The RFL have bottled it by not forcing Wire to play behind closed doors. If they really wanted to put a stop to this hooliganism that Wire fans seem intent on besmirching the game with, then this was their opportunity to send a message.

As for Chris Hill not being banned, beggars belief.

People are only posting based on past experiences and what evidence they have seen.

There may be evidence to the contrary but I have not seen anything to suggest it was not Warrington fans at fault. I’m sorry but I can’t take what someone has posted on a forum or twitter as evidence. It takes two to tango so no doubt some blame has to be attributed to Catalan fans but all footage shows Warrington fans in a very bad light.

My past experience from a very young age is littered with intimidation by Warrington fans (when you are a 12 year old child being threatened and intimidated it tends to stick with you). I’ve been to most grounds in the country and never had a problem at any other. I’m well aware others have but I can only comment on my experience. I’m going to the CC final but feel I can’t wear my own clubs colours because Warrington are there. I’ve sat, had a drink and banter with fans of most SL clubs at Magic Weekends but got threatened by Warrington fans.

My only experience of Catalan fans was at Wembley last year & had a thoroughly good time chatting with them.

I’m sensible enough to know the majority of fans at all clubs are decent folk and all clubs have an unsavoury minority, my experience suggests that minority at Warrington is larger than most. I’m sorry if that upsets the decent Warrington fans out there and this is not meant to be a slight on them. I do feel Warrington as a club have more issues than most to sort out.

Just to counter the prevailing sentiment that I think can only be treated as anecdotal, I’ve been to Warrington plenty of times as an away and never had any trouble.

Nobody can conclusively say who instigated the off-field violence. Did a random Catalans just Chuck a glass/chair/whatever without some prior provocation? Unlikely. What’s just as unlikely is that Wire fans suddenly started storming the box above them for no reason.
Clearly something took place, I think it’s likely that both sides were at fault for it starting however that doesn’t excuse any of the behaviour or make it any better for the innocent fans on both sides who got caught in the middle.

As for the on-field stuff Catalans were approx 70% at fault in my view. Wire did some unnecessary stuff too but quite why Catalans are going flying up to defend a penalty at 30 points to whatever up in the last minute with the only intention to start a fight I have no idea.
The fact that both sides including captains lost their cool to such an extreme in a game that was dead and buried shows a weakness in both teams in my opinion.

Quote ="My Mate Ronnie"Watching via Sky Sports Mix wasn’t the best coverage to say the least . This footage via Fox is a clearer picture . ( Mods are you ok with me posting this link . If not please delete it ) After watching the footage it is clear the Warrington fans are the instigators of this crowd violence . It appears the Catalan supporters are merely trying to defend themselves from the Warrington fans who are climbing into the Catalan Dragons V.I.P boxes merely out of frustration at losing the match . A contributing factor to take into consideration is that the poor indiscipline on the park didn’t help . Warrington fans do have a reputation for this type of behaviour . https://youtu.be/2TVlPrgI6H4'" It is not clear that the Wire fans were the instigators because we didn’t see the start of the nonsense.

Quote ="My Mate Ronnie"Watching via Sky Sports Mix wasn’t the best coverage to say the least . This footage via Fox is a clearer picture . ( Mods are you ok with me posting this link . If not please delete it ) After watching the footage it is clear the Warrington fans are the instigators of this crowd violence . It appears the Catalan supporters are merely trying to defend themselves from the Warrington fans who are climbing into the Catalan Dragons V.I.P boxes merely out of frustration at losing the match . A contributing factor to take into consideration is that the poor indiscipline on the park didn’t help . Warrington fans do have a reputation for this type of behaviour . https://youtu.be/2TVlPrgI6H4'" It is not clear that the Wire fans were the instigators because we didn’t see the start of the nonsense.

For those who have been waiting anxiously, here are the on field highlights of the match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbehYlPo_ew

For those who have been waiting anxiously, here are the on field highlights of the match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbehYlPo_ew

Quote ="My Mate Ronnie"Watching via Sky Sports Mix wasn’t the best coverage to say the least . This footage via Fox is a clearer picture . ( Mods are you ok with me posting this link . If not please delete it ) After watching the footage it is clear the Warrington fans are the instigators of this crowd violence . It appears the Catalan supporters are merely trying to defend themselves from the Warrington fans who are climbing into the Catalan Dragons V.I.P boxes merely out of frustration at losing the match . A contributing factor to take into consideration is that the poor indiscipline on the park didn’t help . Warrington fans do have a reputation for this type of behaviour . https://youtu.be/2TVlPrgI6H4'" On the evidence on video Wire fans will be in trouble for climbing. Such thuggish fans!

