His final 3 paragraphs. They are all saying Hicks impartiality was compromised by his dealing with a death threat several months previously.

It’s a ridiculous, petty statement from a usually respectable club.

Sorry, I repeat were does he actually say Hicks was bent.

You're sounding like a politician. McManus's 'argument', if such a term can be applied to this puerile diatribe, attacks the integrity of the referee, which position can only be characterised as an accusation of corruption, or 'being bent'. As others have said, possibly understandable in a Tweet at 4.45pm last Saturday, unforgiveable in an official, printed club publication six whole days later.

What can you say.
Very, very poor form from the chairman of one of the games big names.
Mind you, with Elstone's bias towards the big clubs, nothing will be done and McMannus probably thinks he is beyond reproach.
There is no doubt that Hicks made a huge mistake but, he made far fewer than Coote and many of the other Saints players and for any SL chairman to suggest that a ref is not impartial is bringing the game into disrepute, something which is currently acceptable for the big 4/5 clubs.

Next time maybe he should just throw something and start a riot in the crowd... To which the rfl did............


As for Carney. Lol.

Each and every week sky's commentary team undermine referees.

They add to the perception of biased referees for 100's of thousands of people.

The article in the programme would have been read by a few hundred.

Its not even the pot calling the kettle black. It's the pot calling the kettle a slight shade of pink.

Personally I would rather he focused on the great efforts to finish top. But he has never been one to not speak his mind.

I wonder what would have happened if he'd said this in a post match Sky interview?
Players and coaches are often fined by RFL for this. He should too.
RESPECT

In those 3 paragraphs...



Right there. McManus says Hicks, in reality not just perception, gave a decision against Saints because he wasn’t impartial.

Not to mention it wasn’t a clear try in real time. Only someone impartial would say it was.

You miss all the bits about him saying Warrington were deserved winners. That he does not blame hicks. And that his issue is with the rfl.

But people do only take snap shots of the parts that support their views.

As Chairman of a club, he should not be fueling the fire, he should be dampening it.
Maybe focusing on the great effort of his players, winning the LLS, with ease and focusing on the GF.

As for this being put out to "a few hundred fans", absolute nonsense, the modern world doesn't work like that.
There are cameras everywhere and if you are any kind of high profile figure, anything in actions or words can and will be seized upon.
Whatever else we may think of the Saints Chairman, he isn't daft and whilst he could pretend that his was aimed at "the faithful", the reality is somewhat different.
A hefty fine is in order

Why not a points deduction.

36 points applied immediately ought to do it. Two for each Wire player disrespected, plus two for Hicks.

Yes he did say warrington were deserved winners. So why the rant about the ref? I can kind of understand Holbrook whingeing straight after the game when he has a microphone immediately shoved in his face, but this article was ridiculous. Did price or Moran complain when thaler missed the biggest forward pass of the summer era to get saints a victory against wire? Nope, it wasn't mentioned. Funnily enough, nobody at saints thought there was a problem with the officiating that night.