I counted 5 calls that went against Catalans in the first 15 minutes of the match. Not even 50-50 calls, absolute objective clear-cut decisions that required no interpretation at all. Stopped caring too much after that. You know it's come to something when even Stuart Cummins admits on more than one occasion that the referee has been biased in favor of one team.
Which decisions were these?

The Zeb Taia try was either a knock on or a double movement - he came down with the ball in his right hand and his left hand on the g ground in the in goal, then his right hand appeared empty (because he'd lost the ball) and he dragged it forward with his left hand to ground it. Watch it again and it's clear there is no possible way he legitimately scored a try.

The second one is the decisive try where half the Dragons defensive line was two yards ahead of the ref at the play the ball - it was irresponsible to not ask to check for onside.

Oh right, you mean the decisions that were categorically proved to be correct via numerous replays, as opposed to the decisions against Catalans tonight that were categorically proved to be wrong?

Well said Headhunter

Watch that Zeb Taia try again and you tell me how it's physically possible for him to have scored a legal try. Just because everybody agreed with a wrong decision doesn't make it right, categorically or otherwise.

I know it's been said a thousand times already on this thread (honest), but it bears repetition. Well done Saints on reaching the GF with several key pivot players out.

I know this can't ever compare to being a bit tired (did sky mention Catalans had played more games?)

Also, heaven forbid you might tie in the supposed "negative" (for saints, for Leeds translate as "big game rugby", for Wigan as "relentless" etc) with how saints are being forced to play in the circumstances with the personnel available.

Poor Catalans finding it tiring to reach a grand final from 7th, it's nasty saints fault for finishing top.

Eh?

Anyway, back on topic - Silverwood was that bad he nearly forced me to turn over to watch Wendyball. I had a kip instead.

Whilst I am naturally gutted about the result and more especially the manner of it. I just want to say two things.

Firstly - Well done Dracs on coming back into the play offs after a dreadful start.
Secondly - Well done Saints on getting to the final.

On the official... what can you say? The evidence was clear. Silverwood and his team had a terrible night and the only consistency they showed was in getting calls wrong.

What saddens me is that after last seasons ranting from Bernard Gausch about the standard of officiating in matches involving Dragons, that this just adds fuel to a fire that I genuinely hope doesn't exist.

Whether we think it or not. For the good of the game we have to believe that there was no pre-determined plan to get Dragons out of the play offs due to GF ticket sales.

It's been a brilliant run in from my boys and I am already looking forward to our domestic campaign in France and waiting for next seasons fixtures to come out.

Fact is that every neutral supporter wanted Catalans to win....therefore all the bleating on here and on SKY is purely down to bias towards not getting the result that you wanted.

There were a few contentious decisions that were given in Catalans favour by Silverwood, including the forward pass for the first try, a clear knock on from the winger in the 2nd half that Silverwood said went backwards until touch judge intervention, the tackle on Swift in the air that he didn't give until touch judge intervention, a couple of dangerous throws in succession.

Every fan (or 'neutral' in this case) will always spot the mistakes that are given/ against their team. Also, given that Silverwood is from Leeds it is also highly likely that he would have preferred Saints to lose the game and Catalans to progress to the final.

I usually have a bit of a kip whilst they start forming a scrum or when they have to kick the ball out from behind the try line. Sometimes I read the match programme when you get a 4 man gang tackle and takes about 20 sec to play the ball, if you are lucky you might get longer than a minute from the video ref to justify disallowing a try.

All the officials should be made to come out and say why they were so bad in this game, makes me think the rugby league tell officials to ignor marginal forward passes, off sides, ball strips, knock ons to make sure the game is faster,no ref and linesmen can be that bad in one game .
hope silverwood does not get a big game again a disgrace?

Tbf there were some poor decisions for both teams last night and both, were awarded tries from a forward pass BUT, Saints seemed to get the majority of the 50/50 calls.
They were the better team although the result would probably have been closer had the calls been more even.

As for Sky wanting Catalan to win, I don't think so.
Their commentary team had Catalan written off and back on the plane in the first half.

Cheer up though, you're at Old Trafford next week.

Silverwood and his 'team' were abysmal.

No, it isn't. There were at least 4 clear-cut decisions that went against Catalans in the first 15 minutes while the score was still 0-0, long before Sky started to pick up on it.

- A St Helens knock-on by Luke Thompson on the second tackle of an attacking set that was missed
- Catalans 40/20 attempt when Makinson was well over the touchline but the touch judge didn't flag
- No penalty given for a piggyback on Mounis which forced him to play the ball about 3 meters off the mark
- Decision not referred to the video ref that showed Catalan scored a legitimate try.

Obviously I picked up on these because I wanted Catalan to win but it isn't biased, these were all decisions that Stuart Cummins admitted were wrong that took place in the first 15 minutes of the match and contributed to sapping the team's already depleted energy. If these things went against your team over the course of a game you would be furious, yet all this took place in the first 15 minutes of the match and that's just off the top of my head, I remember getting to 6 blatantly and indisputably wrong calls when I stopped counting and IIRC that was just after Catalans first try (which did come from a forward pass).

Credit to St Helens and they may well have won even with a neutral ref, but if I was a St Helens fan I would feel a little awkward and hollow with the victory TBH.

Doesn't feel hollow at all TBH.

Saints strolled through the game and it was clear very, very early in the match that Saints were grinding them down and it was a matter of time before we opened up a gap, irrespective of refereeing.

Saints were the fresher team because they had earned the right to be over the course of the season, Catalns were cream crackered because they hadn't earned the right to do anything other than consecutive, tough away games.

That's not to say the ref wasn't awful, but Saints approached the game to grind them down and other than one try from a blatant forward and one when the game had gone, Catalans had no answer - bad ref performance or not.