My team got the result, so I'm happy.

Doesn't take away the fact that Thaler was $hite yesterday.

"Serious question, what responsibilities do touch judges have? Other than marking the 10, or putting the flag up for a conversion,"

determining when a player is in touch

when allowed, advising the ref

when something dangerous happens, advising the ref

They are not linesmen/assistant refs.

I agree on that one he was very confusing on Friday, sure he makes it up as he goes along.

reckon if was Ganson reffing Morley would have walked,

he's trying for the steve ganson prat of the year award. some of the calls he made were embarrassing. the hudson "interference", followed 30 seconds later by mylers "knock on". then 30 seconds after that not giving a blatant ball steel against warrington sort of summed him up. all 3 were totally wrong

Unlike the players who REALLY don't have a clue

Serious question here but in your opinion do refs ever make mistakes?

Players, coaches and even owners make mistakes and I've seen you comment against many of them but never the refs?

Now I realise some go 2 far in their opinions against refs but even yourself has to admit Thaler was poor last night?

I accept that match officials make mistakes and some horrendous ones at that.

But so do the players and the coaches.

I would strongly suggest that the mistakes the match officials make have less bearing on the score than players mistakes have and the coaches game plan.

It's been like this since the game began and will never change.

My onlly concern is trial by television which is NOT consistant because not all games are covered the same way and the game is not played at s -------- l ------o-------------w m ----------o -------- t ---------- i ---------- o---------- n.

And as for the time to make a decision!!!!!!!!!!

You at worst have a 50/50 chance! Yet it can take longer than it does to run the length of the field.

But the ability to cope with the decision , right or wrong, is the hard part and some just find it incredibly difficult.

See, with Leaguefan, when someone posts a thread about the referee having a nightmare, he's in his element. He does truly believe that officials don't have to answer to anyone when they make a mistake. He then proceeds to use that immortal line, "well, if you think that you can do better, why don't you take it up?"



However, when a player makes an error, he proceeds to gets the kleenex out like a shot.

I must admit though, whenever I'm having a crap day, I'll come on here and read some of his inane ramblings and can't help but be cheered up.

are they still allowed to put their flag up and run on for cases of foul play? when was the last time you saw that happen?

I know players make mistakes but these are often punished by the rfl, quite rightly. With that in mind should refs not be punished as well. Demote them for some time ect. We need more money investing in developing some young refs, so we have plenty of top grade ones. All teams even lower grades deserve it.

im thinking of taking it up, i genuinely believe I could do a better job, not that I criticise refs an awful lot

Im not sure what exactly they are allowed to advise on. As I asked earlier, is it that they are told before each game what the ref wants from them, or is it just not their job to get involved in some decisions. How often do we see a player scoring down the wing and the ref going to the VR to check the grounding etc. to find the players foot had gone into touch and the touch judge hadn't seen it?
They certainly don't seem to get involved as much as they used to.

Well you certainly talk the talk

I tend not to get as worked up about this as some people, as I reckon the cock-ups (which is all they are!) even themselves out over the 27 games of the league season.

You're right and they should definately step in more.

PM me with your details and I'll get course details and society details for you. We can always do with more.

Oh please do clarify!!!

Perhaps I'm the only one but I can't work out what you are saying?

The line about kleenex for example, what on earth are you on about?

Anyway if my postings cheer you up then fine and dandy.

Anything that saves you being a miserable............................

I don't actually drive at the minute, never needed to with warringtons transport being pretty good, especially trains but im starting this year.
It's decent money really for 2 hours work and the standard at amateur level is poor, you need to drive though really.

No you don't, we have lots of young refs who don't drive and use public transport to get to matches. Not driving is no excuse.

Touchjudges do more than call touch or do conversions, it doesnt seem like it because everything else is done via radio communication now.

Offside is a team call, the touchjudge will tell the referee via the radio that player x is offside, it is then the referees decison whether to penalise or have a word on the run, its the same with forward passes and knock ons, the tj will call it to the ref through the radio but the referee might think from his angle that the play was ok and over rule him. Done that myself as an official and was proved right on tape.

On National League games and below (if radios aren't available / working), the TJ only signals an infringment (forward pass, knock on) if the referee gives him eye contact. The only time the flag is used nowadays is for touch / goal and foul play calls (and part of the signal for forward pass)

99 times out of a hundred when a fan calls "gerremonside" its about a player who isnt involved with play so therefore isnt offside, they are only offside if they interfere. It annoys me when I / or any other official try to get a player back and all we hear is "PUT YOUR FLAG UP THEN" I know where I'd like to shove it one day, but the feelings more than mutual

Really? I got the impression you had to cover quite an area, with the divisions often being across a region? My mates a soccer ref and he has to go all over the place at amateur level.
If you're allowed to stay in your own town I'd find that a lot easier, i'll drop you a PM

Thank you.


I shall be kinder to TJs in the future.

Thaler talks like one of the chuckle brothers and refs like a chuckle brother.

Could be entertaining this weekend.

Thaler reffing KR v Giants.

"Best referee in Superleague"