Oh I'd say a whole lot of people had a problem with it at the time, but mostly we accept we could have been mistaken so we quietly watch the replays. After the second replay there could have been no doubt at all, so astounded uproar followed.

Leeds throw at least a half a dozen or more a game and get away with it nearly every time. It's a deliberate tactic that needs to be picked up by the officials and stopped. That first was an embarrassment to the officials.

It's interesting that Hemmings said after the farcical forward pass for L***s first try that 'This is why we can't go to the screen for forward passes as the angles look different'. Funny how that theory wasn't applied to the pass that was given forward (the one that Child was directly in line with and was a line ball at best).

I thought that was ridiculous too. It was absolutely clear to see that pass was forward, and it had nothing to do with camera angles making it look that way. Webb quite clearly throws the pass as he hits the 20 yard line, Jones-Bishop caught it about 2-3 yards closer to the try line.

Yes, the one the ref pulled up was a wrong call, but anyone who thinks Leeds did not finish well in front in forward pass decisions going their way (as they usually do) is either deluded or lying.

The bit highlighted is the exact reason why I have been saying for years that the game should get rid of the flat pass. I am all for change, and the introduction of the 40-20 rule has enhanced the game imo, but the introduction the flat pass has increased ten fold the amount of unpunished forward passes, simply because it is harder for the officials to implement.

Teams like Leeds, Wire, saints and Wigan use the flat pass to their advantage, but get away with far too many forward passes, something lesser teams do not have the luxury off imo. By going back to the good old days where a pass had to go backwards, it instantly becomes easier for officials to detect forward passes by eliminating some of the ambiguity on this issue and would make a lot of games much more competitive.

There is no such thing as the 'flat pass' in the Laws. It's another urban myth started by Stevo's ill-informed ramblings.

The flat pass may not be stated in the laws of the game, but in the past, the ball had to be "passed backwards". This was then changed to the ball must not "travel forwards", thus in effect introducing the flat pass.

Some teams bend the rules the as far as possible and often get away with it. Leeds and others get away with far too many forward passes because they execute the flat pass to the extreme, often giving them an unfair advantage in games. They scored 10 points from blatant forward passes last night, yet choose to harp on about the fair pass that was ruled forwards.

Reintroducing the simple fact that a ball must travel backwards when passed would eliminate a large percentage of the weekly forward pass moans and groans from fans, players and coach's and make a refs job a little easier imo.

The problem was and is the 'momentum' cobblers. Instead of applying it as it was intended (which I'm not actually convinced by anyway), it's basically become a way of officials picking and choosing when they want to apply the rules.

I think it's hilarious that Whinos are complaining about it. Cry me a ing river.

and we never get the 50/50 calls

Your right. The problems with the rules as they stand is that there are too many variables for match officials to consider in a fast moving sport, all of which would be eliminated if the ball simply had to go backwards.