Isn't the relevant point here that he was most likely at the game in question as a st Helens fan rather than in his official capacity? This being the case then he should have given Roby a rollicking after the game. I'm sure from the sounds of it Cas would have liked the refs boss to have had a word with child's at half time but weren't that lucky.

If Ganson was there to keep an eye of Roby and assess his performance fair enough.....if at the end of the game, whichever way the result went he was unhappy then fair enough have a go.....

The big problem I have though is there was no controversy, no complaints from anyone as far as I can see with the way the 1st half was referee'd......the only disagreement I saw anywhere on the field was Tommy Makinson jumping around waving his arms around like a 12 year old grounded for not tidying their bedroom wtionhen Sammut broke through and fed Reece Lyne for our 2nd try.....he thought Sammut obstructed him after passing to Lyne, but having seen the replay there was absolutely nothing in it whatsoever, just a petulant outburst from Makinson because he couldnt prevent the try being scored....

The question you have to ask is what did Ganson see in that first half that apparently no-one else did, that he felt the need to go in and give Roby a dressing down? It seemed a flowing and open end to end game, and if anything, even though we were in front I thought we got the rough end of a few 50/50 calls.....

The penalty given to us in the first set of the 2nd half was about as blatant an offside call as you are ever likely to see.....their number 27 clearly moved off the mark a good 2 or 3 steps before the ball had even been played and was right at the side of the referee....a good 3 or 4 yards offside and making the tackle, it was a clear cut penalty.....

There is no doubt though that the period where the game swung Roby had a huge influence in....in a 10-15 minute spell we hardly touched the ball.....I think Saints scored on 4 consecutive sets all aided by 'soft' penalties......it seemed they scored, we kicked back to them, did 3 or 4 tackles in good field position then a penalty was given for hardly anything....as has been said even Saints local radio seemed to think that....then they scored on the next set and the repeat happened again.....

In just about every set of six you could find something small to give a penalty for, but Roby only brought this into play in a period where the score went from 16-4 to 16-24......all throughout the game Saints were failing to mark square, on numerous occasions in the second half you could have driven a bus through the two marker tacklers, but they were let go....

Never usually one to call refs as it's a thankless task they have.....I'd even go as far as saying that without the news about Ganson I could just have accepted that we didn't get the rub of the green, like we did at home to Catalans where a lot of calls went our way....

Ganson's intervention though and the difference in the way the referee performed 2nd half to 1st there have to be questions asked why he went in their and why he spoke like he did....

This will be the same Ganson who can't spot a huge forward pass at the Magic Weekend so compensates for his balls-up the following year by tracking the "wrong man". How the hell he ever got the job of refs boss I will never understand and no way should he intervene during a match with the obvious cries of "foul play" from the opposition. Its time he, and many of his colleagues, were read the riot act by those allegedly in charge.

Err it really is…

The VT code of denial continues ever thus.

What Ganson did is unheard of - whether he was right regarding the refs performance is a matter of opinion but it's not happened before as far as anyone I've spoken to knows. So why start now, especially with your home town club as the beneficiary - come on it looks terrible by anybodies standard.

As far as I was aware the match official was and always has been the man in charge of the match from start to finish - at which point his performance is then reviewed - you and your fellow apologists please tell us when this changed?

This weekend I assume!

Another week in which the sport is dragged closer to being the team sport equivalent of Wrestling.

How does Richard Agar know Roby was given a ‘dressing down’?

Why do you think?

Because the refs dressing room is right next to the players and the partitions trust me are flimsy and as such a "dressing down" can easily be heard. I grant you the content may be sketchy but I reckon you'd get the gist.

That’s not quite what was said, Agar said
[i"Apparently Steve Ganson has entered the referee's dressing room at half-time and has given him a good old-fashioned dressing down.

"I'm not sure that is in his remit. I'd have liked to have been a fly on the wall."[/i

Which would indicate he doesn’t really know what, if anything was said, nor that he has first hand knowledge Ganson even went in to referees changing room.

Seems a bit of Chinese Whispers mixed with a little perception bias to me.

If we accept Ganson has the role he has, then we accept he is doing it entirely impartially and if he did visit the referee at half-time it was entirely within his capacity as match officials coach and technical director.

Whatever Smokey, in you're world of denial I accept this would be totally acceptable.

Twist and shout old boy, you play on semantics all you want, it's your stock in trade.

Please don't bother with a long winded reply, your mind regarding Wakefield is made up long before you hear the issue so no point discussing it is there.

Err it really isn't (this could go on some time)


you are funny vastpants, i cant decide whether you are an Alan Partridge level of satire or just unintentionally hilarious.

Why dont you get another petition together, the RFL, Ashley Klein, now Steve Ganson are all after you............

Team boring is back in town I see, just need adeybull to make the hat trick.

Faced with the soaring heights of your intellect, your cutting edge contributions and your deep and unrivalled insights we need some boring as a counterpoint. I mean, gratuitous jibes at posters not even on the thread, that's just what the forum needs more of. Well done you.

Struggling to see what the issue is, storm in a tea cup.

Clearly not, it's obviously a big conspiracy and if you don't agree your a pseudo intellectual as is common on in North Korea apparently.

As we all know, the major problem facing North Koreans is of course pseudo intellectuals.