....but as poor as we were today the big decision was Rettie's red card. The ref clearley called held and a penalty should have been ours. Instead we are a man down and instead of being on the attack are defending our own line. Rettie was wrong but it should never have got to a red card. Rant over, having a pint of Rev James in Batley 'spoons.

Did he throw a headbutt? not clear as to why he walked?

He was held, he did get elbows in the face on the ground more than once, but there is no justification for a head butt, as clear a red card as any I have seen and a long ban on the way. We just couldnt handle the constant holding down.

Yep clear red card but the initial tackle was high and there was a grapple tackle after the hit and both the ref and linesman looking directly at it didn't give the penalty so Rettie decided to take the law in to his own hands. Defo red but another example of the bad reffing we put up with today.

He should have gone in the first half, after aiming a kick at one of our players right in front of the linesman. Another thing the ref and linesman were looking directly at but didn't penalise.

You mean a bit like your fullback in second half where we were going for the line and he dived in feet first. Obvious the ref didn't have the bottle to use his whistle much today.

Quite possibly. I guess what I'm trying to point out is that accusing the ref of allowing mean, nasty old Batley to use their horrid tactics in order to beat your side of angelic, virginal young choirboys is an extremely facile venture - especially when you're coached by a man who is the master of spoiling tactics anyway, as we at Batley witnessed for two full seasons prior to him joining Halifax.

This is the sort of stuff I had to sit through for 2 hours, my poor head...

Thats funny, I had to stand through nearly two hours of blinkered wittering about 'spoiling tactics'.

We lost because our completion rate was dreadful and we were incapable of doing the basics right. Batley were better than us end of IMO. The other factors are part and parcel of rugby league. Rettie was a fool to allow himself to get wound up, the crowd were on his back all day and he should have realised that. Dont care about the ref and the rest of the issues. We just didnt get anything right and Batley did.

spot on!

would like to see the completion % compared to last 2/3 games, bet nowhere near.

We had the passion, but no brains!!

Batley played to the game plan.

As JK has just said on radio Leeds they were well aware of the attacking threat of Halifax but snuffed it out almost perfectly.

The Fax three quater line never got the ball or made a single line break all the game, we need a quick play the balls at some point in any game to rack up the points but it never happened today.

Our attacking sets were poor which we barely completed a set as was our kicking game especially with Tigers knowledge of the pitch.

Todays ref allowed a fair bit of laying on and hands in at the play the ball and a skinny 10 yards to go unpenalised for both sides.

Batley were more patient and as a result got the win.

I prefer a more open attacking brand of rugby league and found the game a bit flat.

The main dissapointment with Batley is that they are a very good attacking side themselves with dangerous players that did not, or were not allowed to play this type of game, but who am I to question Mr Kears tactics especially when it won them the game.

The main dissapointment I have with Fax is they just didn't adapt to what was going on and had no control over the play or the game and with only 12 and then 11 players on the pitch didn't exactly help.

Went as a neutral today so am a little suprised to say the least that Fax fans are blaming referees because he absolutely caned Batley....I thought halifax had a big pack but Batley had some big old boys out there today and dug in a bit deeper than your blokes. Very exciting game though. I think either team could have nicked it today but Batleys halves were also smarter than Fax's. The sending off is even more bizaare a mate told me that Rettie nutted his own brother in law........what a tool !! There was also an incident where he blatently kicked Walton which will probably get him an additional ban to the long one he is staring down the barrel of now.

What's wrong with that? I've wanted to nut my brother in law for years. Mind you, everyone want's to nut my brother in law.

Not blaming the ref myself but i will say the following.

Where the ref is concerned is that he is there to officiate the game without influencing or affecting the outcome by his own actions or inactions.

In the context of todays game the constant slowing down and hands in at the play the ball did play a big part in what happened during and later on in the game.

If he had stopped that early on, which on another day will be the case then a lot of the niggling and frustration on show that eventually led to the sending off and other unsavoury incidents would have been avoided.

In this sense the ref can and does influence things for the worse, they wind up the players and supporters long before the result is known because they are just not good enough and often make blantantly wrong decisions.

They are just as responsible and should be just as accountable as the other parties involved but they never are.

Sooner or later every team will be affected by this and many supporters of the game would agree the standard of some of the officials is poor and if Fax had won the game I am sure one or two Batley fans would have not been too happy with the man in the middle.

The question is.
If our team wins is it okay for the officials to have bad games but we don't say anything?

In todays game Batley deserved to win and as a team were the better side on the day but that does not mean the officials can be excused for his performance that affected both sides.

