SAINTS have made formal contact with the Rugby Football League to question why Robert Hicks did not refer Morgan Knowles’ third minute ‘try’ to the video referee, the Star understands.

The club has also asked for answers over a number of other areas about how the game was officiated, particularly what they regard as a failure of the match officials to adequately police offsides and the squareness of the marker positions in the first half of the Challenge Cup final, when Warrington built up a 12-0 advantage.

Saints would not discuss the matter when contacted by the Star on Monday and it is understood they are keen for their unhappiness with officiating not be seen as a case of sour grapes or deflect from Warrington’s victory.

Saints players stood and watched their opponents lift their trophy as a mark of respect after a final, played in intense heat, which appeared to leave both teams exhausted.

A club spokesman said: “We want to keep any correspondence with the RFL private and confidential and want to congratulate Warrington on a great win.”

However, it is understood that within hours of coach Justin Holbrook raising concerns in the post-match press conference over why Knowles’ touch down from a Theo Fages kick was not sent upstairs Saints chiefs had sent correspondence to the RFL.

Saints feel that if video referee Ben Thaler had been asked to look at the incident Knowles, who screamed at Hicks that it was a try moments after placing his hand on the ball, four points would have been awarded and the momentum of the game would have changed considerably.

When the replay was shown on the big screen in the stadium minutes later, the Saints fans booed the decision.

Saints coach Holbrook said in the post match conference: “It was a massive call. We are talking about a big game, get your nose in front in a Challenge Cup Final and it is a different game.

“You would be filthy if that was a regular round of Super League.

“I can’t get my head around not checking a call like that in a big game.”

The scoring player himself echoed that, when asked after the game.

“ I can’t think why you wouldn’t send I up. It still doesn’t win us the game, but I can’t understand why you wouldn’t check it," Knowles said.

“I am bewildered – you can’t be that sure when it is blatant that I’ve scored.”

There was also significant frustration over how the offside rule was enforced. Saints feel their opponents were repeatedly allowed to encroach the ten-metres and flout the marker rules without being penalised, hampering Holbrook’s team’s attempts to play fast and on the front foot.

In his press conference Holbrook also felt Warrington were wrongly awarded a repeat set of tackles for the first try by Joe Philbin. It is understood this decision has also been also questioned.

These were big calls in the game, however, Saints will also have to look at some of their own mistakes.

Admittedly some of those were made because they were chasing the game, but there were a number of out of character errors, including a series of dropped balls, most notably the one that led to Warrington's second try.

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And although they appeared to be able to cut through the Warrington defence with ease in yardage, they struggled to make the back end of the sets count.