SAM Hallas has called for better communication between rugby league officials and players after his side lost out at the Summer Bash.

Bradford Bulls fell to a 21-14 defeat at the hands of local rivals Halifax in Blackpool on Saturday.

It was a close encounter on the pitch, with both sides turning the game into a feisty affair which was overseen by referee Tom Grant.

Match report: Bulls 14 Halifax 21

There were more than a dozen penalties awarded across the match, with the Bulls conceding eight of those.

A number were given for disputing the referee's decision, but hooker Hallas believes Bradford had little to answer for.

He said: "We're allowed to ask questions.

"I don't know if I'll get into trouble for this. We've had certain referees where we ask them a question and they tell us exactly what they think and tell us exactly what it is.

"But there's some referees, you ask them a question and they've just got no time of day for you.

"It's annoying and at the end of the day it's rude.

"For me, there's no place for that in refereeing."

There were no video referees in place for any of the Summer Bash fixtures, with coaches of participating sides understood to have voted against their use.

This proved key on the 26th and 36th minute mark.

First, Elliot Minchella felt he should have had a penalty instead of his dancing move past the Halifax try-line ending in a scrum for the opposition.

The roles were reversed roughly 10 minutes later when Will Sharp had a try chalked off for touching the ball down short of the line when replays suggested it was a valid score.

Regardless of these stand-out incidents, Hallas believes there needs to be more focus on achieving better two-way communication.

He said: "Obviously they'll get the respect because they're the referee, but they still to an extent have to earn that respect.

"Like we've got to earn their respect as well.

"If we're asking legitimate questions - no foul language, no nothing towards the referee - and we're calling him sir and being polite, then we expect a reasonable answer at any time.

"If they're giving penalties for that, I just don't understand it personally."

The loss leaves Bradford sitting in seventh and currently outside the play-offs.

Hallas says defeat in the derby was a bitter pill to swallow, but the hooker saluted the travelling army of over 2000 Bulls fans.

He said: "We'll always dig in, even if it's not our day, which it wasn't on Saturday.

"We'll constantly dig in for one another.

"We're such a tight-knit group and all the boys are really close, we've got the respect of each other.

"We're willing to just work and graft for each other.

"You'll always get that effort, but unfortunately we couldn't give the fans what they deserved, because I thought they were outstanding.

"They just never ever shut up and I thought they were absolutely fantastic."