Too convenient!

You know that when something is not right or goes wrong it is never ever your fault or teams but someone else.

RL fans cry consistency but at times can't work out why in a game involving human beings and so many variables it's not like a computer game.

There is consistency though,fans blaming the match officials for their teams failure to score enough points to win a match. Perhaps, one day, they may realise that's what the players are supposed to CONSISTENTLY!!!

If you mean RLF, the owner/person hosting it decided to end it hence the sudden overnight disappearance, sadly. Not sure of names on other forums sadly but do keep in touch with a couple.

Despite the paranoia of the modern RL fan, the refs are not biased, or acting on instructions from a higher authority, they are just human.
Yes, they make mistakes a plenty and yes, some of these, especially when magnified and dissected on Sky, seem like shockers but, I don't believe in the conspiracy theory with ref's.
However, our governing body IS capable of moving the goal posts and this remains a worry.

Our sport still has lo long term strategy and we continue to look for quick fix's for every problem, which makes the decision making from above extremely fickle, so expect the unexpected.

If there really was a conspiracy the smaller teams would be favoured and piggy backed to trophy wins to grow the competition and make it more exciting.

London would be piggy backed to survival, catalans to a grand final win to help the game explode in france.

Honestly these people that think the RFL have an agenda are complete f*cking morons.

I think it's much more simple than any conspiracy theory, and like you say referees do their best and make mistakes but the majority of the referees are of an incredibly poor standard and are not fit for purpose. While following my side this year iv seen some decisions that are laughable for a full time pro to make... Decisions such as a kick off that bounced dead and the defending side given a tap 20... Basic errors an amateur referee wouldn't make and it's not good enough. If we can criticise bad performances from chairmen, coaching staff and players why can't we criticise the poorest part of the domestic game ???

As a Hull fan i'm now looking over my shoulder and becoming concerned, our form and level of performance is awful, and due to the KC's pitch being re-laid we've played the majority of our home games already, most of them against last seasons bottom 6.

Bradford's points deduction should mean we still survive, but if they get that decision overturned then it is going to be tense times at the KC this summer.

What is the standard? Cas must win at all costs and if they don't it's someone else's fault but never ever the players. That is a standard that wont sit well with with other teams. Please define the standard you believe should be applied across the RFL.

Also how do you define fit for purpose? Is it again that only Cas can win.



Again I ask what standards you expect, what is the difference between an amateur and a full time match official. I also assume that that when Cas players make mistakes they are not of a high enough standard and not good enough by whatever definition/standards you apply.



Are you positive that match officials are the poorest part of the domestic game. Again it's down to the definition standard and yours is Cas must win at all costs. Of course there should be criticism. People learn and do take note of what is said which may come as a shock. Do you HONESTLY believe that all match officials are not neutral and anti Cas?

All the match officials are different, just like the players, coaches fans et al. What you seem to be implying that if , for example, Kevin Sinfield is a high percentage goal kicker, all the rest should be the same, or that if Carney the Cas winger can run 100 metres in 10 seconds everyone else has to be able to do the same. Is that what you want because you may as well howl at the moon as it will not happen, there are too many variables.

Nice post but, unfortunately, you will not be going down.

Where have I ever stated that referees are 'anti cas' ??? And wtf has my post got to do with cas ???

I'm speaking as a RL fan that goes to almost (if not) every game from my team and watches all SL coverage on sky and the standard of referees have never been lower in my lifetime. That's how I would compare standards with the amount of ridiculous wrong decisions now compared to at any other time iv watched the game. As I said in my previous post some ridiculous mistakes have been made this year in almost every game iv been to there has been an example of incompetence.... SL is meant to be the pinnacle of RL in the northern hemisphere so let's try to provide elite players with elite referees.

Your whole point seems to be that referees try their best so leave them alone regardless of how incompetent or how many mistakes are made, I'd rather the issue be addressed and something done to raise standards.

Being honest, I don't think the referees are as bad as we all think, despite the repeated abuse I scream at them on match-days!!

