Child wasn't good tonight, as usual. He allows offsides and holding down/interference for long periods and then will randomly ping one that hasn't been anywhere near as bad as what he's previously allowed. He also runs a very short 10m that is sometimes only 7 or 8.
I'd be interested to see if James Child officiated games have a higher player error rate in terms of knock-ons/loose passes etc than others because his reffing style lends itself to defences up quickly on the attack.

You're lucky there were 2 attack-minded teams out there tonight. I'd dread to think of the spectacle of a Wigan v Huddersfield game officiated by him.

I agree child was horrible he gave Cas 3 or 4 sets in a row to get the game going and they went infront. Then didn't police The next period the same.

But we can forget all that. We were 16 - 12 up despite him and a shocking start from Leeds. To not make hay against a team that can't defend with our strike is simply shocking from us.

I actually thought we were much better with the ball this week than the previous 2. I think Lilley is doing very well at hooker and has freed the team up a bit. It's still not back where it was but we looked to be getting the ball wide again which is pleasing to see. Unfortunately losing Sinfield was crucial tonight, partly because we lost his game at stand off which I think would've helped hugely when we were on their line, and secondly it meant we had to move Moon to stand off, so we lost Moon's strike at centre.
Then add in that Watkins didn't seem fully fit (he seemed reticent to really run it or really step) it meant we only really looked like making a break from Cuthbertson. Though that's also partly due to Cas' excellent defence.

I was more concerned by our defence than our attack really. I'm starting to think is our pack too big now? We had 5 props in that team tonight and 4 of them in Cuthbertson, Leuluai, Peacock & Garbutt are very big fellas who aren't the most mobile in defence. Possibly where we're missing JJB?

Spot on. Not blaming him for our loss but he was his usual poor game. You can see the players getting frustrated with him.

As for this abuse being shouted that made people be embarrassed to be a Leeds fan. Didn't notice to be very bad. The usual the red is a w chant and the all we want is a decent ref chant.

We weren't fast enough, strong enough or smart enough and Cas really wanted their big night out at our expence. But Child was garbage. I think the fact that he still gets games at this level says a lot about the state of RL reffing. BUT that is not why we lost. Walked out of HQ after the game feeling very low. Couldn't see a way back from that last night, still can't

Saints win tonight top spot is still in our hands. I know its hard to see us winning at Hudds. next week but we have an 8 day turn around for the squad to do some real soul searching and try to get the fire burning again for the final push. All is not lost yet, chin up

Just out of interest; when was the last time Leeds played well and lost or didn't lose cos' of the referee?
There are some very one-eyed loiners on here; well done those congratulating Cas on what was a well deserved win.

There has been a consistent theme to every home game lost this season......no prizes for guessing what it is.

"On here"

Sorry but hasn't pretty much everyone said he wasn't the reason we lost?

You would have thought that should have happened after last week's debacle?

Yep spot on don't think many if any have blamed the result on him.

Just acknowledging another sub standard performance

The prejudice against hetrosexual Leeds Rugby players? I know what you mean.

Maybe we should get the guy from Batley?

Or we need to select players based on looks

Child had two decisions overturned by the video ref. I#d be interested how many refs calls are overturned and which ref has the most.

Child isn't a very good ref. He didn't have a great game. I see the usual bigots can't leave it at that without bringing sexuality into the discussion.

Gareth, I don't think he was that bad - things always look worse when your side is on the back foot. He has had much worse games than last night. On the two decisions if you are going to give one for obstruction then you have to give the other and maybe Child reacted to that with his second call.

In terms of obvious errors not sure how many he actually made, not many and he did unfortunately for Leeds manage to maintain the tempo of the game.

Child is relatively a very good ref; one of the top 10 in the country. How many of the bigots & keyboard warriors on here are in the top 10 of their chosen profession? How many would still be in the same employment if, every time they turn up for work, they had a rabid mob screaming abuse at them or making unfounded homophobic statements against them on social media?

