REFFING? WHY WE GAVE IT A T.R.Y
Brothers kick playing days into touch to go foul throttle in middle
REFEREEING is a family affair for Liam and Aaron Moore.
The pair are both blowing the whistle in the Betfred Super League – nearly 25 years after twins Robert and John Connolly officiated in the same season in the top flight.
Now the competition has another two siblings taking charge in the middle... although their story is a bit different.
Liam, 27, has already refereed a couple of Challenge Cup finals, plus the last two Old Trafford deciders. He is due to take charge of Saturday’s England v France international at Warrington.
But younger brother Aaron arrived on the Super League scene a little later – having been a player for North Wales Crusaders in League 1.
Liam explained: “We both played rugby when we were younger.
“Aaron played at a much higher level than I did. I was more school rugby and, if I’m honest, I was very average at best.
“I thought I’d give refereeing a go, fell into it by accident and never thought I’d make a career of it. But Aaron carried on playing rugby for Salford academy and then with the first team at North Wales. It was a very different route to me, but I’d started younger and progressed pretty quickly.
“Aaron started picking up while he was still playing. Then he had a decision to make.”
What made Aaron quit playing to join forces with his refereeing brother?
He said: “Liam said why didn’t I give it a go and, if anything, it would help me with the rules.
“I did a couple of games and really enjoyed it. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did.
“I was pretty nervous at first as it is so different to playing. But I got the bug for it. They always say with reffing it is a bug. I carried on doing both while playing semi-professionally at North Wales. And I made the decision in the end that reffing was for me.”
The former half-back is still operating in the middle, but is now making decisions of a different kind. He officiated his first
Super League game in 2021 and after being a touch judge at last year’s World
Cup, he joined the RFL’s full-time list ahead of this season. Aaron, 25, added: “The lads were really supportive when I decided to quit playing and just ref.
“I used to ref National Conference League on a Saturday and play League 1 on a Sunday, so they would always be asking who I’d reffed the day before?
“I had a spell where I’d ref somewhere like Egremont up in Cumbria on a Saturday and then maybe York on Sunday. There was a lot of travelling, but it was all worth it.”
The brothers, who hail from Wigan, have always been close, so they don’t mind being work colleagues now.
Liam added: “We’re both full-time, we train together in the week, pick one another up in the morning, drop each other off at night. I enjoy the training and the work we do on preview and review.
“But there’s nothing quite like game day for me – the adrenalin of being involved in the games, making the decisions – that’s the bit I love about refereeing. To be able to do it with your brother is even better.
“I take great pride in his development as well, coming in and becoming a more established Super League referee.
“We’ve always been very competitive, whether that’s playing cricket in the back garden or football, and that’s not really changed as we’ve got older.”
‘We’re full-time, train together and pick each other up in the morning’