York City Knights made a bad start to their Championship One campaign with a 28-2 opening day defeat at Dewsbury.

The Knights trailed just 4-2 at half-time but Dewsbury ran in three second half tries for a comfortable win.

Director of rugby James Ratcliffe told BBC Radio York: "It was embarrassing, I'm quite shocked really."

Referee Chris Leatherbarrow awarded 29 penalties against the Knights, and Ratcliffe said: "It was absolutely ludicrous, some were bewildering."

He added: "We work really hard on keeping our penalty count down, 29 is probably three times more than we've done all season (in the Northern Rail Cup) in any one game.

"I don't know how many of the 29 were for dissent but I think he'd been bought two whistles and I think he wanted to wear them out."

It shows a level of arrogance, especially (for an official) of such a young age talking to people who have been in the game a lot longer than him and are far more experienced than him York City Knights director of rugby James Ratcliffe

Leatherbarrow, who is starting his first season at this level, refused to allow Knights captain Paul Hughes to ask him to explain his decisions, and penalised the skipper for doing so.

"I'm led to believe the captain can talk to the referee," Ratcliffe added, "and he flatly refused to speak to him.

"It shows a level of arrogance, especially (for an official) of such a young age talking to people who have been in the game a lot longer than him and are far more experienced than him.

"I think (the referee) went on his own agenda, but we didn't help ourselves by talking back.

"They've got wrapped up in the emotion of the game rather than playing the game we asked them to do.

"I don't know where that performance has come from, we've got a long week in front of us training."

Danny Ratcliffe suffered a bad-looking ankle injury.

"It could be tendons or ligaments," the director of rugby added, "and Scott Woodcock may have broken a bone in his hand."

The Knights next host Blackpool Panthers, who beat Hunslet 34-26 in their opening league game.

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