No way am I defending match officials ever again!

No way, slow mo or not was Meli scoring a try.

That is a disgrace to the game that I was brought up with and if Cummings dosn't reprimand and relegate the people involved in that decision then my days of watching SL on the box are over!

An out and out disgrace.

As long as no one over reacts.

Great try.

The was a great try but how did the officials miss foster going over the dead ball line?

enjoying a ice cream? Perving at the cheerleaders?

Yes, that was a shocking miss. But then the decision to give a knock-on against Dixon when the ball was pulled out was also a wee bit dubious.

As for Meli's try, I personally don't like this "any touch when the ball is in contact with the ground is a try" approach, and would prefer solid downward pressure. But them's the rules at present : he touched it when it was in contact with the ground = try.

Fantastic game. I thought Wigan had won it when they got their last try - Saints looked completely shot, and when they kicked to Foster, I couldn't hear the commentary for the sound of my heart palpatations. What a game.

Definitely agree with you . It was a try by the rules but I don't really agree with the rule as he may have but a slight amount of pressure on the ball but I wouldn't say he had control
on it. Good game all the same think we missed o'loughlins attacking option

It was a fair try. Brilliant try in fact.

If Greg Inglis or Billy Slater scored that try it would be ushered instantly into immortality. To dribble past a prop forward two feet from the line, run round him and ground it like he did was sensational.

I can't believe anyone is questioning the grounding either? The ball is in contact with the floor when he touches the top of it, whats to dispute? The only dubious one for me was Roby's as I've no idea what that touched.

The dispute is that it shouldn't be in the rules, however it is, so your correct it is a try.

In days gone by it wouldn't even have come into consideration, I too agree with the OP about tries being awarded should be downward pressure to a solid extent. A brushed fingernail is ridiculous, however the build upto it and the kick was superb but we can't give tries willy nilly on merit.

Yes Meli's try was the 'difference' in the end, but at least it wasn't the match winning try.

Mate, you wanted to see Ganson and the officials today at Salford, just awful.

Being at the game, I'm not sure what was said on TV about (what looked to us) a blatant forward pass in the build up to Roby's try - that was the most contentious moment for me.

I don't mind the fact that it was awarded through benefit of the doubt, but from where I was, they should have been pulled back two tackles earlier for an American football style pass.

They showed a few slo-mos on the big screen afterwards, so I presume Eddie and Stevo will have been debating that one?

Never a try. Not blaming the ref but he was poor, his calls were shocking.

I wouldn't have given it. But if the rules are that you only have to marginally touch/stroke the ball then so be it. But I'm not sure on the rules on that anymore.

NO try for me, Saints seemed to get more of the 50/50 decsions but thats Sport for you.

A fantasic game one of the best I have seen in years, great advert for the game.

Well done to both teams.

Would love to see that game as a GF.

50/50.

Not sure the video evidence shows that he got downward pressure, but you can't say conclusively that he didn't either. Probably should have been BOD.

If you look closely at the video you'll see one of Meli's fingers almost bent back double on top of the ball (you will most likely need HD), and as I see the rules right, any downward pressure on a ball on the ground in the dead ball area is a try or at the very least BOTD as has been mentioned.

Does the Video Ref have HD? I'm not joking, you'd think they would have.

The rule says that it would be a try, and they are given when there is a lot less downward pressure than that (Menzies vs Warrington in the CC quarter final). Personally, I think it is stupid that one frame has to show a tiny bit of downward pressure for the try and I think it should be changed. As last night's goes though, according to the rules it is a legitimate try...

It was a definate try

If, the video ref wasn't available, and in most games in this country they are not, would you have given a try?

I admire the effort made by Meli to score but he simply didn't gound the ball IMO and even in slow slow slow mode the evidence shows he didn't!

Until ALL the games and teams get the same level of coverage this kind of thing does the game, as a whole, no favours at all.

What the availability of the video ref has to do with this escapes me. The video ref [iwas[/i there, and so he was used.



"The evidence" shows he did - officials gave a try, and so Meli scored a try.



What are you talking about? You want [ievery game and team[/i to get this level of coverage? Do you realise how daft this is?

Who's going to pay for the video ref facilities at every ground?

There are lots of things which are not available everywhere, that does not mean you shouldn't use them where they [iare[/i available.

I shall watch Boots n all later to check, but if there is any downward pressure its a try.

Rules is rules