Leeds referee gets key job as match officials confirmed for 3rd England v Australia Ashes Test at Headingley
Match officials have been confirmed for Saturday’s Third ABK Beer Test at Leeds Rhinos’ AMT Headingley.
Aussie Grant Atkins will be in the middle for the England versus Australia clash, having refereed last weekend’s second game at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson stadium. Atkins was chosen ahead of Super League official Liam Moore, who took charge of the series opener at Wembley. Moore is the reserve referee.
Tom Grant, of Leeds, will be on video duty. He takes over from another Englishman, Jack Smith, who had the role for the previous two games. Jonny Roberts and Warren Turley will be touch judges with Neil Horton - a former player for Leeds community club Oulton Raiders - as reserve.
The appointments follow discussions between RFL head of match officials Phil Bentham and Jared Maxwell, the NRL’s general manager. Before the series began the RFL said officials for the third game would be decided “after the second Test through a review of the performances of the first two Tests under agreed parameters”.
Third Test officials: referee Grant Atkins; touch judges Jonny Roberts and Warren Turley; video ref Tom Grant; reserve ref Liam Moore; reserve touch judge Neil Horton; timekeeper Tony Randerson; match commissioner Dave Milburn.