I do get peeved with those that got to VR for virtually EVERY decision, grow some balls!

We perhaps shoud, as we do with teams have a league system with points based on mistakes, the fewer points the higher in the league etc.

If I had to list the things that I dislike about attending games these days, right at the top would be having to listen to all the morons who sit around me and shout and complain about every single decision that goes against us, regardless how obviously correct it is. I know people are passionate and get caught up in the moment, but I sometimes wonder if we are watching the same game. People who think the RFL have an agenda against their club are even worse.

Is the standard of reffing as good as it could be? No it's not, but they are always working to improve. Just the same as the players.

Fwiw I don't think the standard of refereeing is that bad at all. Modern rugby league is a ridiculously hard game to police, it's played at 100 hundred miles per hour, there are about 100 ways to commit a foul, and you need eyes in the back of your head. Throw in the fact that every mistake you make gets looked at frame by frame and discussed in great depth on Sky and it's a bloody hard job. For the most part I think they do okay.

F*cking A.

So sick of hearing screams of ''OW MUCH DID THEY PAY YER GANSON, YA BLIND GET!''

I don't so much have a problem with the decisions they make as with the ones they chicken out of. In the old days a referee's word was the law and everyone accepted their decision. Now we have the VR to allegedly make sure the right decision is reached. Rewind to last year's magic weekend and explain how Ganson could get the offside decision so wrong. Lets go back to things as they were and leave everything to the man in the middle. As others have said, they're human and will make mistakes (but don't we all) but I don't honestly believe that they're bent or have a hidden agenda.

Yo still haven't defined a standard. If you don't what it is how can you know if it has been achieved?

Not to mention Eddie and Stevo and their insistence on dissecting every call in a televised match, in an attempt to prove that the referee was wrong; or spotting 'stray arms' or 'stripping' that never actually happened.

I'm not entirely satisfied with the general standard of refereeing in this country - it could be better - but it doesn't help when the focus of TV commentary is to whip up controversy where none exists.

Totally agree Bren.
The VR mistakes however, are less forgivable and we should move to a "ref's call" where there is any doubt about a score.

It's one of the main reasons I rarely watch Super League on Sky these days and when I do I have the sound off.

The number of times that balled headed plank tries to call something that just isn't there is beyond a joke now. Why can't he just big up the play or heap praise on it? Instead he has to look for a possible forward pass or an incorrect play of the ball or a bit of daylight between the fingertips and ball at the time of grounding.

Someone needs to slap him round the back of the head and tell him to buck his ideas up.

but wasn't there a fingertip in there eddie?

I couldn't agree more. I agree with every word. Especially the last bit.

Even off the back of two massive away wins, I'd be surprised if Wakefield picked up anything this weekend. Cas should have way too much for them. Giants should easily take care of injury ravaged Bulls.

Warrington at home is a possibility, but Bulls in Perpignan is a home banker.

Sets up nicely for 1st June at Odsal. Wakey win seals it, Bulls win gives a glimmer of hope.

It depends on whether Bradford get some points back. As it stands, it's over, Bradford and London are gone. But if they get any back, even just 2, I think it just might inspire them on a bit and it could get interesting.

I just posted this on the Bulls board, imagine for instance Bulls get 6pts back (highly unlikely more chance of Jennifer Lawrence turning up at my front door and asking me to take her up the wrong 'un) from the appeal which may be decided the afternoon before the Wakey match, and how big is that game now

I don't think there will be a relegation battle. It's all over by now in round 12. Bulls and London are gone.

I think you are over egging Cas here. Player for player Wakefield are a match - the difference is that one team is well coached and one isn't. Should that ever change it would be far from Cas having way to much - talk about jumping son a bandwagon.

I keep waiting for Castleford to collapse, last week I tipped Leeds by at least 18 and said I thought this would be where their season hit the buffers. However, despite losing, they played really well again, and there comes a point where you have to say they aren't in a false position afterall. No matter how good the coaching is you can't polish a turd. So maybe those players are better than we thought.