With Refs you either operate to the letter of the law or to the spirit of the law. If they operate to the letter then every minute would have a penalty. Most refs try to allow the game to flow and tend to operate towards the spirit of the laws. This does mean they allow certain things to go, play the balls being an obvious one. Taking the defence back 10m is another where people get annoyed. I still think a lot don't accept that refs often step back an extra bit so they can see along the length of the line rather than their view being obstructed by the players immediately either side. Inconsistency is the issue everyone has with refs, or rather the apparent inconsistency. Most of the time the closest we are to the incident is around 30 metres, while the ref is on the spot, so maybe they see far more than we do.

The ref on Sunday did have one howler on a turnover where in trying to get back into position the ref turned his back on the play missing something. Not sure he got any support from the assistants.

Why does Nigel Owen command respect in ru, not that it's a good comparison, maybe had you used the name of the ref that reffed the last Ealing trailfinders game you have a comparison. But in my view answering that question it is because in general RU still have the view and policy that the referee is not questioned, on field they accept the decisions rather than arguining everything, coaches, players fans are all the same, it is something that made other sports envious, the respect paud towards the officials irrelevant if how well they performed, RL used to be the same but has lost it, to the point where it's becoming like football!
Is that genuinely what we want our game to become?

Riverside red made a good suggestion, that maybe drop the video ref and make all on field decisions count, the only problem with that is sky then use replay footage to slate the decisions, the first year if the VR they did exactly that, it's why the VR protocols were brought in, the VR always asks to see all camera angles now, if they are withheld and shown later sky are in breach.
Is the NRl way any better?

It's me again. By all means record the games and comment, but sit back and have a look first as an obvious fan if the game, thus us meant as a genuine question not as an argument point do you want to see us go down the RU line, look at union scrums they very often follow the same pattern, scrum collapse repeat twice Penalise. RU fans accept this as part if the game. If we chose to apply the laws of the game virtually every scrum at Blackpool should have been a penalty for incorrect binding, as a bunch of fans and yes I was there would anyone gave wanted that? Have said it before, sometimes a penalty can be more disadvantageous to an attacking team so let play go on.

What I am saying is that rules are there and when the ref has a doubt he should use them and not either use a video ref or ignore them. We all want a fast exciting game and we all want petty little misdemeanours ignored for the good of the game i.e. pushing ball backwards at the play the ball. What difference does it make if it is pushed backwards or stepped over as long as it is not knocked on Lying on should have a little leeway but it must be consistent for both sides, the same with off side if it is a little bit where the team are slightly forward and not interfering with the game then let it go for the sake of the game. Dont allow persistent off side or forward passes or standing in front of the kicker or not standing square or moving off the mark or shepherding or obstruction to creep into the game. This is where unfortunately refs are inconsistent. High tackles, dangerous tackles, dissent should all be treated equally but unfortunately they are not. ONe ref sees it one way and another sees it a different way we need consistency with refs in all games and with all teams being equal. I often wonder how some teams get away with talk back to the ref throughout the game and he does nothing about it and another team can be marched back the first time it happens. I wonder how some teams can continually get away with high tackles and the opposition will be penalised off the park, I often wonder how one team can step over the ball game on game and another will get penalised. I guess what I really want to see is better training for refs and true consistency. The young refs at academy level are often far superior to championship / SL standard refs. Maybe thats the answer bring them through the ranks and push the others back for more training. I appreciate there are referees reading this page and it is not a dig or just being aggressive it is genuine concern that unless the situation improves RL will not be the flagship to discipline and respect for each other and the game that we all believe in

The pace of the game at academy level, to nl1 to championship then to SL changes nassivoy at each step. So a number if factors cone into play, mainly time! Time to get in the right position is one thing and the other is time available to see what's happened and make the call.
I can't agree with you saying in the game we have persistent offside, or persistent not square at the ptb. I don't think teams get away with obstruction either. Forward pass is again interesting the momentum rule seems to cause confusion, but pure physics means a ball leaving the hands in a backward motion from someone travelling at pace fwd will actually travel fwd but it's not a fwd pass.
The ptb, yes I agree and it infuriates me that we are where we are, but the difference between rolling the ball, back and not using the foot and putting it I the floor and stepping over it us very different, I don't think the second one actually happens that often.
The reality is, and you will never be able to change this, is, if you could go back in time and just replace the match officials in a game that us played you will always get different decisions and outcomes. Why? Not because of inconsistency in the application of the laws but because for the exact same event one ref might be in a different position by say two feet, he may have just looked to his left rather than his right. So taking the example of the Harrison tackle, let's say it was exactly the same, same part if field same lifting action same manner tackle was complete. Why would 2 different refs cone to the view one deserved further action and the other not. Because they saw it differently, ref in Sunday might have been 3 feet closer or further away, he may have just been distracted by Willy barthue talking to him, etc etc but on the day at that moment in time each ref called it as they saw it, you can't change that, it will always happen.
I know the training and preparation that the full time refs do, trust me getting more in would not be easy, as fit the part time guys just like the players at that person that all have day jobs as well.
As a sport we need to get back to where we were. RU can still manage it why can't we