I think you are classing it as 50/50 because you are a Leeds supporter! I would class it as a 90/10 ( but I am a Wigan supporter!). If it had been a Wigan player losing control of the ball in a similar manner, you would have been very angry if it had resulted in a try.
In all seriousness, do you Leeds fans not accept that you got the benefit of the doubt from the VR every time in the Super 8s and Play Offs/Grand Final? You certainly did at Headingley and in the Grand Final. Hall's winning try against Saints too? Were there any controversial anti-Leeds VR decisions in the games you lost after the Challenge Cup Final?
Please do not quote back what happened at the DW in July - you were harshly treated by the VR then, but that wasn't Super 8s/Grand Final and thus not as important a game!

In the first few minutes of the grand final burrow did a little grubber which bowen knocked on and then a wigan players stood in front picked up, and it was play on! Wigan scored the first try from that set of posession.

Just because hall didn't slam the ball down against saints with the fury of a thousands gods, and the ball didn't go back 40 metres from mcguire's leg doesn't mean the decisions weren't correct.

Hall's has been given as a try all season long. Just because leeds scraped it by the skin of the teeth doesn't mean the decisions were wrong.

It was proven onside. Stupid people were fooled because smith was leaning far forward and mcguire (who did the kick) was leaning back with his leg outstretched infront. But as per the rules, if you compared where smith's feet were planted (not his upper body), to where mcguire's foot made contact with the ball he was onside. It just looked offside from first viewing, because as I say, stupid people were fooled by the upper body and not where the feet were.

I agree that Thaler made a mistake by not spotting Bowen's knock-on - on field refs do make mistakes and don't spot all forward passes, knock-ons etc.
The crux of my argument though is the VR decisions in the Super 8s and Play Offs/Grand Final, where the vast majority of fans (not just Wigan fans) have been baffled on occasions as to how the decision was reached.
I would also be grateful if you could answer the question I asked in the previous post.

Nah, I remember posting a screenshot on here and at least one foot was infront of the ball. It was just the camera angle that made it unproven. Don't get me wrong I loved seeing Saints lose 3 GFs in a row

just hope we don't repeat the honour.

I'm a Leeds fan so I'll try to answer. I've checked the rules and have conceded that McGuire knocked on (see previous posts). I'd probably be angry if it was scored against us, I doubt I'd be much bothered a week or more later, particularly if we'd been as dominant over as much of the game as you were; you had plenty chances and plenty time to have made it irrelevant.
I also checked the rules for Hall's try in the semi which I thought at the time shouldn't have been awarded. I was wrong on that one; it was ok as the rules stand. Can't remember any controversies in the games we lost after the CC, we deserved to lose all three and did so fairly comfortably. As for the DW in July, who cares? It may have even provided that little extra bit of motivation that scraped us the win in a very close game.

Thank you for your honesty and magnanimity - at last a Leeds fan has agreed McGuire knocked on and the try should have been disallowed.
Some of us are still bothered about it because we find it incomprehensible that VRs could deem it wasn't a knock-on and are still wondering how and why.
As you say, though, time to put it to rest. See you in March - no doubt the game will be on Sky. Just hope there isn't any controversial incident/VR decison which influences the outcome of the game.

Don't get me started on VRs


This season's been littered with questionable decisions by them and plenty of sides have suffered. Cas, I seem to recall, have had some real shockers. We got a few stinkers the year previous but probably got the rub this. You're probably owed one by the rugby gods and will no doubt get it at some point.
Looking forward to next year, I think there's some classics to be played out between our clubs. Best of luck.

Way back 2010/11 when this started and Bentham's win/loss ratio with Wigan was so out of kilter, there were rumours he'd asked to be take off Wigan fixtures for a while.
Does anyone know if there was any truth in what was a rumour?

Wasn't it around that time that he broke his leg against Hull KR? He was treated so well by the club that I think it changed his mind somewhat about Wigan. I've no doubt he was biased against us early in his career, but I don't think that would be fair to say now.

At the time I don't think he could take Maguire's ''tackling tactics'' if you know what I mean. He felt is was inhumane.