Typical RL , Turner gets smacked in the mouth has to leave the field and the ref doesnt even give a penalty . Contact with the face????

I thought same thing.

Sky make me laugh, they basically just said its fine to hit around the head with a fist but not off a shoulder charge.

I thought that as well.

Only Clarke pointed out the inconsistency.

Mind you Clarke can't really harp on about consistancy, start of this game he says the hull derby at Manchester was his favourite this season. Start of the Catalan's match he says the Saints Catalan game at LP was his favourite this season.

Funny thing is it was the video ref that sent off TP on Friday, yet today the same Video ref did not get a say.

What do you expect from Ian Smith? The guy is a first class clown

Clearly you haven't been listening to him on Premier Sports. He's actually a very good video ref.

It wasn't. It was Thaler who sent TP off. All Smith was asked to do was to confirm who was involved.

Other than looking at try or no try or how a ball has gone out of play and how to restart play is the video ref allowed to be involved in sendings off ? Even if it was to clear up who it was as far as i remember since the farce at the millenium weekend ( first one i think it was Leeds V Bradford ) the ref couldnt ask about anything other than trys and restarts.

I was talking about that specific incident, as the poster I was replying to was. I wasn't talking about the game as a whole because the poster I was replying to wasn't talking about the game as a whole. Just that specific incident.

Smith didn't send TP off. Thaler did. It is clear on the mic that Thaler just wanted to know who had made the tackle, which means Thaler sent TP off on the say so of that old geezer who came in from the touchline, because had Thaler actually seen the incident he wouldn't have had to have asked Smith for TP's name.

Yes i know your talking about that specific incident.Thaler and the touch judge are together,Thaler asks was it Puletua,the touch judge doesnt reply,in fact he never said anything at any point,his lips dont move at all and there is no sound of his voice picked up on the refs mic.Ive watched this over and over and over and at no point does the touch judge say anything,yet Thaler is asking who it was.So if the touch judge isnt talking then he can only be talking to Smith. And as my point was can he actually do that ? And again as my point was after the facical MM game as far as i remember the Refs had a very limtied remit as to what they could ask the video ref about.

I can understand why you're annoyed. It wouldn't be as bad if there was some consistency in matters. If Puletua's offence is considered worthy of a redcard then Mika should have been sent off tonight, too. Smashed Turner across the face and left him unable to continue.


Going back to earlier in the season, Sam Moa was sent off for an offence very similar to Puletua's (look it up on youtube if you didn't see it). Despite Moa getting a ban for this, the incident was then used in promo vids to advertise Super League on TV.

Yep. And not even a penalty! Similar to when Sinfield knocked Makinson clean out with a flying arm. Penalty but no ban. So much for the punishments all being about hitting the head.

You are wrong. Watch it again. Thaler was listening to Smith a lot longer than the time it would take to say the word Puletua. He initially didn't even blow up for a penalty. It was only after he had had a talking to that he did anything. Smith clearly made the decision.

I haven't watched it back, but I got the impression it was the linesman that made the call.

We don't have linesmen in rugby league.

The linesman ran on and then didn't say anything. Thaler and him both stood there in silence whilst Smith spoke to Thaler.
I am 100% certain that if that game was not on Sky, he wouldn't have been sent off. It would have been put on report at the most. Smith obviously didn't like what he saw and instructed Thaler on what to do.

Thats my interpritation of it as well,Thaler and the touch judge are stood together and neither is saying anything then Thaler says so its Tony Puletua,yet still the touch judge says nothing,his mouth never moves at all.

Amazing similarity to the Moa incident. Moa got banned for 2 or 3 games. Puletua likely will be too. Neither should have been sent off.

Whilst I'm all for protecting the safety of our players, i've just been looking at it on the youtube and surely the ball carrier has to take some responsibility for his own safety.
Much like Faasavalu vs Baily, Mounis runs, leaning forward, head down, directly into TP's frame.

Despite TP being a very tall man, he's got his legs bent so he is well below normal height.

Rugby League is going downhill fast, all referee's should be retrained or kicked out it's obvious they don't have a clue how to ref a match and its about time it was given to someone who does!!! The Puletua sending off was a disgrace in my opinion there was nothing wrong with he shoulder charge he did not come in contact with the head, Smith is the one that should be investigated.

If this is the way it goes, then in a game where we are on the back foot we need to start getting the like of Lomax and Lance, head butting shoulders. I could understand if TP was going in shoulder barging and hit the head, but he clearly stands his ground, what is he supposed to do, side step the head butt and let the player run through???

One match ban having taken early guilty plea.

Yet as you mentioned a player can take a head shot and be taken off on a stretcher and no further action is taken,i do wonder about our game at times.

Should have fought It,ridiculous.

Micky Mc at wigan can punch someone and get away with it yet Tony puts in a good hit and gets 1 match ban