Excellent post mate. I spoke to an old school mate of mine before the kick off, he's a long serving fax fan and we both knew what to expect, even before the game had started. We knew there wouldn't be anything in it, because Stokes (today's ref) never penalises holding down, he killed us (dog's) away at York last season with it. Surely that is a bad indictment of an official, if fans know exactly what an official is or in this case isn't going to penalise, even before a ball is kicked. The coaches surely will if fans do and plan accordingly.

TBH, I don't think it did either team any favours today. The guy is totally incompetent, simple as, but at least he is fair. He isn't talented enough/intelligent enough to cheat IMO. I cannot say the same for either Tommason or Leahy though.

I totally disagree with this. As we have seen the last 2 games, when we get on a roll with quick play the balls we are pretty difficult to stop. I would love to have seen the game played at the same pace as the last couple of weeks but it was never going to happen once the ref set his stall out and ive seen amateur games that have been played at a quicker pace than todays.

Fax definately benefit from a quick play the ball but it's not just about Fax or any one other team.
The game as a whole is much better.

Fast attacking Rugby League is what sets it apart from any other sport and is possibly one of the main reasons that got us to watch the game in the first place and keep us going back.

Think about it, on a decent dry pitch like today slow play means this.

From the intial impact of the tackle they remain in contact grapling about until the ref calls HEEELLLLDDDD.

Even after that they still often fall to the ground and have a wrestle and roll around until the ref says MOOOOVE.

Slowly but eventually they let go of one another but still push and shove at the play the ball when they are getting to their feet.

Sometimes from the man in possession the ball comes lose and the ref gives a knock on.

Sometimes in exactly the same situation in the same game the ref gives a penalty for interference at the play the ball.

By which time the players and supporters are getting wound up.

On a wet pitch it's even worse when this happens because it's like a cross between WWF and aligator wrestling, not exactly what we want to see at a game.

You can't have a stop watch out but if we have a common sense tackle completion and clean ruck play the ball where you have to let go and either move or roll away without all the messing around the game benefits as a result it's not too difficult or hard to achieve surely.
More attacking play, more breaks, more points, more enjoyment but most importantly of all more Rugby League.
More like what we pay our money to see to be honest.

yes, the ref was poor for both teams....he should have penalised Batley many times for holding down and didnt. Neither teams has square markers especially in the 1st half.

what frustrates me is the complete lack of consistancy between games.

the ref however is not why we lost.

Calum Casey wants sending back to Leeds, it is beyond me why? on the 4th tackle at 16-16 do you kick through to nobody but yourself (downhill!) instead of building pressure and knocking over a drop goal. That is where we lost the game.

Bowman in i think for Swinton.

Patto also needs to have a word for missing that penalty and not kicking it dead!

Too many of our players made poor decisions today. That is why we lost - simple.

Watching Batlley for the 1st time this season today, they are average. Fax lost that game.

Batley didnt win it!

oh yeah, onwards and upwards! Swinton to smash on Friday! Awesome away support today!!!!

We are STILL top of the league!

I think hes saying we would probably have won the game without the daft last 20 minutes. Lets face it, by the time Rettie came up with his moment of stupidity we were well on top. We blew it big style, i bet our completion rate was about the 50% mark yet we probably still should have won the game, i think thats one good thing our fans can take out of yesterday.

From what you say Moleydog, theres clear no reason for your fans to be jealous.

Mr Kear, Mr Powell and Mr March certainly know how to play the ref in this league.

A good fast game is all we fans have to look forward to, what we get is not helping sell this comp most weeks.

If the ref allows a slow ptb at least take em back a good 10m. As a spectacle our, Leigh, game was boring today - although Ii do think the CC hangover had a part.

Well yes I can see an argument for 'entertainment' value being greater with a fast expansive game.

Maybe I'm a bit old school but in my playing days we had a coach who coached to our strengths and had a game plan for the team we are playing.

Sometimes, if you have to play the ref, slow the game down, niggle your opponent etc to gain and advantage your way, then that's what you do. it's always been part of the game.
Actually I don't mind it. Almost like a game of chess, seeing who's got the 'smarter' players, who will crack first etc.
Against Wigan our lot did that throughout the game and kept us in the game. Against Fev yesterday, York unsuccessfully tried to slow the game down to keep the pace of the game at their level - it's what they had to do and it was up to us to break them down. Again, it made for an enthralling game - just different from fast free flowing rugby.

On Sunday, Fax lost that battle because regardless of the ref - but because Fax weren't smart enough to handle that part of the game which is surprising given Harrison is your coach and was one of the best at getting in opponents faces.