1. About four of them were actually within ten metres even if Silverdud did stand twelve back
2. The incident wasn't that far out
3. Both Millard and Henderson encroached Riley's ptb space. They tackled him then stepped into the space where he was tackled and Riley simply took advantage of that, why not eh?Henderson is a dog in the ruck - he deserved it.

Loads and loads of players do daft things. I'm not excusing that Gallagher incident but sometimes loads of players get a rush of blood to the head. Benny's probably had a few of them in his career but overall he's a tough and fair player.


Last season at Headingley Webb got Westwood in a front-on headlock and dropped to the floor. Could have really hurt him. Benny went walking after him but Webb ran off. Yesterday Webb (thinking he was Floyd Mayweather Jnr) did a fake half punch towards Benny after Henderson elbowed him so Benny walked after him and gave him a proper one, should have given Henderson one as well.

Just rewatched the match (to clear some of the home crowd bias from my memory) and the one thing that sticks out is how many opportunities Silverwood had to do something about Catalans attempts to drag the game into the gutter yet didn't .... then looks surprised when players take matters into their own hands ......

Even in the pre match warm up last night, Catalan spent more time practising slowing play up in the tackle than they did on attacking breaks/passing interplay. Sadly, they are what they are - a washed up NRL outfit that uses every trick they can because they know they'd get shredded in any sort of open game.

The RFL's intention was to promote the game in France and bring through some of the Gallic flair seen in Union into our league ..... that's definitely not what I've seen for the last few years from them. Their handful of French players have been 'coached' into poor copies of the ponderous Aussie thugs that already litter their squad ....

Great synopsis of Catalans and Silverwoods lack of control last night. Whilst Westwood was guilty of fighting, who wouldn't have done what Westwood did on a rugby field after the provocation? Catalans are a big team and will cause teams problems.

I think you make some very good points here, as did Teeside earlier. If you look at the game as a RL rather than Wire fan, you would have to say that Silverwood was responsible for allowing the game to get out of control, both through the 'lying on' during tackles, then then dirty tactics from Cats. He is the man in the middle, he could have taken charge and prevented the inevitable outcome.

But more worryingly are the points made above about Cats approach to the game and tactics. As noted above, they are a team more interested in a physical encounter than in playing rugby. If they don't get their way (as last night), then they resort to dirty play. Or should I say, more overt dirty play, because the likes of Henderson, Elima and Webb are just cynical professionals looking to make money from the game. And of course it is now feeding through to their younger players, who presumably copy their approach.

Depressing.

I was amazed the referee didn't spot the bottle opening attempt totaled Ben's head off by duport just before the fight went off, everyone in the crowd saw how shocking it was.



oh and if you watch it again, Webb starts it all non in the first ten minutes, punching anelbowing westwood in the head like a mard after being tackled.


I like the way Catalans have played since joining superleague but now it's gone past being physical and I can't see anyone having sympathy with their claims of being treated unfairly in terms of discipline.


I just thank god Sa isn't playing for them any more

It is going to be a long season, if the next twenty-odd rounds are going to be officiated like the past three.

Westwood was targeted all night for some very, very heavy attention some of it legal, some very borderline and some tantamount to assault. One week after they got a suspension for foul and dangerous play from the Salford game, they'll be lucky to escape with just one from last night.

I admit, until last night, I've always had a soft spot for Catalan. Of all the expansionist areas they've embraced the opportunity best, they have the chance (and desire) to expand the game, they give the game credibility by getting away from the M62 corridor but ........... jeez they've got a collective chip on their shoulders. Worse still, this "us-against-the-world" mentality seems to have morphed into cynical, illegal, unpleasant play, ref-baiting and badly misplaced aggression.

Westwood did well to keep his composure for 71 minutes, that little house Brent Webb was niggling away at him from the first minute.

When you see someone like Chris Hill losing his rag, you know it is a poor game.

