The 12 - 9 figure was from todays League Express

What's the obsession with the penalty count determining which team a referee 'favoured'?

Hyperthetical situation...

Team A v Team B.
Team A receives 10 penalties which are all awarded inside their own 20 on the 1st tackle.
Team B receives 5 penalties but they are awarded inside Team A's 20 on the 5th tackle.

Question 1
WHich team would be quoted as having won the penalty count?

Question 2
Which team gained greater advantage from the penalties given?

What's the obsession with referees generally?

Of course we did. Unfortunately we drew Hudds rather than our perennial easy beats, but that's the nature of the Cup.

I was trying to comment on the fact that he wasn't refereeing the game based on the simple idea of giving a penalty when he saw one. I was able to predict that a penalty would be given against us in the next 2 or 3 tackles based on how much pressure Saints were under. I did so 3 times. There was so much going on in that game that he could have stopped for a penalty at pretty much any play of the ball that he wanted. I just thought it odd that I could pick out when he would do so.

All that said, We didn't deserve to win the game, any direction whatsoever from our half backs in the last 10 mins would have seen us win. Unfortunately there was none.

The feeling is very much mutual.

That was our worst performance of the season and from what I am hearing from Saints fans, was one of their best, plus they had a full strength side.

Referee gave some strange decisions.

I do believe it was, yes.


Same here.


That's it. We've had that with Leeds in the Grand Finals of the last three years. There is real competition and rivalry (although to be fair on the third occasion those Saints fans like me who braved it probably felt a similar feeling to Wire fans turning up at Knowsley Road!). From a Wire perspective, to do us at the Wembley final would probably feel a zillion times better than at Knowsley Road (because of the hoodoo) and from our perspective to keep the hoodoo going at a Wembley final would feel even better than keeping it going at Knowsley Road. So I think that twist to the tale would have given the final an extra zing that any other meeting (bar both of us with Wigan) would have lacked. IMO, obviously.

I can't speak for Wire's performance as I haven't watched them every week but it was certainly Saints' best performance. Not that we were technically brilliant - we made too many mistakes for that - but we played as a unit and also we found some real determination after you came back at us with those quickfire tries that I haven't seen in the Saints team since about halfway through last season. That alone was very, very encouraging.

thought i was on the scousers forum for a mo,listening to all these gloating scousers on here..makes up for winning naff all last season

As soon as you catch up to our level, thats 7 cups in 14 seasons, come back and gloat. Until then...

Even Sheffield won it once....

It's a way to avoid responsibility. Rather blame a 3rd party than admit the better team won (as was the case).

Attendance was good?

If we're such a small club. Why do people get so giddy when they beat us?