Quote ="My Mate Ronnie"Watching via Sky Sports Mix wasn’t the best coverage to say the least . This footage via Fox is a clearer picture . ( Mods are you ok with me posting this link . If not please delete it ) After watching the footage it is clear the Warrington fans are the instigators of this crowd violence . It appears the Catalan supporters are merely trying to defend themselves from the Warrington fans who are climbing into the Catalan Dragons V.I.P boxes merely out of frustration at losing the match . A contributing factor to take into consideration is that the poor indiscipline on the park didn’t help . Warrington fans do have a reputation for this type of behaviour . https://youtu.be/2TVlPrgI6H4'" On the evidence on video Wire fans will be in trouble for climbing. Such thuggish fans!

It was James Child’s fault that he lost control of the game, yes. The incidents in the crowd were as a result of the game being out of control.

The only thing that Childs can be blamed for is not taking the players off the pitch and insisting that the penalty be playyed. IMO once the trouble started in the stands he should of taken the players away from any involvement, just a little too adherant to the rules for no particular good reason

a SMALL MINORITY of fans, to label all fans is simply wrong in my opinion.

Humans are supposed to be the most intelligent of species as well, not that it was evident on Saturday in Perpignan.

You cannot justify the actions of the one involved on the basis of "human instinct". Its a basic human instinct to get yourself out of danger. If what is being alleged (furniture and glass being thrown in to Wire fans ) is accurate, then why not get out of the way?

With regard to the second point highlighted, you left off something. "some people even enjoy fighting....when part of a gang and they think they can overrun the ones they want to fight".

Gang mentality, fueled by booze, away from home, think they can just disappear in to the background once its all over. An unfortunately accurate example of the "Brits on the p!$$" attitude some (not many) have when going abroad.

The very notion that part of this debate is at the playground level of "well, they started it" shows the level some are at. The basic facts are, there is damning TV coverage of Wire fans attempting to get at opposition fans, because they are not human enough to walk away when trouble is brewing.

Having gone through a lot of the posts on here, I watched the full game back last night, having not seen it live.

Child can be clearly heard telling the players to behave, what he expects. He issued two yellow cards to try and cool down a simmering game.

The Players either did not see fit to follow the officials instructions or, most likely, could not keep control of themselves. To lay the blame at the official is nothing short of a travesty.

But I appreciate you are looking for any avenue to deflect the blame from the wire fans who got our game into the national news for the wrong reasons.

Looked like it was some of your home stewards mountaineering to me.
Par for the course.
Child is a cr@p referee nonetheless.

That would have made him the first referee to abandon a game in Super League history I believe? On TV as well. The players were well capable of tapping the ball and kicking it dead to end the game, they just made it take forever by debating it with him instead of just doing it. Child by the way, not Childs

Christ.

I can't see what Child could have done differently, 26 "grown men" behaving like kids. The stewarding needs investigating and the gendarme will take a view on the crowd I am sure.

Thats a load of garbage and a bit of a cop out, James Child had an enormous job trying to stop all the foul play from the worse 2 teams in superleague for this kind of stuff. Warrington have almost double the amount of yellow cards than anyone else in the competition will 11 yellows so far. Add the constant chirping from "Budgie" Hill he tried to take the control of the game from the ref. Budgie needs to keep his trap shut and not use foul language.

It was comedy gold from James Child when he penalised Philbin for lying on, Phibin appealed and James Child said you "were almost falling asleep on him."

Hill ia just a dirty bully, like the kid at school who was that bit bigger than everyone else, he should have got 3 matches.

Was this the bloke who placed his arm in the mouth of an opponent and ran over to the ref claiming he had been bitten? a cheating bully as well if this was correct.

Millington (Tigers) 2 match ban for punching.
Hill (Wire) no action taken.

RFL = total joke.

I can't stand Chris Hill. Never a captain in a million years, not as good a player as some seem to think he is, and has let us down in big games time and time again. I haven't joined in the recent fawning over Ben Westwood either. Great player he was for us yes, but his Wires career should have ended at least three years ago, and probably earlier. I might not be bothered about a few fisticuffs, but hearing "Super Bennie Westwood" makes me cringe every single time.

As for anyone still crying about the fighting, just wait until we get beat at Wembley and have a few thousand Widnes fans there celebrating more than the Saints fans...

Might have been before SL but I remember a game at Wheldon Road (Tigers Vs Hull FC) where all 26 players were sinned binned at the end of the game. It was a spiteful game and IIRC a Hull player suffered a badly broken leg. Can't remember his name.

IMO this is what Child should have done.

I remember that game, i think it was Gary Pearce who had his leg broken.

Yes - your right. It was Gary Pearce.

Because it hasn't happend before shouldn't stop him doing it when it is the right thing to do!

Also, IIRC there was nothing wrong with the tackle, Gary had just tried an up and under and the Cas player took out his standing leg, no malice that I could see, just an accident.