Yes. I know the accusation of sour grapes can be levelled etc but I could care less. The referees can subtly have a real difference on the outcome of a game even when they make technically correct decisions. I felt the Bulls game was one. Not that I cared because, frankly, we didn't deserve to win anyway.


It's Monday morning. I am tired. Had a few beers yesterday. Stools are a little loose. Otherwise fine thanks.

You?

we were poor. BLaming refs is what all the wakey and cas fans I know do. You make your own luck. We were poor.

ps. we were poor

We were poor.

Who is blaming refs?

Can't we discuss refs performances on here?

Under general circumstances I would agree with you. But here I think you are way out.

The try for Blanch would not have been given by ANY other ref. Even someone as stupid as Child should have gone to the video. Had he done that the try would have been chalked off.

At the point in the game where Leeds had momentum we would have been within 2 points (assuming the other points Catalans scored would have still happend), rather than 8 points behind. That score had a massive bearing in how that game was going, and the style of play required.

We would be perfectly reasonable to question Child's performance.

Correct he never missed a tackle either

if you spend a game in your own half then all the decisions that don't go your way are "big". The no try was a joke yes. It was evened up though iirc. Sadly the tackle count, fumbles and time on D wasn't. If that try was the reason you think we lost the game then idk what to say other than we were poor, we got what was coming scrum try or no scrum try.

It's a numbers game and thats something the wakey/cas fans never recognised when citing ref bias toward "the big teams". In the days when we knew how to attack (read we had 1 recognised and top permoring centre) opposition fans used to say we got away with alot but like I say you make your own luck. It happens in all sports.

Up until now I had considered Alibert the worst ref in SL ....pity Child a close second. He's now made it to the top of that league. Appalling decisions throughout . .. We were still crap though: totally devoid of any idea in organised attack other than kick on the fourth.

And can somebody please tell me the point of touch judges / linesmen / linespersons / whatever ?

The amount of obvious forward passes for and against this season missed by these comatosed dummies is enough to make me gasp almost as much as I do when reacting to the stupidity of Cameron / Sarkozy grandstanding over Libya.

Think you can do [url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/referee/coursesbetter[/url?

This is one of my pet hates at the moment. Players are regularly stepping one or two paces forward off the mark to play the ball which often results in an unfair penalty for "interference" or at the very least it has obstructed the first marker and put the attacking side over the gain line and at speed.

It happened a lot last night and also on the Sky match of Friday. Certain sides seem to be coached to do it with the worst offenders being St Helens, Warrington and Wigan.

The same three sides also have players that having made a tackle and well after the "release" insist on giving a final little push on the attacker as he goes onto one foot to play the ball. (Fielden made an artform of it) This sometimes leads to a fumble and loss of possession unfairly which the refs don't pick up on.

The lower standard of officials is certainly effecting results as momentum (or lack of) in SL is so important.

In the early days of SL, Sky used to have a camera high up on a crane which gave a much clearer view of forward passes. On a recent Cup game the BBC still had the crane camera which gave definitive views on forward passes and reminded me of what we now are missing on Sky

No I'm TOO comatose ( at least on a weekend )

Mr Child has been consistently bad at all the Catalan games i've witnessed at Perpignan - he's not been biased,just rubbish for whichever team has been playing.He is a poor ref but no other ref would have made any difference to the outcome - you lot were outplayed by a better drilled/coached outfit on the day.Well played Catalans,what a difference a coach makes........

I've got to agree. I think Childs is appalling, but he didn't make Leeds lose. We are shocking in defence this year, and dis-jointed in attack. Childs should still be questioned by his superiors though.
I know I may be out on a limb, but I reckon Ben Thaler is one of the best refs around. I know he makes the odd mistake, but they all do. He is at least consistent.