Ish. If the player's stood still when he throws the ball you're spot on. If he's running forward then you're wrong. Ish.

Yep, you're wrong. It was explained pretty well earlier in the thread - it has to go backwards relative to the passer, not the ground. If you're running forwards and gently toss the ball behind you, the ball will still travel forwards relative to the ground.

You learn something new every day then! So in reality as long as the recieving player catches the ball behind the line player that has passed is then it is a good pass then, no wonder there is all this confusion about forward passes.

From here, where there is also a thorough explanation of it. www.theaftermatter.com/2012/05/p ... s-and.html There's also a good video explanation if you type "Rugby Union "Forward Pass" video" in to the usual place.

From here, where there is also a thorough explanation of it. www.theaftermatter.com/2012/05/p ... s-and.html There's also a good video explanation if you type "Rugby Union "Forward Pass" video" in to the usual place.

Dead simple, it's so Cummins ( the RFL) still have some control over a way of influencing results.

So in theory no pass is forward if the passing player continues to run, arrr I get it now, actually its simples

Most people appear to be accepting the fact that the ball must travel backwards in relation to the player who passed the ball.

Now bearing this in mind, watch the try again, especially the replay, and concentrate more on the players (particularly Hodgson) and see where Hodgson (who is running at an angle and certainly not speeding up) is in relation to Monaghan when he (Monaghan) recieves the ball. This may help


The pass looks to be ridiculously forward because the the camera angle where the ball appears to be clearly travelling forward and straight at the camera. But in relation to Hodgson the ball does appear to go backwards!

The last time I laughed this much was watching Les Boyd playing for the Wires

Not as funny as watching Finch spit his dummy at the time though!

Which wasn't as funny as Atkins getting selected for England

Sorry but black is black and white is white; your explanation is like the picture, blurred and out of focus. The pass was forward, Wire won well, we lost. Why does it matter so much to Wire fans? I don’t know any Pie who thinks it would have made any difference.

It's chip paper now, so makes no difference. But for what it's worth I thought it was a clear forward pass at the game, I thought it was a clear forward pass watching it on Sky when I got home, and I still thought it was a clear forward pass when I watched the Super League Show. In fact, I still do think it was a forward pass, but not as clear as I first thought.
Watching it back, regardless of the camera angle and apparent trajectory of the ball, Hodgson is in front of Monaghan as he receives the pass so the ball must have gone backwards relative to Hodgson. It is this, rather than general ineptitude or a conspiracy against Wigan, that may well have stopped Ganson, or his touch judge, from calling it forward.