scott Mikalauskas
GAME: England v France
DATE: Sunday, November 12, 2017
VENUE: Perth Rectangular Stadium
KICK OFF: 6.05pm Local
REFEREE: Phil Bentham
VIDEO REFEREE: Bernard Sutton
TOUCH JUDGES: Chris Kendall, Michael Wise
