Jesus, these boards would explode if that as gaz hock tonight, imagine the reaction.

The Wigan v Saints one was a little different in the fact that it was 'heated' so maybe the sinbin should have been used. The one tonight was over in a flash and there seemed to be no I'll feeling after it so penalty and no further action. Unfortunately 3 players were sent off and bans issued in the derby so the precedent was set.

He was right to take no action at the time. I think he did well to diffuse the situation and with so little time left there was no reason to give a red card, he just needed to calm things down.

However there should definitely be bans. A punch up is fine as long as it's man on man and no one does anything cheap/nasty. Leuluai did and deserves a ban for it.

That's my point though. The time on the clock should have no bearing whatsoever on a referees decision.

Last week the same referee advised that MM was sent off for contact to the head. This week he was informed of contact to the head AND punches but decided not too because of the time on the clock.

Yes he was spot on to calm it down and yes it should have just been swept under the carpet, but for him to use the line about how long was left was totally wrong imo. If he'd have sent him off in the 1st minute (which going off his instruction to Child last week he would) then he should send him off in the last.

If it was a football game I would agree with you. However in rugby league a red card after say 78 minutes in a game that's all but over is effectively meaningless. The fact that games are reviewed for incidents afterwards means the correct punishment should (although not necessarily knowing the RFL) be given out. There's no automatic suspensions and no way for a player to escape punishment if it's deserved by not getting a red card in that situation.

In this instance though the only real issue was making sure the players calmed down and that the incident didn't escalate. Anything uncalled for would be picked up after the game anyway.

Foul play is foul play. 1st minute or last.

That's not the point though. A red card in that situation is nothing but symbolic. It's hardly even worth the effort of the referee raising his arm! The game was over, the incident resolved itself. The best thing to do in that situation was get everything under control and make sure the game finished as soon as possible. A red card was neither here or there and would not have served any purpose whatsoever, so there was no need to show one.

It wouldn't have just been for show yes, but his line "there's only x amount of time left" was wrong. If Leuluai had knocked Fox on his arris would he have sent him off or would he have had used that line?

If he was just going to calm it down then he should have done so and not used the time left as an excuse is the point i'm making I guess. As someone has said on the VT, when is it the right time to punch someone? Do you get away with it if the game is gone and there isn't much time left? Don't forget, you can be sent off after the final whistle. You may not get a mandatory ban, but it all goes on your record for future reference should you do the same again.

and the MM sending off against Bradford. Elima elbowed MM in the tackle MM hit him once and was sent off and banned...

A minute to go or 10 mins in makes no difference it should have been red foul play should not be made a joke of like Ganson did last night lets hope the Judiciary panel makes an issue of it.I have been watching RL for 60 years now and the last few seasons I have been considering not going to matches after this season the refereeing standards have hit a new low for me the incostintuency of refereeing decisions and the panel are making a mockery of RL .Wigan had 3 men sent of for throwing punches against Saints and got sent off ,Paul Wood in the CC final throws a punch no repercussions lets have some consitency .

We just need to accept that we can't expect to be refereed fairly.

SW and the players need to accept this as well - it is absolutely vital that we keep our discipline. The referees have shown this season that they are taking a hard line with Wigan players and we cannot afford to give them any possibility of red carding our players.

I have no issue with the MM send off and subsequent ban. I do have an issue with a player stood over another (much smaller) player and punching him in the head. If he had copped an elbow and then lashed out on the floor, the refs response would have been about right. Leuluai knew exactly what he was doing after the first punch. There's also an argument that he realised he wasn't going to get anything thrown back at him. Regardless of that, if no action is taken a precedent has been set for all levels of the game. The time in the game is completely irrelevant. A player could look at the clock, see there's a couple of minutes left and then realise he can start smacking people as there will be no further consequence than a jokey comment from the ref.

Having not seen the incident, having had the remote taken off me after 1 1/2 games on TV, I cannot comment until I have watched it. But you are far too sensible for this board.

A red card would have been something the judiciary could not possibly ignore.

As things are, I don't trust them sufficiently to assume they'll take action without having their hand forced in that way. I know that players can still be red-carded and then be dealt with as 'sending off sufficient', but even a bunch of bent Yorkshiremen would struggle to view that video evidence and take into account a refereeing decision to award a red card without realising they needed to impose an extra punishment.

For me, Ganson's attitude - while some seem to be applauding it - seemed almost designed to make it seem a less serious incident than it was. But that wasn't handbags. A guy was knocked to the floor and punched in the head at least three times by two Leeds players. And yet this is the same referee who intervened in the match last week to ensure that MM was sent off for a high tackle which was nowhere near as severe.



That's all anyone needs to know about your position on this.

No he didn't. James had already seen it, Steve said so.