Never mind, after two very hard games, at least we have an easy one next week (cough )

If Catalan put as much effort into playing rugby as they do complaining to the ref and slowing the game down they'd be unbeatable.

I thought we gave a good solid team performance & considering Briers was a late withdrawal i thought Myler & Ratch provided a very good partnership last night. I thought Riley had a very good game in attack & Evans consolidated his good work from last week. I thought we did well to keep working as a team without being distracted by the French spoiling tactics which the referee allowed to degenerate into a disgrace for the want of clamping down sooner. I must say Catalans look to be an even dirtier team this season & if it is being coached into them by their French manager the RFL need to be looking into it.

Watched much of them this year??

Why is everyone going on about bad reffing and the game being slowed down. You should be more positive about the game, you are just repeating what you've been told to say by Jon Wilkin but that's just because he's bitter about Saints not being what they were.

How about be more positive and say its a great game and we are playing fast open rugby?

That was my match highlight by an absolute mile.... ive been waiting for someone to do that do him for years... imagine how proud i was that it was our own super Bennie Westwood..

When you watch it back, you will see that he waits until he has backup before he starts throwing shots at Westwood, unfortunately for the vile little rat, Westwood threw his first right right into his chin.. BANG... get on the floor.

if you watch it in slow-mo a few times,you can see him lay there with his arms stretched out on the floor... at that moment, for all he knew,he could have been soaking up some rays on Bondi beach.. Unfortunately he was eating turf on a Friday night at the Halliwell Jones.

Thank you Super Ben... You made someone that loves the Biff and hates Brent Webb, very happy tonight.

I guess by "instigating" you mean making a clean tackle and then trying to clear the ruck, and by "pick on" you mean walking back to the defensive line while being followed 10 metres by Westwood mouthing off at him.

Look, I like Ben Westwood, he's a good rugby player and a tough, no nonsense forward of a style we don't see too much of these days, but if anything happened he didn't like in that tackle it wasn't anything Webb did and he clearly followed Webb who was backing away. If I'm 5'8" tall (and I am as a matter of fact) and Ben Westwood follows me across the pitch mouthing off then I might be inclined to get a punch in first as well.
Poor discipline from Westwood. Imagine if Bosc had converted that try just after? 3 minutes left and 6 in it with only 12 a side. Not the smartest was it.

Two weeks in a row Warrington's opposition forwards haven't rolled over as required.

That was not a clean tackle from Webb. If you watch it again, when Westwood hits the ground you can see Webb swing his left arm in a chopping motion around Westwoods head.

Saying that, I don't think that was the reason for Westwood going after Webb. You can see immediately after Westwood plays the ball his expression would suggest he wasn't bothered about the tackle but it appears Webb said something on his way back to the line that Westwood didn't like as you can see his face change and that's when he started to follow him. Either way, Webb got what he deserved. If you play with fire you are going to get burned.

Didn't one of the Cats do a fine job on a Salford player last week which got him banned.? Now , i am a great supporter of the French inclusion in superleague but i would rather watch them playing with the skill levels they possess than contributing to a boxing match. And no i haven't watched much of them this year.

Your right there not a dirty player at all Hilly, but won't take a backward step if needed, he was behind Westwood all the way and when it did kick off was straight in and slammed one of the Cats player on the deck to stop him throwing punches.

Webb got sparked out and Warrington went top of the league.

what not to like?

My highlight was the Waterhouse Myler tackle on Blance. Give him the right old wobbles when he got up.

I could tell after the first 10 mins sliver wood wasn't bothered, about the way Catalans were going to play.

That's two very physical games in a row we have played,and come out injury free. Apart from Moz.

I'm pretty sure Les Cats forwards don't roll over for anybody.

Don't we roll over the week after Wigan, our old men can't back it up apparently,we don't play well without Briers in the team because we rely on him too much? meanwhile...in Huddersfield.

<plays limp biscuit>