Referees 'need to calm down with cards' - Burgess

Warrington Wolves prop Paul Vaughan will miss games against St Helens, Huddersfield Giants and London Broncos

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess said match officials "need to calm down" with yellow and red cards after Paul Vaughan's dismissal ruled him out for the rest of the regular campaign.

Vaughan received a three-game ban for head contact on Owen Trout in the first half of their 16-12 Super League defeat by Leigh Leopards.

The club appealed the decision but the match review panel's Grade D head contact charge was upheld.

"We felt there were mitigating factors and that's why we challenged it but the framework we live in, it's pretty tough," Burgess told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I still don't think it's a red card, which is not a popular comment to some people, but we all have responsibility - players, coaches and adjudicators and administrators - to try and make the product as best as possible and I don't know if 13 versus 12 is the best product.

"That doesn't mean you should have free rein to go around taking people's heads off. That's been illegal since the game started.

"I just think we can get trigger happy and we need to calm down a bit with the cards."

Burgess called the decision "embarrassing" after the match, labelling it a "theatrical game".

In the aftermath of the loss, Burgess said he had met with RFL company secretary and former referee Robert Hicks to discuss the red card.

Despite the outcome, Burgess believes appealing against the decision was the right thing to do.

"It's an exciting time of the year and he's done a lot to help the team get here," Burgess added.

"I really didn't think there was much intent in that tackle and listening to him talk about it, he didn't.

"We were probably heading up a dead end in some aspects of that, but I felt for Vaughany's peace of mind and for us as a club we were doing the right thing by him."