This could get messy, but let's try it....

We all have a go at refs but, trying to keep this as positive as possible, who's the best of the current full-timers in your opinion, and why.

We have:

Ben Thaler
Ian Smith
Steve Ganson
Richard Silverwood
Phil Bentham

Over to you...

Tbh i think Ganson is the best out of a bad bunch

Ian Smith used to be good but he seems to have gone downhill a lot lately

HERES A QUICK ANSWER .................NONE OF EM, THERE ALL BOTTLERS

agree

Edited for accuracy.



The classic comment of someone who constantly wears rose tinted spectacles, has a limited understanding of the laws of the game, and doesn't have the bottle to try it themselves.

You're right. Forgot all about Thierry Alibert.

My mum used to have one of his breadbins I think.

I was hoping it wouldn't turn into a "They're all useless" thread. Didn't last long did it?

Ah well, looks like my suspicions about Mr. Ganson were correct.

I like Alibert for the way he shouts "MOOVE" at the PTB. I think my least favourite is Ian Smith, mainly for the way he declared Rhodesia's independence.

Unilaterally at that. No respect for the crown at all.

I'd forgotten that, but yeah... rings a bell.

Don't really mind any of them, although Ian Smith always gave us a rum do last year. The Warrington away game sticks out particularly when he continually victimised Ned Catic for being offside when he was just moving up quickly (easily provable on cameras and mentioned by the commentators), then ended up sin binning Catic for it.

I don't like Ganson for his continual posturing and desire to be the centre of attention, despite being in a profession where not being a talking point is a positive.

I think they are all pretty consistant though. Just looking forward to Bonzo's debut in SL so we can have a Cas ref for once.

I actually think phil bentham is a decent ref, then maybe ganson as the above say he does like being the star of the show

In all honesty all supporters bag the ref if their team has lost ( not always but most times ). But if I am watching a neutral game either SL or NRL I find the ref to be pretty good, he may let little things go one way, but then lets things go for the other side also. He may make a couple of cock-ups during the game, but in a fast moving sport these are inevitable.
I would say the standard is quite good.

A very fair assessment there old lad imo

The game has quickened up so much over the last few years that I think all ref's do well to keep up with play over 80 minutes.
I think a lot of ref's get slated due to the complete inadequacy of touch judges. For me the role of the touch judge is the weakest area in SL and is in urgent need of attention, boy do they do my head in

I agree 100%. The number of times touch judges seem oblivious to the most obvious infringements right in front of their eyes bewilders me.

In that case then, in your understanding, what is the role of a touch judge and what duties do they perform during the game?

I would suggest a part of their role is to assist the official in any infringements made in the game and bring them to the referee's attention.

I loved Klein. What a bloke.

Is that the swear filter cutting in?

There was a new one at Wakey on Sunday, name of Child. As we won, I don't want to bag him too much on his first game - but if we'd lost I would have pointed out the missed forward passes, the head high tackles, the laying on and the garlicky smell he let Catalans get away with!!!

PS Believe it or not I'm enjoying the rugby your lot are playing - nice to see two teams doing well without the need for a m*****!!

This is the problem I have though, I haven't got a clue what there role is other than to identify where the ball leaves the field of play and stand behind the sticks and guess whether or not a kick has gone over. This is why I said it was one of the weakest area's of RL.

At the very least I would have thought they would have an input on offside, forward passes and foul play, probably the 3 things that annoy most fans more than anything else when what we perceive as a blatant offence and none of the officials see it.

I know you will try and defend the role of the officials but for me touch judges are the weakest link.

They have input to all the things you mentioned above. Their role is to assist the referee and judge touch, touch-in-goal and goal attempts.

What you have to bear in mind is that during a game you can't see and hear a lot of the communication that goes on between the officials. Also depending on where the ball is, each touch judge may be performing a different task, identifiable by their positioning.

If you feel that forward passes and offsides are a problem, have you considered checking the actual definitions of them in the rule book to ensure that your interpretation is correct?

thought the young lad who reffed the widnes halifax games was very good, seemed to enjoy a bit of banter with the players, ie "you should be able to make the ten metres you've only been on the pitch 5 minutes" to one forward, but he was firm with his discipline when needed.

Also saw a touch judge award an offside desicion in that particular game