Not a penalty in a million.

Unfortunately it was one of those days when Ganson decided it was going to be all about him. Some disgraceful decisions by him today, he was actually looking to try and create controversy as much as possible. The Eastmond knock-on incident was just a joke. He clearly knocked-on, Ganson put the whistle to his mouth so the players all stopped he then decided to play on and had the game not been on sky a try would have been given.

He was attempting to play the ball, but why didn't he jump? If Washbrook gets off the floor he doesn't make Ashe pivot in the air by hitting him in the legs and Ganson can't penalise it. Ganson makes the decision as soon as the impact happens. Ashe is in the air and Washbrook goes into his legs. Always going to be given.

It could probably have been construed as one of these "dangerous contact" offences.

"Play to the whistle" is coached into 5 year-olds. That is: play to a whistle actually being blown. If we had players watching the ref put the whistle to his mouth, then they weren't doing their job. The only reason a player should look to the ref is to check he's onside at a PtB. anything else is amateurish.

I thought it was a penalty, if Washbrook was really going to try to challenge for the ball he would of jumped, not just run straight into the player.

That was my view of the incident too.



anything else and all a player has to do is run at the receiver with his arms open and claim he was challenging

Watch the replay, Washbrook is in the air (not as high as Ashe, but still in the air). Also watch Washbrooks eyes throughout the chase he is looking at the ball, so therefore was competing for the thing he was watching.

the truth of the matter is this..you were 18 nill up against a weakened saints team
you shouldv'e blown us out of sight.....instead of whinging was it or wasn't it a penalty.

It would be.

Awful decision.

Don't be coming on here talking sense rigsby.

Look again. Washbrook IS in the air. In fact he gets closer to catching the ball than the Saints player ho jumps above him.

Thought I'd seen it right, Cod'ead always as been a known apologist for officials even when they are blatantly wrong. That is the problem with our game, if officials are crap other officials (or ex officials) defend them blindly. Lets face it, all of this would have had less discussions if the idiots at the RFL didn't invite controversy by giving a Saints fan a St Helens game to referee.