James Child's refereeing has set the bar dangerously for this season. Smith getting away with a stroppy kick and a couple of late tackles on the kicker going unpunished. I thought Ah Van was unlucky, like Betts said, more clumsy than malicious. Surely every tackle like that can't be a send off? By the looks of tonight, Wigan haven't changed over the off season.

Wigan are like a group of deranged maniacs on a playing field. After all the chat after Flower's moment, their first game back we get that, Joel Tomkins at the end was ridiculous. First chasing the lad that celebrated before turning round and launching himself into Phelps, who's stood there doing nothing. Then you've Smith kicking people because he's annoyed, Bateman would rather have a brawl than a match I think as well.

Their club has the spotlight on them massively this year. That's how they start off. The RFL will end up having to crack down on the whole organisation at some point as clearly Wigan aren't doing a thing about it. I bet Lenaghan isn't impressed. They embarrass the whole sport.

Smith lashing out was silly, but what was going through tomkins mind? Wigan and Wane haven't changed. Thugby won't win them games. Tompkins should get a lengthy holiday for that

I don't think the was any intent in Ah Van sending off but he did hit him on the jaw with first contact. It's a little harsh on Child as its one of them that is 50/50 and Imo prob was a sending off.

Other than that, James child was awful.

Typical isn't it when Wigan do it they're thugs when it's done to them it was accidental, I don't remember the player that got hit coming back on!

If that was done to a saints player we'd be calling for a red card. If it was Micky Mac we'd be calling for him to be hung!

It was a red for me.

I reckon this season many teams will play "fire against fire" when they play Wigoon. It could be a hard season for them and if they show lack of controlled agression and irritation in there discipline they will lose control of the game.
They have quite a few players who 'could lose it", so its up to the clubs to exploit it because it might be difficult for Wane to change the agression mindset.

I thought it was incredibly harsh at the time. Having slept on it and seen it again a few times, I'm tending to agree. The closed fist is what condemns it. I'd only grade it careless/ reckless though.

Sending off was a 50/50 and will see them go different ways over the course of a season. I still think it was a bit harsh - more of a sin bin than red under the new rules - but can also see why Child did send him off.

The bigger worry for me is the precedent set that if you mistime a tackle it can be a straight red, but you can get away with a yellow for kicking an opponent. Frustration or not, kicking somebody is unacceptable and should be a straight red card in any situation (with a 5-6 match ban on top) for me

The wasnt any intent but he hits him on the jaw with a swinging arm. Deliberate or not it's still a red.

I think a red card was a little harsh, but I can understand James Child's decision. Like you say, there was clear contact, and he has to call it as he sees it. What's disappointing is that mistiming a challenge seems to have been deemed a worse offence than openly kicking an opponent for no apparent reason.

I'm more concerned about the late hits on the kickers. Happened all night.

Effectively though Smith was sent off for the remainder of the game and It'll get looked at by the review panel.

I don't like having a go at referees but Childs was hopeless last night.

I can go either way with the sending off, I don't THINK it was deliberate but he did hit Charnley around the head with I think a clenched fist. As I always say let the review committee decide. But the real poor decisions were Gelling tackling the Widnes player in the air no penalty given. The penalty given for pushing the Widnes player over the touchline when a) he's already in touch and b) Joel Tomkins is committed to the tackle, there was no second effort. Then O'Carroll runs 20 yards to attack a Wigan player and the referee doesn't caution him but speaks to Joe Mellor and gives Wigan the penalty. There are probably others I'll notice when I watch the game again but those three were from memory at the game.

It's a sad day for the game I think when players are being sent off for carelessness. Yes it was high and it looked bad but there's no way Ah Van deliberately hit Charnley like that. A sin binning would have been fine. In a tough contact sport, accidents will happen.

Wigan in contrast. Joel Tomkins deliberately launching himself into a bloke when play has stopped. Smith kicking a bloke in petulance. Flower punching a bloke prone on the floor. These are vastly different cases to a careless high shot. I didn't have any issue with anything Wigan did last night except the Tomkins and Smith incidents. I think Childs was too lenient on them holding on and hitting the kicker but they were hardly big deals.

Does joel Tomkins think he's some sort of enforcer ? He was running in when plsyers was having a little push. That sort of thing causes all out brawls.

Somebody will soon put that tomkins on his bum and get sent off.