Myler left ‘confused’ by Burgess confrontation
HULL director of rugby Richie Myler is confused as to why Sam Burgess got so “heated” during their recent spat.
The former England teammates were filmed having a brief tunnel bust-up after Friday’s Super League clash.
Footage showed Warrington coach Burgess barging past Myler following his side’s 24-6 victory.
The hosts were reduced to seven interchanges after Adam Holroyd was named on the bench having not been included in the 21-man squad list sent to the RFL earlier in the week.
Burgess was fuming because the young forward had been in the squad publicly released two days before – and he argued losing an interchange was a player welfare failure.
The imposing ex-england captain claimed Hull complained leading to him losing a substitution and on his tunnel flare-up said it was after Myler made a “smart comment.”
But, speaking about the incident for the first time, Myler insisted: “I didn’t say anything to a certain degree.
“There was a miscommunication around the director of rugby role. I think they [Warrington] believed a director of rugby could have a say over how many subs you could use.
“I politely asked the match commissioner ‘was that my role?’ To which he said not. Sam took offence because I was saying ‘no’.
“On reflection, it’s not my role to say whether an admin’ error has happened and he can have his sub back.
“But there’s no hard feelings from me. I was asked a question: would I allow them to have a sub back? To which I responded I don’t think I’m qualified to do that.
“I know I’m new to this role, but I don’t think it’s my position to rewrite the rules of the RFL.”
Myler, who took over struggling Hull three weeks ago and is still looking for a new head coach, was left baffled.
He insisted: “I wasn’t even the one who flagged up they’d named somebody in the squad that wasn’t. I don’t fully understand what happened or whose fault it was.
“I just got approached by the match commissioner and then, ultimately, by Sam Burgess who was very heated and animated before the game. I just said I have no idea what you are on about. I understand what he’s saying about player welfare and asking them to go down from eight subs. But that’s a bigger conversation that’s above my role.”