Presumably a player, on finding himself impeded by a match official, should in future simply cough loudly, wait for the official to turn and give his full attention, then politely request that he moves?

By which point the referee will indeed have moved, probably to the back of the in-goal area to award a try.

In almost 40 years watching the game I've seen plenty of referees get inadvertently caught up in play and contacted by players, some even being knocked off their feet as a result. The normal outcome is that they pick themselves up, have a little chuckle with the players around them and the game goes on.

If the game has moved on to the point where making minimal contact with an official in trying to get past them to your spot in the defensive line is worthy of a three game ban, I'm not sure I want to move with it.

Alot of logic in your post Andy.

Key bit as well for me is the 'minimal contact'. There's no shove, malice or 'Di Cannio' moment.

Just people trying to do their jobs.

I can agree with all that and hopefully once the incident has been reviewed in detail they will arrive at a sensible conclusion.

Ikram Butt is on the panel, so expect the sensible conclusion.

Having watched it back, i've seen the same thing happen loads of times over the years. He was stood in the wrong place FFS, had it been any other official nothing more would have been said. But this is silverwood the same man that hates Leeds, the same man that hates Webb and Bailey even more, this is the same official that was suspended at the end of last season for something that happened at a Leeds game he had nothing to do with.It's a good job Keef wasn't on the pitch otherwise he would've been up aswell (even if he was defending on the other side).
This man has a problem with our club and goes back well before the WCC game. Like others have said it's the official that was in the wrong place (he was in front of the line of defence).

I am not saying it is ok to touch the Ref (lets face most of us do from time to time), but common sense has to prevale in this instance. Cummins needs to have a word on both his positioning and his anti leeds bias.


Oh hang on Cummins wrote the book on anti leeds bias, we're screwed.

Certainly will be interesting next time Silverwood refs at Headingley, especially if any bans issued later.

Could leeds have played on without touching him, and then gone to tbe video ref for obstruction by the ref?

Although this would be unfair on warrington and how.would you restart the game?

3 match ban for Bailey, verbal warning for Webb, both get £300 fines.

Bailey, 3 matches.
Webb, no further action

What a joke. At least that's more what I was hoping for in the sense that Webb is more difficult to replace than Bailey as we have plenty front row options, Webb is a key for us in attack and it would be difficult to just slot anyone there.

If the referee gets in the way of the defensive side it's basically tough, IMO.

Recalled this happenng in a game last season when Thaler blocked Leuluai from attempting to make a tackle on the line. Despite Thaler's apology to the Leeds player the score was allowed to stand.

In any case here neither Webb or Bailey would have prevented the Hill try as he powered over other Leeds defenders.

Joke.
Hope Silverwood gets a game at Headingley soon while it's fresh in everyone's memory.

We have the greatest sport in the world run by an incompetent bunch of clowns who make the 'RFU Old farts' look like Mensa candidates.

At least it's only March and Bailey can have a well deserved rest.

Shocking suspension and an absolute joke when Bridge and Moa get 1 game bans.
Did Higham get a ban?

You can live with a referee making a mistake like this that leads to a try. It's unfortunate, but it happens sometimes in the speed of a game: mistakes are made and Silverwood made one in his positioning from the tap-penalty. What's more difficult to live with is professionals being suspended or fined, fully considered after the event, as a direct result of a minor brush wholly resulting from this incompetence.

Maybe follow the Wigan "ultras" and make a banner that will show him!!!


Seriously though the ban is a joke and a 3 game ban is a joke. Silver wood has got in the way it's not as if someone has deliberately gone up to him and pushed him for giving a decision against them. HE has been incompitent in his role and got in the way of the defenders