As Rizzo the Rat says at the end of Muppet Xmas Carol... ‘I’m back’!

Laid up with Covid now! ... I did stay awake to watch the game ... and I was moved by the spirit, attitude, application and no little skill shown by the players against Catalan.

Really good ... the more I see of Brad Walker the more impressed I am with him... he was head and shoulders the best half on the pitch and is growing in confidence... he deserves an extended run in the halves!

Jai Whitbread really opened my eyes... the pack lifted when he entered the fray as they followed his lead... particularly Aydin and Shaw who both showed great promise.

Corey Hall looks every bit a SL player he was up against (in my opinion) one of the best centres around and had his measure.

And it’s the first time I have seen Jowitt impose himself on a game... let’s see if he can do that regularly

Now the controversial bit ... James Batchelor has stepped up another level this year... I know Pitts is very reliable and a great leader but for my money Batchelor should be our right edge forward (at the moment he’s probably the best edge forward on the books) if Pitts plays it should be somewhere else.

And there’s a little something about Harry Bowes to like at half back he looked strong, composed and confident... be interesting to see him with an extended run at dummy half

Totally agree about Batchelor. He is showing some great form and I can’t believe he’s still only 23! If we don’t try tie him down for a few years it would be silly. He is ready to make that right SR spot his own if not this season then most definitely next season.

I agree about Batch but I still like Pitts.

It is surprising that after NRL ditched the two referee experiment, Messrs Tomkins and Pearce were allowed to reintroduce it for our match with Catalans when they played puppeteers to the marionette in green. Tom Moore will be squirming in embarrassment when he sees a rerun of his performance on Saturday and should have several weeks to reflect upon it whilst conducting matches in League 1.

As ever, it wasn't the decisions he gave , though several would have bordered on bizarre if he had been solely responsible, but the total lack of even handedness and downright disrespect for the Wakefield players. We should have no problem if players are pinged for an incorrect play the ball, but if the ref is to call one, he calls them all and should be so certain that when we have the benefit of a replay, the viewers and commentators can spot an infringement. Certainly not the case on Saturday and concerningly, all in one direction.

Similarly, ball strip and lost possession, defenders obstructing at a high kick and players taken out off the ball are two sides of the same coin that always came up heads for Catalans. Defending on the line is a minefield of arbitrariness and that's before the number of genuine tackles that became six again whilst the second and even third man flop seems to be ok again.

This season is rugby league's big chance to showcase the game in its best light and we get this kind of nonsense destroying the fabric of the game. Nobody can have the slightest qualm about heavy penalties for foul play but the level of pedantic wrong calls is something that the game cannot survive.

Both would play for me, pitts in second row and with how well hes been going in middles v fev and hull i would have batch at 13

Ask him what's the difference between an ordinary mile and a country mile, also why should there be a shadow every time somebody has a doubt

Tom J received a caution

Case
ON/258/22
Tom Johnstone Wakefield, 2
Catalans v Wakefield
Super League, 19th February 2022 MRP
Late hit on passer at 1:27:15 Caution
Law 15.1(i)

just about sums it up error school boy error what ever, today I had an hob extractor collected and was told it happens in which I disagreed, I told him had others taken care when it was in their hands it wouldn't of happened same goes with billy bollard its not like its difficult to bend down and play the ball is it even with his sausage fingers, I expect nothing else from him championship player at best

What are you on about?

Championship players should still be able to play the ball.

BUT despite his error,
he made 27 tackles, missing none. Only Crowther, Ashurst, Hood and Kay made more.
And took 14 drives, more than any other player in the team.

So he may not be perfect, but you can't knock his effort for the team.