To be fair, Tommy is defensively stronger than any other half back in world rugby league.

It’s rarity but I disagree with you this time. He’s supposed to be the experienced head but he lost it. Also, whilst I thought the way the ref ran the game was indeed precious, just how much contact with the ref would you allow?

I wouldn’t allow any that’s in an aggressive manner and is aimed solely at the ref but have you watched this incident back? I’ve watched it numerous times. There’s a coming together between Hastings and Sammut and verbals kick off. The ref stands in between them and Sammut walks forward acting the big I am and basically uses the ref as a shield. He doesn’t aggressively go at him and looks like he’s not even aware he’s in the way. It’s a heat of the moment loss of awareness of who’s in the way of him and Hastings.

As I said it’s forgivable. It should’ve been avoided but nobody would’ve batted an eyelid a couple of years back until the refs became off bounds for even accidental contact.

Refs need protecting and we need to cut out any behaviour of this type or verbal assaults.

in general (and I haven't seen the Sammut incident back), I'd be more bothered about the verbal assaults than brushing a ref's arm.

They were always off bounds, it's just that players actually respected thst, I've been watching the game nearly 30 years and prior to 2010 I could count on one hand the amount of times I've seen a collision between player and ref. Over the last 9 years players seem to have simply lost respect, poor Phil bentham is having to retire after his second bump in 12 months with the same player, he reportedly has a herniated disc in his neck.

It needs cutting out.

Of course they need protecting from people intentionally placing hands on them or verbally abusing them.

This incident was neither though IMO. If you’re reffing an ultra physical sport where tempers will flare at times, then it’s a occupational hazard that you might get bumped in to. It was hardly Paulo Di Canio stuff out there.

I’ve seen numerous incidents like the Sammut one in my 30+ years watching the game and nobody batted an eyelid as I say. There used to be full on punch ups in the game where the refs would get in the middle of rucks of players going at it and nobody can tell me they wouldn’t get walked in to at points. It was just part of the job and people wouldn’t even focus on it.

Fully agree with incidents like the Houston ones. They were out of order and totally different to this one. The Hock incident for us years ago was again different and not right. There’s a difference IMO.


**Edited** I’ve just watched the famous Farrell fight vs Sculthorpe at Knowsley road and Barry the flag runs on. Firstly Saints No21 grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him, Terry Newton grabs his arm as he’s trying to split him and Wilkin up and he then gets buffeted all over the place in an absolute melee. Not a single ban handed out for any contact with him.

Can’t touch the ref,Sammutt did and rightly gets ban not rocket sceience is it?

They know the rules I care not what other players get up to,or yesteryear where elephant guns were taken on the pitch etc,I care about today,the players know the rules yet it stil goes on.

They do know the rules and it’s silly from Sammut, no doubt about it. My point above was in reference to it being said that contact with the refs seems to be a totally new thing in the last few years when it isn’t. It’s policed tighter now then previously and is more noticeable because we don’t have many of those all in brawls anymore.

As long as we see consistency throughout the year in these decisions then fair enough and everyone will know where they stand.

I think it’ll get even more tougher following Benthams retirement through his incident at Widnes,rightly so in my opinion,there’s not enough refs as it is without this sort of nonsense going on they have to have protection and I think with Gamson being in charge they now have it.

With Ganson running the show they'll definitely need it.

Made me chuckle that did..

Refs are supposed to stand on the outside of any incidents and not get between opposing players, I have not seen the incident so can't comment if he was already there but if he tried to get in the middle of the two then he is also at fault

I’m not sure he deliberately got in between them. He gave a penalty and stood on the spot. Sammut came from 4/5 yards away to remonstrate and grabbed him. Ban deserved in my view and as long as 2 games is consistent I can live with it.