CESSNOCK coach Todd Edwards said the "circus just continues" after controversial grand final whistleblower Drew Oultram was named Newcastle's referee of the year on Saturday night.
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"That's laughable. You're kidding me, right?" Edwards said.
"The circus just continues, as far as I'm concerned.
"Based on what? It just never ends."
Cessnock have been fuming since Oultram sent three Goannas players from the field in this year's grand final.
"John Taylor was the man that should have got the job, because he's the most experienced referee," Edwards said.
"But they had to go with the kid and we saw what happened.
"It is absolutely laughable that he gets referee of the year but I guess that's something you'd half expect if the only blokes voting on it are the other referees."
Robert Dillon reports: The Knights have tabled a two-year contract extension to Chris Houston to try to head off rival clubs circling the towering workhorse.
Houston's manager, Jon Jansen, said yesterday that Knights strategic development manager Keith Onslow had submitted an increased offer this week that would keep the 24-year-old in Newcastle until at least the end of the 2012 season.
"There's still a bit of to-ing and fro-ing at this stage but I think everything is going along nicely," Jansen said yesterday.
"He's contracted for 2010 and they're keen to extend it for another two years after that . . . people realise he's a valuable commodity and I think there would be interest from other clubs but he probably owes it to Newcastle, because they gave him the opportunity to establish himself as an NRL player."
Jansen said Houston had not received formal approaches from rival clubs but "there have been some people asking some questions".
Having indicated in September that he was prepared to bide his time and defer negotiations "to find out what I'm worth", Houston said yesterday that he hoped he would have no reason to explore other opportunities.
"To be honest, I'm pretty happy in Newcastle and I don't plan on going anywhere," Houston said.
"They gave me a decent opportunity here after I'd played my first season of first grade [at the Dragons], so definitely the Knights get first dibs."
Knights coach Rick Stone said re-signing Houston was a priority for Newcastle.
