Ironically it was only the courage of the touch judge in the Morley case "this is really serious Steve" with his radio communication to Ganson that got that to be a red.

As a sport we are being let down by the professional match officials but at the same time the thugs should be eradicated from the sport. The Samoans are now going to be probably 4 players light for selection at the weekend whereas one sin binning, by a match official with an understanding of foul play, at the correct moment might have reduced that by half.

Tbh I think our points are similar and I agree ten minutes for the original or second offense would have calmed it down, I just don't like seeing red cards thrown about like confetti spoiling the spectacle of a good tough match such as tonight's.

A lad in my amateur team, playing at 6, suffered a broken neck and spinal damage and can never play again due to the most ferocious, ridiculous, and ultimately late challenge I have ever and probably ever will see. He was 24 when it happened, played since a kid. Is he soft? or are the thugs who deliberately hit vulnerable players seconds after they have passed the ball the soft ones? It doesnt take a genius to see how dangerous it is and that people 'tackling' like this is not what rugby league is about. Not now not ever.

Whilst there is a modicum of agreement how the referee could have managed the situation I do not agree with your sentiment that thugs should be allowed to do the illegal hits and be dealt with afterwards nor do I think such illegal hits should be considered part and parcel of the game and I should accept that someone may deliberately attempt to hurt me in a cowardly manner. We are poles apart on those points Cas.

Well having read the whole of this thread I can only think that someone (and he knows who he is) must have been the subject of a very late and dangerous tackle which has affected his ability to distinguish between fair and foul play. Or he's actually Samoan.

I agree with all of this. I'm all for a tough, hard game, but that's not what the Samoans set out to do.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if, once the game was obviously lost, Agar had pulled out his halfbacks, sent out a set of four props and just gone to knock seven bells of out of the Samoans. They deserved it IMO.

My belief is, on a rugby field and in life, you should never throw the first punch but by God you should make sure you throw the last one.

That appears to be Billy Slater's philosophy as well.

Cas Till I Die.
Are you, or by any chance related to Keith Hepworth? He was the king of the cheap late shot off the ball, but there were no cameras around then, so guess it was fair play, just hard rugby in your eyes.

So you've gone back 45 years to find someone to call a cheap shot merchant? I'm sure there have been other more worthy candidates since then. Catch up man.

As an official and regular spectator I can say that there are some things that happen on a rugby field that no player should expect to have to deal with when he puts his boots on. If we don't protect players against blatant thuggery, the next Tomkins, Watkins, Long etc won't want to play Rugby League, they'll play football or rugby union or whatever, or maybe they'll cop a career-ending injury before they realise their potential. Meanwhile we'll just end up watching the likes of Bailey, Hock and Ablett every week and wondering why the aussies always stick 50 past us.

I think the Samoans got a bit over excited and the ref’s leniency meant that these offences were repeated. Had he yellow carded the first offender I doubt there’d have been a second or third offence. IMO the second offence was the worst as it was not only late but from behind and was more of a shoulder charge. The ref should have got his card out earlier as it could have seriously got out of hand. I thought the French were very restrained.

I’m all for bringing back the biff but off the ball incidents targeting the little blokes is nothing to get nostalgic about. That was one part of the game that we’re well rid off. I like watching Samoa get stuck in but targeting the little fellas with late shots from the blindside was cowardly stuff IMO.

You what? And get his face stamped on by some coward in the middle of one of those 16 man pile-ups?

Darren Turner was another until Tony Kemp slotted him - stopped him dead in his tracks!!

Two Samoans have received one match bans (should have been two matches IMO) and I think both were for the attacks on Barthau. Certainly one was the shoulder charge from behind that made Barthau look like he'd snapped his neck and finally drove him off the field.

C'mon Fiji!

From what I read the ban for Sue was not handed out for the late challenge from behind but for the trip. Ah Mau got his for the first shoulder charge. One match bans seem fair to me

Michael McIlorum the modern day version then?

Just seen the hits. 1st ones bad, 2nd ones a shocker. No place for it in the game. They deliberately went out to hurt the French scrum half. Perenara shat his pants after the 2nd one.

Korbin Sims getting a 2 match ban looks harsh when compared to the Samoan bans.

Yes, the ref and he s a Samoan New Zealander and England will get him if we make the final. Burrow, Sinfield and Tomkins had better watch their step.

Maybe they should watch their backs

I'm VERY disappointed (and this is the first time this World Cup) with Premier Sports...although you may tell me it is a VirginMedia issue, but having read all your comments regarding this match, I was REALLY looking forward to watching this match on my recordings. BUT, it started as France scored their only try and the match was already 6-0 to the good in favour of Samoa with 30 minutes or so on the clock. Did Premier Sports overrun on the build up to this match? or did the kick off mysteriously get switched to half an hour earlier without telling anyone? It looks like I have missed all the Biff and controversy! D'Oh!

Think you must have not realised that 8 o'clock in France is 7 in the UK. There's your issue.

Same thing happened to me. Set the game to record as I was unable to watch it live, and the recording started only as France scored. I guess someone at Virgin or Premier got their scheduling a little mixed up.

Disappointing as from the comments I missed a good section of the match. But not the end of the world and Premier's coverage has otherwise been top notch.

Dale Ferguson's 2 match ban looks even more ridiculous.

I reckon they will replay most of the games over the next year or two so you will probably get a chance to see it but I imagine you could also watch it online right now (do they have an function online to do that?)