As a side issue to his performance, I often wonder if a hearty rendition of the Referee is an Onanist (or words to that effect) endears the home crowd to the official and if it affects, consciously or otherwise, how he see the game and the transgressions of both sides?

Headingley is fast turning into Knowsley Rd - how many times did we hear "Forward" last night and the calling of James Child at the end of the first half has no place in a sport that prides itself on its family environment.

What were these chants? I only heard the singing of "all we want is a decent referee" and the usual "the referee is a Wan...."

If so it's exactly what as a young kid I heard being chanted and worse at headingley in the late 70's early 80's.

I used to stand on the terraces in the south stand for over twenty years. The mantra in those days was ' gerrom onside' . This usually started after our second play the ball.
I think the southstand brigade adds a lot of atmosphere to games. Whilst I know sometimes they go over the top language wise, a lot of other clubs supporters are envious.
I seem to remember a few years ago some on the warrington board asking ,why the wire fans could not get behind the team as per the south stand brigade.

We are no longer in the 70s and the 80s where sport was a male preserve and the use of that type of language was the norm - we have moved on hopefully in 40 years. Maybe we should run repeats of Love they Neighbour?

There is no need for that - an indication of a desperate fan base spoilt by success that seem incapable of accepting the team isn't the power house it once was.

I am not disputing what the south stand add to the atmosphere but I never thought it would shout forward so many times in a game - not team pushes that envelope more than Leeds

Rugby League - on the terraces at least - was not a male preserve in the 70s and 80s either. "The man's game for the whole family".

I wasn't at the game last night but if the only chants were "oh what a referee" and "the referee's a wnker" then you need to get a grip. Not only have those chants been going on for 40 years, they're also heard almost every single week at every single ground in the country. To specifically say "it makes me ashamed to he associated with the Rhinos" is bizarre.

As a side-note, your notion that women would be uniquely offended by a bit of co language, and only men are capable of using it, is deeply sexist and well suited to your On The Buses mind set.

The woman behind me was using far more offensive language than I heard from the SS singers! Not great when you are sitting with a youngster.

I actually don't have a problem with the W** chant - it shows frustration with a poor ref - As long as it is not overused. After all any competitive sport is passionate and supporters pay a lot of money and deserve decent officials. Don't get me wrong everyone makes a mistake but not as regular as JC

It amazes me to hear about the homophobia element - I have been at most of the matches in the past few years and have not heard anything being chanted by any team.

James Child is not the greatest ref in the world and it amazes me that the powers that be do not do anything to help him progress.

It particularly amazes me that we seem to see the same ref on a regular basis and bearing in mind the reception he has received then I cannot believe the RFL are not actually provoking the situation

Allocating refs should be simple - A strong panel of refs who are allocated games to ensure that they are rotated around the grounds/ teams evenly. That way we all get a good/poor/biased/unbiased ref on an equal basis

Or am I being simplistic

I did not the reception he got when he first came out to warm up - He was with a trainee I think??? He did whisper in the trainees ear - probably to suggest that they may not want a career as a ref?

Having said that, I do respect him for having the courage to come out week after week and face the 'mob culture' fans can often display

Try being in the East Stand at Hull KR. Louder, more passionate, more bad language and equally as many cries of forward per game as the South Stand at Leeds.

Childs had a good game last night and none of the very few incorrect decisions he made cost Leeds any points. This is not always the case with his performances however.

I watched the game on Sky and their commentary team were all at one with his decisions. I was also. I have spoken to a couple of Rhinos fans who live near me in Pickering today and their match synopsis was - "Brilliant game, hell for leather for the full 80, best team won."

If Rovers had shown the same passion and desire and played at the same tempo as Cas did last night at Wembley CC final 3 weeks ago, we would at least have registered some points. The Leeds back row, so fantastic during that game were cackamallabab last night.

Don't like the 70s and 80s politically incorrect analogy too as to suggest that we have moved on as a society and you cannot say now what you could say then and get away with it is one huge filipp to the excess that we as a nation have progressed along this difficult route since then.