3 minutes in, Bailey has just struck a prone Stefan ratchford in the face for no reason. no penalty given, how come your not saying he should have been sent off?

A) He didn't punch him from behind

B) He was struggling to get to his feet and play the ball. Players often try to push away the opposition player as they struggle to their feet. There is often hands and arms flailing about. This happens all the time. Sometimes the oppo player takes exception and is often how scuffles start. Sometimes they ignore it and don't give a penalty away. It's just one of the subtle parts of the game.

You trying to compare something innocuous like that with briers is laughable.

he wasn't trying to get to his feet, ratch wasn't obstructing him, he just hit him.

and if you want label things as laughable, then the reaction and crying from rhinos supporters is best described as laughable, considering the fortune and favourable refereeing you've had over the years.

this is what it feels like bein on the other side of it, stop crying, and suck it up.

You've not read all of my posts in this thread have you?



And if you look on the rhinos board the majority of the rhinos fans are unmoved by the decisions.

buck up flex

If Briers had to be sent off then Childs would have had to follow through and send off two or three more players for the brawl that followed, otherwise we could be arguing about the brawlers getting away with murder.

I thought this thread was going to be about how well he played.... Kicked Leeds to death and scored a try as well.

Well played sir Lee

Someone at the RFL needs to sit down and look at their sentencing guidelines on punching.

"Punching - Minor One-on-One" (what this is likely to be graded as) is an A-B.

Yet "Strikes With Hand, Arm or Shoulder - Intentional" (pretty much the text book definition of throwing a punch at someone's head) is a D-F.

So why is it so different in terms of potential bans, and what is the difference between punching someone and striking them intentionally with your hand?

Yep great game to finish his season with

If you want to see what officials ruining a club's play off series really looks like, find yourself highlights of Cowboys v Sharks from this morning.

I'm also a Sharkie so not complaining, it wasn't Alibert reffing was it?

You know only yesterday I asked why I haven't seen him in ages!

Andy, we will have to see what the video review panel classify the offence as exactly. I would say that it was an intentional strike to the head and this is what the offence should be classified as however, it is clear that the thrust of this classification is to cover intentional high strikes or high shots during play. That said, the punching classifications don't fit either as there was not really a fight situation where two or more players handbags leads to someone throwing a punch, it was simply Briers losing his temper & then intentionally striking a player from behind.

I think the offence classification will actually be chosen to ensure that Briers gets a one match ban via an early guilty plea (assuming he still has the option?). He should have seen red & a one match ban will be the outcome or it will just be too controversial... even for the RFL.

Another example of double standards in our game, i actually think because it was Briers thats why he stayed on...dont think Child had the guts to send off such a top name myself. Joe Wardle got a red card and a 3 match ban for punching the same man earlier in the season, and he stood toe-to-toe, so why did Briers get special treatment ?

Will it even ' go to trial' though? It wasn't put on report was it? Has it been cited?

It doesn't matter, the video review panel will look at the video, if they think he has a case to answer then he will be charged accordingly... given the stink it has caused then I think a charge is inevitable, it just the grade of offence & therefore what effect an EGP has out the outcome!

Strikes with hand arm or shoulder - intentional - Grade D-E

That's the classification it should be under if the match review panel decides it needs to be dealt with.

Not covered by punching offences & doesn't fall into other striking offences.

All this suggestion of grade d/e is nonesense. He lost his cool and smacked someone. IMO it should have been 10 mins and draw a Line under it however given previous examples over the past year or 2 I'm suprised he wasn't sent off and probably should have been.

The closest example that springs to mind was Wardle so on thise grounds he should get 3, however we are now in the play offs, there is no chance of them charging him with that. The most Likely option is they'll charge grade A and he'll take an early guilty plea and get off with a £300 fine.

Another shocking call by an official, what will be done about it? Nothing!

I think thats the only logical reason he stayed on the pitch, if we had Ganson instead of Child I think we may have had a different outcome.

Nonsense. That was Ablett playing Briers like any multiple-Grand Final winner should. That's what pros do against petulant, frustrated scum halves. Your desire for 'old school' biff is why Ryan Bailey secured last year's Grand Final for Leeds.

A similar incident happened in the CC round at Huddersfield. Ablett was attacked by Wardle and was still laughing at him as he walked to the dressing room. I'd rather he did that and let a competent referee send off his opponent than get involved and end up with two players in the sin bin.

If he gets banned, he gets banned. Simple as that. We can actually win without him, unlike seasons gone by.

A ban?!

Well that's good, that's going to benefit Leeds isn't it?!

You'll get Silverwood for your game against Saints mate, so don't worry, it will even itself out for you.

Oh Jesus