World Cup final ref made debut in Malta

Englishman Ashley Klein has been appointed to referee Saturday's Rugby League World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane.

Klein controlled this year's Super League grand final and has also refereed Challenge Cup and Tri Nations deciders.

Along a memorable path to the game's showpiece finale, the 29-year-old refereed the first ever game of Rugby League on Maltese soil in 2005 when Malta defeated the England Lionhearts 36-6 at Marsa Stadium.

Klein sent off Malta's Daniel Spiteri and England's Brendan Lewis in the opening three minutes of that historic international.

"The policy throughout the tournament has been to appoint on the basis of merit in the first instance but to opt for neutral referees where there were two candidates of similar standing," said Michael Stone, chairman of the World Cup Referees Appointments Board.

"Ashley has been one of the form referees of a tournament that has brought together officials from a number of countries."

The World Cup final will be televised live at Portside Lounge, Sliema on Saturday from 9.50 a.m.