Quote: Him "As others have said, it's inexcusable. Ben Thaler got demoted for a week after trying to help the walking, talking Monty Python sketch that is Thierry Alibert reach a not batsh|t decision in Catalans. By comparison this is far worse and at least on a par with the Ganson VR decision in the Hull derby game that spelled the end of his career.'"
That's an interesting one - maybe the mishandling of that situation has spooked the officials; if the best ref in the comp can be demoted for trying to save Mr Alibert from himself, I guess that would have an unsettling effect on the others.
I also noted that Silverwood's narrative from the second he got the referral, sounded like he was attempting to justify agreeing with the on-field call, rather than arriving at the correct decision. Maybe they've all been given the hard word about showing a united front in the face of increasing criticism by coaches and players?