Watched it back again today and I wasn't as angry with the refereeing as I was immediately after Friday on the train home. As said, couple of Wigan knock ons that apparently went backwards and a couple of identical ones from us that were penalised seemed unfair but anyway...

What I would say though is Friday's game, between the same two teams with the same referee, was officiated entirely differently to the one at their place in the league. We all know what Donkey Kong actually means when he's twittering on about being a "details team" and "getting our details right in the ruck". He means they're going to put three men in and try every trick in the book to slow it down and stop a team getting a roll on. At Wigan in the league Thaler wouldn't have any of that, absolutely caned them early in the game, part of the reason we got into such a strong position to start with. Then on Friday - exact opposite, they could do pretty much whatever they liked, including moving sideways and miles off the mark at their own PTB.

I happen to think the refereeing is a lot better this season (though not the video refereeing) and has been benefited by an influx of new officials as opposed to the same six blokes getting games every week regardless of their form and fitness and us having to suffer Richard Silverwood all the time. I also quite like Thaler, contrary to most people's opinion. And I'm also avoiding a debate about whether Wigan's "details" should be penalised or rewarded as intelligent defence.

But what cannot be right is two teams play each other in May to one interpretation of the rules, and then they play each other again in July and the same referee applies the rules entirely differently. It' bad enough the lack of consistency from official to official, but to have the same bloke applying the same rules completely differently two months apart is a bit of a farce.

kirkella I think and his whole family hate rovers with a passion. Says if he gets the wembley gig that rovers fans will be looking for a new song although he's take the million pound game given the choice

yes it did

Oh No it didn't




He's behind You !!!!

Bit of a pantomime, this thread, lock it

No it did not, you sorry excuse for a troll.

Have you watched the video yet? There's a peach of an angle on the slow motion replay that's right in line with the pass and clearly shows it going backward. And I was in line with the pass myself at the game.

No forward passes in that move. None. Zero. Zilch. End of.

Yeh so was I, and I thought it was forward at the game, and watching it over and over again, I still think it was, Michaels stretching forward to catch it, he caught the ball in front of where founa passed it from, tells me it was forward. Anyway who cares haha , just like you been wrong and reading your toss bag responses

Easy Tiger !, were all pals aren't we ? lets not get all Gareth Hock over a lovely lovely try.

Right or wrong, who really cares ?? Its enjoy it time Tinkers.

Haha , yeh I know, im feeling the love really, just kosh with his "no it wasn't" response, he does actually think everything he says is fact. Watched the try quite a few times, and your right, it was lovely, just thought the last pass was a tad forward. Im not complaining , seen plenty go against us

Didn't look forward to me but like you said who cares Isa,s was miles forward

How mature.

Fonua's hands are pointing backwards when he releases the ball, and that's what counts - not where the ball was released and where it was caught. Momentum and all that.

As for the 'facts' jibe - remind me which of us stated that the pass was forward as a fact rather than opinion again?

To be fair though, the pass Thaler called forward when Manfredi went over in the corner wasn't forward.

The main thing that es me off is the obvious work that goes in to bending the rules as much as they can from Wigan. They must spend one day a week at it.
The 2 most ridiculous decisions of the game were the penalty on Ellis, when SOL had clearly moved around his leg to play the ball; and The decision that Williams had not knocked in collision when Mini knocked on and went through. The idea that it didn't hit the FC player is ridiculous. But it should be noted that it was Hicks that made the call on the latter.

Having just relived all the excitement again, iplayered it because if I record games we lose!!!!, both Manfredi and Isa's tries were forward passes. Michaels, I wasn't sure about, favouring as ok until the credits came up and showed a complete different angle from the side and the pass was deffo good.