Bring Back Thierry Alibert.

At least the difference this time is that the refereeing may actually have affected the result. In 2019 St Helens were well beaten and a decision in the third minute should have no impact on a truly champion team winning a game.

Moreover McManus had a week to calm down and still came out with that toe-curlingly embarassing programme column. If Gausch is still ranting a week later maybe it starts to be comparable.

The difference is McManus moaned about it and it was left in the past, whilst Gausch won't be playing his club in a Grand Final unless its conditional and effecting the future.

Gausch is very selective didn;t say too much at the "Battle of Brutus" when playing Warrington and players families were under threat.

Like I said, stuff said in the heat of emotion after the game is different. If he's still banging on about it, McManus style, a week later then we have an issue.

As for "left in the past", has Robert Hicks been seen at St Helens since that time? It remains the most unbelievable over-reaction I've ever seen from a club, its management and its victim-mentality fans to what was a decisive defeat.

Another difference is McManus did his complaining in an in-house club made program that is aimed at his own fans. Gausch has done his whinging in a regional newspaper with a much wider reach.

and the difference is that McManus had some editorial control of what would get published in a programme, especially as it reflects the entire club - whereas with a newspaper interview editorial control lies elsewhere and it's only Gausch's viewpoint.

Yes, there was no reporting of McManus's unhinged ranting anywhere outside St Helens

I'm fine with what he has said, as long as he stands by it . In a way I hope Catalan make the final next year to see what happens.

Well...

Where to start with that.

Of course I think Catalans should have won.

If the red card and penalty try had been given, rightly or wrongly I think that would have been enough to see us over the line.

We can talk about the punch that didnt get picked up on, the kick to touch and the incorrect play the ball as well.

I am sure for every Catalans fan on here mentioning that there will be 10 Saints fans giving their own side of the game with examples of their own (that I ignored!!)

These things happen and the Saints got the win.

Fair play to them and congratulations.

(gritted teeth emoji needed)

As for Bernard, he often uses the screen of the officials so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

I also think we will need to rebuild a bit now with Maloney going and Sam T being a year older. If that is a French spine to the side it might be a while before our next final, if we ever make it again at all.

I think we have had Hicks 3 times, had to be on his best behaviour in the UK, however he reffed our game at Catalan he was atrocious and Saints lost by a controversial decision by allowing tackled McMeeken to pass the ball off the floor and earlier Maloney did a dying swan act to earn a 2 pt penalty. We lost by 4 points, not a squeak from McManus but offered him coffee + biscuits in the following home fixture game.

I thought the game was very good and the ref was no worse or better then any other ref maybe we should try like they are in football and have all women in charge ie ref lins women and video refs

Fair points, just to endorse that the McManus spat was really an internal affair (match program) that eventually transgressed into breaking the operational rules and a £3000 fine.

Gausch was very much a spat externally sent across a social media platform(s) with a conditional demand for any future participitation. I'm pretty sure this also breaks operational rules, will the RFL subject a similar £3000 fine or will the RFL back off and just give him a slapped wrist.

Amazing that some people can twist themselves into believing that McManus actually sitting down and writing something for public consumption, presumably several days after the event, is considered less bad than Gausch saying a few heated things directly after the event.

It also needs remembering that McManus followed up his programme notes with a press release so it's by no case an internal thing that he couldn't imagine would be picked up on outside St Helens.

Thats incorrect, as The Reaper had just explained the Journo's got it spinned out to get more mileage of controversy. McManus followed up with a press release to counter the journo's spin, the press release was approved by the RFL Compliance Team and also contained an ending apology to the RFL, I,m not sure if he apologised to Hicks himself.

If I can get the RFL approved club statement I will post it up.