Child gets big games because there is frankly a dearth of actual referees to select from. When I was a season ticket holder at the football I probably saw about 25 games a season. I probably saw about 9 or 10 different refs taking charge of those - I certainly don't remember consciously noticing the same ref being in charge more than 3 times a season max.

In contrast to RL, every time I go to Headingley (or watch a game on television and even the Super League show) it feels that we have the same ref every other week or every 3 weeks. Heck, I then feel the ref from a Thurs game or our game on Fri then seems to be ref again (or at least involved somehow) in subsequent games in that round.

It is either Bentham, Silverwood, Thaler or Child. Or that younger one with blonde hair once in a while. It never seems to be anyone else. 5 refs to cover 12 teams in a 6 matches per round basis. Bear in mind two of those are usually on TV and they are also typically one of the VRs too.

It is a same with the linesmen too - it always seems to be two from that bloke with blonde / grey hair that looks about 50, the tall skinny kid with dark hair who looks about 14, another weedy looking young one with lighter hair if I remember right, plus a couple of others.

It is a complete dearth. In my view I shouldn't be noticing a ref doing more than one game a round and I shouldn't be turning up at a game feeling I saw that ref as recently as I was last watching the rhinos. Half the time it feels that I see the officials more frequently than some of the Rhinos players even - and I am a season ticket holder!

Which is the point that I'm trying to make.

People need to distinguish between to the two and are often way to eager to brand someone as a homophobe because they have uttered a homophobic slur.

Is he more competent than Alibert? Yes, even if only for the fact he can capably communicate in the same language as the overwhelming majority of players in the competition.

So if that's the comparison you're trying to draw, IMO you're off the mark.

And you have the same amount of evidence that he doesn't get them because of the idea I suggested.

Also regarding the "only reason" thing. Me and Gotcha have explained our reasons many times between us. Problem is you've continuously just mis-read them so that you can read what you want to see which is basically along the lines of us apparently saying "we hate gays, Child should never be allowed near the sport because he's gay"......when reality is we've written nothing close to what you think we have. Thus why you can only see "one reason", the reason you decided on right from the off and have mis-read posts ever since so that you can stick with it.

So does he only get these big games in front of the Sky cameras because he's gay and the RFL are pushing some sort of inclusivity agenda? Not accusing anyone of anything, just wondering where the link between the two things comes in?

So Alibert wasn't competent but got games for a certain reason beyond performance ability. In this case his nationality ticked a certain box. If he was English would he have ever gotten SL games???

So if you call a gay person a faggot as a pejorative term - as was clearly the case with Hardaker - is that "acceptable banter"?

If you (however veiled) state that someone only gets the jobs they do because they're gay - is that "acceptable banter"?

I'd suggest one particular straight guy needs to learn to understand context.

Alibert got a gig in SL to stop the French bleating about English referees being against them. He turned out not to be up to the required standard in terms of decision making or communication, and got dropped.

His nationality was clearly a factor in his appointment. I don't think anyone could doubt that, it was clear.

I've yet to see any kind of evidence to indicate that the only reason James Child gets televised games in SL (and if you're a SL referee, the odds are you'll be on TV every other week because half the games are televised), is because he's gay. I've seen people making that assumption, but with absolutely nothing to back it up.

For similar reasons/relations in my life I have people in my life who would laugh at Smokey if they heard him calling me homophobic.

The whole idea of equality is to treat people EQUALLY. Smokey is from this PC brigade of treating homosexuals (or race/gender/religion) with kid gloves on and any issue around homosexuality should have an approved answer to otherwise you get these nanny state troopers like Smokey whole start screaming HOMOPHOBE HOMOPHOBE HOMOPHOBE at someone at the slightest whiff of opportunity.

Thing is IF Child was constantly one of the best referees in the competition and was constantly overlooked for big games, I'd be the first person to ask why and ask if his sexuality was a factor and saying it was wrong......surprising considering I'm such a big massive homophobe apparently.

Your post was clear. You were asking if he got appointments because of his sexuality.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you were simply posing a question, albeit a stupid question. That you got one particular idiot to answer positively is depressing but not surprising.

I've no idea about Child's sexuality and I don't care. But I haven't seen anything in the public domain that he has come out. The idiot that answered your question positively says he has but I've seen no link. If he hasn't publicly declared his sexuality (and why the hell should he) you're a bit of an idiot for posing such a question, based upon rumor and innuendo and you should be ashamed.

I actually thought Child was improving recently after a couple of pretty good performances but Friday night was just awful. I really can't remember ever seeing a ref get so many decisions wrong, for both teams. That penalty at the end was pure comedy.

If he really is one of the best we have then we really need to invest heavily in refereeing and very, very quickly.
I highly doubt it's positive discrimination, our sport isn't high profile enough for anyone to care! My money's on him having dirt on someone 2.8046875:10