This is the first time I have ever posted, but 1865 really needs to take his or her head out of the sand, unless it was a wind up. The quality of officials in rugby league is appalling and I believe is one of the main reasons that gates in the sport is declining. I have been a season pass holder for many years but I am not now, not because I'm not happy with the coach or the team, but because I'm sick of watching officials having too big an influence on the scores. I've just watched the Staines v Widnes match and felt tHat a very poor dissuasion by the ref when Widnes was winning changed the result. By the way I was at the match on Friday night against Leeds, and I left feeling how bad do you need to be to be the worst ref in rugby league, but Child's manages it every time.

I know, all I'm saying is if that if a 2nd player had been involved in the tackle much earlier in the play, then a penalty would have been right. As I said, I haven't seen a replay.
It's one of those rules which is hardly ever applied, and I'd imagine not many even know it exists.

If you watch it back I'm sure child says it was given for the ball being dislodged after the tackle was complete. Pretty sure that was him trying to justify getting it wrong in the first place and having nowhere to go. The correct decision was play on back to 1 as Yeaman was 1 on 1 and Leeds got possession back.

I think you're right on all of that. The fact that Yeaman and the Leeds player were still sliding along the turf when the ball came out obviously negates Child's pathetic attempt to justify giving Leeds 2 points. Almost glad we never had any chance of getting within 2 by the end otherwise there wold have been hell to pay.

Refs sometimes seem to swing 50/50s to keep a game close, then will let one team run away with it in the final 20, especially when it's on TV. When it isn't on TV they often clearly go for whoever's most likely to win.

Not sure I agree that if you're a top 4 side you automatically get everything in your favour, these teams have captains very good at manipulating the ref.

Still, what it comes down to for me is is it incompetence or just straight corruption? Either way we pay good money to watch this sport and it's putting many people, myself included, off.

Forgot they got it back cleanly. You're right, play on, not a scrum.