For some reason I always worry when Hicks or Thaler are involved when we play, so don't expect many 50/50s going our way, especially if one is a video ref decision.

At least Child's not going to be involved unless someone breaks a leg
Could be worse

More concerned with the weather rather than who the ref is. So far it's looking like a pretty miserable day.

Do the RFL not realise the last train back to Wigan is half ten ?

After last weeks performances there was only really one choice.

Bit of a farce really considering Silverwood had been told he had it only for it to be taken from him after his performance on Thursday. Why not wait until after both semi's before deciding?

For what its worth I thought Bentham also had a shocker but then what's new?

How did Bentham have a shocker? He got 98% of calls correct.

Silverwood tonight on @asktheref admitted that Manu's try shouldn't have been allowed.
Fair play to him for admitting he was wrong.

Is that a fact?

Sums up the state of refs when there is not 3 refs deemed good enough for 2 semis and the final and one of the two chosen had a nightmare game, for me Bentham did ok the head the ball try was allowed by the video ref I know you can head it but for me he was in front of the passer and obstructing the defender Blake Green I think but we got there in the end

The decision was right but the problem is with the rule. Any contact with any part of the body knocking the ball forward other than a kick should be a knock on IMO. Otherwise you could have situations where mis timed dummy runs are rewarded. The problem on Friday night, and the reason he was booed off at half time, was he knew the rule but the majority of the fans did not.

Yeah

I thought there were a few big calls he got wrong but thats just my opinion. The try from the header was a clear obstruction and the ball was travelling forward before it hit the players head, granted this was prob more down to the vid ref than Bentham but if he had the guts to ever make a decision himself he could have called the obstruction of the forward pass on the field. The decision to award a goal line drop out when Atkins lifted Bowen was poor and Bentham himself accepted on twitter he got it wrong this directly lead to a try and at a time when wigan had the momentum we were defending our line and conceded when we should have been attacking up the other end on the back of a penalty. I also thought the penalty on Clubb when Higham dropped the ball which led to the flair up was embaressing.

All just my opinion I accept but I'm entitled to it.

I was going crazy when it was awarded on the night as it looked such an obvious knock on. I couldn't see the big screen clearly. But when I got home and watched it again on sky two things are pretty clear -

The pass wasn't going forward. It hit the head, but the problem lies with the knock on law not Bentham.

And Joe should have knocked it out. Monaghan was much more alert. A lesson for Joe I suspect.

That's the bottom line for me, you play to the whistle. He may be relatively inexperienced at Super League level but even juniors know that you don't just leave a ball in your own in-goal and assume the ref is about to blow