SEDGLEY Tigers coach Geoff Roberts admits he was baffled by the decision to postpone Saturday’s game at home to Sandal.

Roberts said it was called off due to a waterlogged pitch after opposition officials complained to the referee.

It was the third fixture postponed at Park Lane in the last two months.

But while Roberts says he could understand the reasons behind decisions to call off matches against Caldy (waterlogged pitch) and Otley (frost), he was puzzled by the latest failure to get a game on.

“In rugby union it is the two teams, not the referee, who control the decision,” he said.

“If one side is unhappy they go to the referee and the match officials generally call the game off due to health and safety reasons.

“In all three games to have been called off recently, we were happy to play.

“I could understand where Caldy and Ottley were coming from, but not Sandal. Frankly, their reasons baffled us.

“The pitch was a bit boggy in places but there was no real standing water.

“It was my understanding a pitch was deemed waterlogged if there was a risk a player could drown on it, if they were stuck at the bottom of a ruck.

“For that to happen you would need about three inches of standing water over a 30 metre area, and this was nothing of the sort.

“I guess the ruling must have changed and I think the club will write to the league to ask for clarification.”

Sandal were the early pacesetters in the league before being beaten by Sedgley in the reverse fixture and went into Saturday’s game on the back of a torrid run that included four defeats in their last five matches.

The Tigers remain in second despite the postponement after third-placed Stourbridge, who are level on points, fell to a shock defeat at home to Leicester Lions.

“I was absolutely staggered to see that we were still in second place when I checked the results,” added Roberts.

Sedgley now have three games in hand over their play-off rivals, all of which are at home, but the Tigers coach has mixed feelings about the way the season could pan out.

“Obviously we are in a very strong position,” said Roberts. “If we win all of our games in hand then the play-off spot is ours to lose.

“But the Sandal match has been rearranged for Easter Saturday, which was our last remaining blank weekend in the fixture programme.

“That leaves us with a very congested run-in, which will really stretch the squad.”

Sedgley’s attention now turns to Saturday’s game at mid-table Harrogate. Following strong wins at Tynedale and Luctonians in recent weeks, in which the form of kicker Steve Collins has proved key, Roberts is hoping for more of the same this weekend.

“Steve has got a fantastic kicking ratio this season, as he has had for the past four years since joining us,” added Roberts.

“He scored all of our points at Tynedale so we are hoping he can carry on that form and be the difference for us yet again at Harrogate, which is always a tough place to pick up points.”