usually at the start of every season the refs try and make a point on 1 particular rule for example playing the ball properly, blowing up god knows how many penalties and ruining the games for at least 3 or 4 rounds, this year it seems to be lets sin bin at least 1 player every game which is a lot worse. stuart Cummings really needs to get a grip of the refs and do he's job properly or be replaced with somebody better. this new rule of placing teams on a warning is a shame at the moment. I agree with carney there should be a time limit you cant place a team on a warning for 30 mins or more of a game as there will be at least 1 penalty in that time.

on a side note the linesman seem to get paid for very little, they don't help the referee out at all, with 3 sets of eyes on a game there shouldn't be that many refereeing mistakes as there is presently.

Point 1 - they are Touch Judges, not linesman, you're in the wrong sport

Point 2 - it's not their fault, read the rules of Rugby League and you will see that the functions of a touch judge are extremely limited - to indicate ball in touch and to flag for foul play! Now a good referee will make use of his touch judges to help in decision making BUT that is the ref's call - and it would seem some referees are much better at working within a team than others.

my mistake it was 3 o'clock in the morning when i made the post and i had just watched a game of football. but its not really a big issue on what they are called.

i have read the rules and as i played the game to a decent standard for almost 20 years i do know them also. Every now and then a touch judge will communicate to the ref and tell him sum chaser was offside or it was a forward pass, so if they are bound by the the rules (which i don't believe they are) why do they do its occasionally? But if you are right and some touch judges don't believe they should be making calls and helping the refs because its not there responsibility its wrong and should be changed.

I agree with you and I think the rules should be changed so that the touch judge does have more responsibility.

I think you'll find that whether the touch judge does assist or not currently depends on the ref asking them - often just a quick glance for an indication of say a forward pass.

I'm curious as to why you think they are not bound by the rules though - it would be an odd sort of game where the officials weren't (though watching sometimes I do think some refs are making it up as they go along!!)

Given that the idea of two on-field refs has been mooted in the past, it seems utterly bizarre that touch judges aren't involved routinely to a much greater extent.

maybe it is a written rule that they cant make the decision or give advice to the ref but there has been previous where a touch judge can be heard telling the ref and then the ref acting upon it in open play. i think we are agreeing on the point i was trying to make that the touch judges are very under used, and if thats because of the rules then its the first rule that needs to be changed.

He was abysmal when we had him against Castleford.

What I'm getting from this thread: All refs are crap and we should do without them.

It's actually 9 now. Lastest full time recruit Mr. Warren Turley, God help us.

Well i expect Alibert to be promoted back to SL this week in place of Childs after seeing the scandalous decision to sin-bin only the Widnes player for that brawl.

I do think that it's a good thing they have more full time referees, that way they have to make sure their performing otherwise they referee a championship game for the week.

Is it me but are the touch judges not wired up to the ref and vice versa. So we all know what is being said in these conversations.

They are wired up and talk all the time

One TJ stays and watches the PTB the other helps the ref with the 10 metre line
TJ have signals to the ref like knock ons, forward passes etc they won't raise ther flags but they make indications
Childs refs like a frustrated TJ

never mind Alibert, sack James Child now. i have never EVER seen a display approaching the levels of incompetancy, nigh outright bias shown on sunday. And i have watched him grind his axe of bias against us several times in the past. Ever since he had a howler when he first officiated us in The Championship, and our fans got on his back he has taken every opportunity to abuse his position and crap on us. its not just being bad, its clearly a case of being actively biased. utterly unprofessional. he shoudl be ashamed of himself. this is not a knee jerk reaction, ever since his first time officating us on The Championship, when he had a howler and justifiably took some stick from our fans - he has taken every opportunity to abuse his position and exact some form of what i can only imagine he sees as petty revenge. mistakes can be excused, imcompetancy can be understood, if not excused. But this guy is utterly unprofessional, inept and a complete disgrace. Im surprised nobody has mentioned match fixing. because it seems like a genuine possibility with this guy. it seemed blindingly obvious on sunday.

How come he always saves his better performances for you lot?