I think this is actually the reason the ref making a decision needs to stay - as we don't have the video ref at every game, what would have happened if this incident happened in a non-televised game? The ref still wouldn't have had a clear idea, but would have been forced to make a decision in conjunction with his touch judges etc, so the outcome would have been the same - try.

By making the ref make a call - where it's a 50/50, it means the VR or lack of a VR doesn't alter the decision, the on field ref needs to make a call on the evidence he has to hand, and only if that can be proven to be wrong should it be over turned. Those who say a ref shouldn't have to 'guess' when he doesn't know for sure - what would he do in a non-televised game?

Also, by making the refs give a decision, tangible MI can be produced to see which refs get the most calls wrong, and the RFL can then work with each individual ref to find out why they got it wrong and learn from it (it could be bad positioning etc). What would be good to know is the numbers on this for the season - which ref sent the most decisions up to the VR, which ref was overturned the most/least - is there any variances based on potential team bias etc.... Using this system, there's lots of data that could be analysed - I doubt this data will be made available to the fans though.

Bottom line is we'd recovered from the "knock on". We had all the momentum and then chucked it away when we took the two points.
No-one to blame except us.

It's not often anyone says this,, but FlexWheeler's right...

It's alright seeing it from your own teams POV. Remember that Lee Smith offside try in the GF against Saints?

Again, only an error to people who didn't understand the rules. Lee Smith's standing foot was clearly behind the ball. His body, running forward as he was, was level or ahead of the ball. It's the former which matters.

I've only just seen it this afternoon after being out of the country, it's a 50/50 IMO, but Hardaker should've never been able to pass the ball to Moon had Bungalow Clubb played to the whistle.

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?