Why?

From memory Feilden actually stopped short of open criticism, and even then it wasn't explicitly directed at the ref.

I have never really understood the whole system when it comes to poor officials on the pitch.

You arent allowed to publically call them on wrong calls, so what do you do?

Does a club put in an offical objection, compile video evidence etc to prove their point? And if they do what do they get, an apology, a "we will get it right next time".

Apart from Uncle Albert getting sidelined a while ago for him brain fart in the numerics involved in tackle counting, I havent really heard of any punishments towards officals who get it wrong.

What would you do fine them? Ban them?

BTW Im not refering to the MCM incident when I say bad refereeing, I mean all bad calls in general.

Until something starts happening to officals who get it so wrong though, clubs, coaches, players are gonna lose their temper at certain points.

Someone trips you up on the street once you might let it go, twice you may have a quiet word, three times and your get angry.

Poor anology, but you get me point hopefully.

Same in football and it really p*sses me off there as well

Sam Tomkins has made 28 errors, missed 22 tackles, and conceded five penalties this season.

Has he been fined? Has he been banned? Has he been dropped?

The officials we have are the best we've got and yes, like Tomkins, they get most things right and make very occasional slip ups.

But the sport is proud of its record of respecting officials. They get enough abuse from fans when they make their relatively rare errors. The RFL has rules designed to ensure that the referees get respected, not least because we need to at least try and ensure that officials at the lower levels are not hounded out of the game by gangs of thug-like Shaun Wanes standing on the sidelines menacing them. The head coach of Wigan, the Wigan players and other officials should toe the line with this agenda, not just because it is RFL policy but it is in the interests of the game. Wigan aren't special, they don't get to somehow operate outside the sport's operational rules. If players make comments off the field that are designed to intimidate or disrespect the officials the RFL should throw the book at them.

Every fan gets frustrated because errors happen and sometimes a referee's style doesn't suit a particular club for one reason or another. The players and officials though are professionals who know the rules - and Wigan shouldn't be allowed to get away with their petulant hissy fitting.

I don't just mean wigan but all clubs. And your point about players making mistakes is missing the point.

The amount and magnitude of mistakes a player makes dictates his place in the club. Hence starting on matches contract renewals pay rises etc.

Players have a lot to lose if they don't perform whereas it seems the officials don't.

And as for your point of respecting refs how many players of all clubs walk away scowling or swearing under their breath.

Keeping your mouth shut through fear or reprisals is completely different to respect.

If McGuire was a Wigan player he would have been sent off for the incident just now. Outrageous.

Why are you banned?

More hissy-fitting and attempts to put pressure on the disciplinary from Sam Tomkins on Twitter last night...

One comment is a hissy fit?

He really is a classless little scrote

Saddened,

Do you think Josh Perry should have been banned for his elbow drop/forearm smash into a grounded Jeff Lima's face?

Hissy fit?



I'd be surprised if the RFL take any action against anyone connected with Wigan. They simply cannot afford to bring media attention to the shambolic state of the refereeing and disciplinary system in RL. It is an embarrassment to the sport. The outcome of matches is being routinely influenced, often even decided, by errors by the officials and the inconsistency in approach of the referees and the disciplinary system really is staggering.

Last night was a reminder to Wigan fans that we aren't the only club to suffer this season. Catalans have every right to be aggrieved at the way they have been treated. Poor officiating seems to have hit their attendance figures, that's how serious this is. Wigan haven't had it so bad, but I've heard a number of people saying they are so fed up with things that they are thinking of not coming to watch games any more. Not good.

There's no need for comments like that. Most people wouldn't agree with what he said, but he doesn't deserve abuse.

You should apologise to Andy Gilder.

I wonder when a team wins a game like Leeds did last night through some severely bad misses on the refs part, does it not cheapen the win for them?

When fans can say "you only won because the ref..." it must smart a bit not to be able to just say we beat you fair and square

Wow you really don't understand the game if that's what you came away thinking after last night.

Anyway, shouldn't this thread be on the Northampton forum?

May god have mercy on your damned soul.

Now you know Lima should have been banned for that, not the other way round. His face could have hurt Perry's elbow.

It is what i thought. I got the impression the catalan fans probably thought something similar. Im not having a pop at Leeds fans here btw. I mean in general.

When and why did Wigan fans become so obsessed with Leeds? I mean it's entertaining and all, even a little flattering, but seriously they seem to live in a parallel and strikingly bitter universe.

We're very fair minded people and don't like injustice. We are angry at what Catalans had to put up with. If that makes us bitter, then so be it.

Like I said, you're deluded and obsessed.

One of the biggest things in Leeds' favour next weekend is the obsession the entire Wigan club has with them. From Wane down you all appear quite unbalanced and if that isn't channelled properly it could unravel completely in the biggest game of the year so far.

Perhaps because we are secure in the knowledge that we support the greatest club in the game we tend to be interested in the wider good of the game more than supporters of other clubs, particularly those clubs like Leeds and Saints which are living in Wigan's shadow. An example of this would be the support that most Wigan fans - myself included - gave to to the salary cap when it was brought in, in the hope (sadly now provided to be misguided) that it would help RL as a whole even though it was widely expected to harm Wigan.

Catalans have a serious issue with refereeing this season. Some people are saying that it has adversely affected their attendances. The refereeing of games is harming a SL club which is hugely important to the future of RL.

If its deluded and obsessive to care about the integrity of the competition and the damage being done to the game then I'm happy to be called that by Whinos fans.