If I recall, there was a similar incident when Hardaker scored where he obstructed a couple of Warrington players and I'm sure they made contact - has that been cited?

The Webb charge is a joke, absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea what is going on when a player is charged for something like that.

Bailey pushed Silverwood for no reason and should be charged. He was not impeded by the ref, there wasn't a Warrington player in front of Bailey, he had no need to put hands on the ref and I think he knew exactly what he was doing. Not acceptable.

Don't get in TMFMISL's way - he does what he wants.

Watched the re-run of the World Club Challenge last night and when either side was attacking close to the line, Klein was behind the line and no-where near the play of the ball. Silverwood was in the wrong place and to be fair I don't see why this has been brought up after the event. I seem to remember someone getting sent of in recent seasons for touching the referee. We need to continue the practice of player not being allowed to make contact with the referee in a confrontational situation and having said that the referee needs to make sure he isn't getting in the way at a play of the ball.

Once they have stopped laughing at the review, I think they will administer cautions and ban Silverwood for three games - preferably the Challenge Cup Final, The Grand Final and The World Club Challenge!

If touching the referee is an offence of strict liability then they are both guilty as is Ablett.
If that is the case then the RFL surely has to ban both for 2 games?
But how many times in other games do players touch the referee & get away with it?
Silverwood was in a dreadful position on more than one occasion.
I wonder if Cummins will deal with him appropriately?
I won't hold my breath.

NE, re my statement re Kirke - it was ironic, I'm surprised it tool so long for you (or anyone) to bite.
However, I think currently he will still be selected in front of Moore, if needed.

After the Widnes game it was derserved, it was the right call.

After the Cas game, think again! Moore deserves another crack over the useless Kirke.

Meh. easily explained if you're a conspiracy junkie a la David Icke, (and we do have a couple in our midst people

) It is that Silverwood is a reptilian humanoid, and it's yet another example of the Babylonian Brotherhood's devious ways!

Or he could simply have been in the wrong position. Fill yer boots with whatever floats your boat. Webb to get a warning, TMFMISL maybe a one match ban.

This.

Whether the referee is in the way at the tap penalty restart or not, no player, - not even Bailey - should be engaging in deliberate physical contact with any match official.

When Ben Cross was sin-binned at Widnes in the opening round this season Ali Lauitiiti patted Ben Thaler on the back and was rightly admonished by the official.

Next time maybe Bailey will lead with a rasied knee on Silverwood.

Seeing as we are getting silly.

The raised knee was an issue when it occurred but it appears to have been successfully addressed for now so we can discuss any new areas of concern as and when they present themselves, hopefully with the same positive outcome.

Presumably a player, on finding himself impeded by a match official, should in future simply cough loudly, wait for the official to turn and give his full attention, then politely request that he moves?

By which point the referee will indeed have moved, probably to the back of the in-goal area to award a try.

In almost 40 years watching the game I've seen plenty of referees get inadvertently caught up in play and contacted by players, some even being knocked off their feet as a result. The normal outcome is that they pick themselves up, have a little chuckle with the players around them and the game goes on.

If the game has moved on to the point where making minimal contact with an official in trying to get past them to your spot in the defensive line is worthy of a three game ban, I'm not sure I want to move with it.

Alot of logic in your post Andy.

Key bit as well for me is the 'minimal contact'. There's no shove, malice or 'Di Cannio' moment.

Just people trying to do their jobs.

I can agree with all that and hopefully once the incident has been reviewed in detail they will arrive at a sensible conclusion.

Ikram Butt is on the panel, so expect the sensible conclusion.

Having watched it back, i've seen the same thing happen loads of times over the years. He was stood in the wrong place FFS, had it been any other official nothing more would have been said. But this is silverwood the same man that hates Leeds, the same man that hates Webb and Bailey even more, this is the same official that was suspended at the end of last season for something that happened at a Leeds game he had nothing to do with.It's a good job Keef wasn't on the pitch otherwise he would've been up aswell (even if he was defending on the other side).
This man has a problem with our club and goes back well before the WCC game. Like others have said it's the official that was in the wrong place (he was in front of the line of defence).

I am not saying it is ok to touch the Ref (lets face most of us do from time to time), but common sense has to prevale in this instance. Cummins needs to have a word on both his positioning and his anti leeds bias.


Oh hang on Cummins wrote the book on anti leeds bias, we're screwed.

Certainly will be interesting next time Silverwood refs at Headingley, especially if any bans issued later.

Could leeds have played on without touching him, and then gone to tbe video ref for obstruction by the ref?

Although this would be unfair on warrington and how.would you restart the game?

3 match ban for Bailey, verbal warning for Webb, both get £300 fines.

Bailey, 3 matches.


Webb, no further action

What a joke. At least that's more what I was hoping for in the sense that Webb is more difficult to replace than Bailey as we have plenty front row options, Webb is a key for us in attack and it would be difficult to just slot anyone there.

If the referee gets in the way of the defensive side it's basically tough, IMO.

Recalled this happenng in a game last season when Thaler blocked Leuluai from attempting to make a tackle on the line. Despite Thaler's apology to the Leeds player the score was allowed to stand.

In any case here neither Webb or Bailey would have prevented the Hill try as he powered over other Leeds defenders.

Joke.
Hope Silverwood gets a game at Headingley soon while it's fresh in everyone's memory.

We have the greatest sport in the world run by an incompetent bunch of clowns who make the 'RFU Old farts' look like Mensa candidates.

At least it's only March and Bailey can have a well deserved rest.

Shocking suspension and an absolute joke when Bridge and Moa get 1 game bans.
Did Higham get a ban?

You can live with a referee making a mistake like this that leads to a try. It's unfortunate, but it happens sometimes in the speed of a game: mistakes are made and Silverwood made one in his positioning from the tap-penalty. What's more difficult to live with is professionals being suspended or fined, fully considered after the event, as a direct result of a minor brush wholly resulting from this incompetence.

Maybe follow the Wigan "ultras" and make a banner that will show him!!!


Seriously though the ban is a joke and a 3 game ban is a joke. Silver wood has got in the way it's not as if someone has deliberately gone up to him and pushed him for giving a decision against them. HE has been incompitent in his role and got in the way of the defenders