Just a little bit... but that is also why I suspect the offence grade the video review panel will charge Briers with will mean that an EGP will lead to a one match suspension! If that does happen & what impact that has in two weeks time we will have to wait & see. I think the chances of Briers copping more than one game & keeping him out of the GF in the Wire get to OT are slim to non-existent.

Not seen the game on TV yet (didn't record on V+ for some reason). Didn't seem too bad a punch from the East Stand, yet reading stuff on here and on the VT it seems that Briers landed the hardest punch seen in the UK since Frank Bruno used to appear at Wembley. Was it really that bad a punch or was it a very minor handbag that has been seized upon by other fans looking for any reason to nullify Warringtons performance?

theres a repeat on at midnight

Just waiting for that now, though it's more highlights really

It wasn't much of a punch at all to be honest but it was the intent that everyone outside of Warrington is concerned with. Briers got tackled legally, albeit slung around by the shirt collar, he took exception to this moaned at Child & who probably said as much, whether Ablett then said something to Briers as well is possible, but then striking out to Ablett's head with his back turned is a cheap shot & needs punishing. I think had Lee even seen yellow, despite it being exactly the sort of offence the red is supposed to be used for, then the debate would have been a different one.

Warrington dominated Leeds & nothing can nullify the fact they were the best side by some margin & I suspect had Lee seen red, it probably would not have changed the end result, just maybe the margin. However, it doesn't change the fact the Child is just not good enough & getting out a yellow was the minimum he should have done & even the neutrals know it should really have been red! You can't go around, even with Lee's good disciplinary record, hitting people in the back of the head & not get punished!

Well balanced game until the 2 controversial calls. Both went to Wire who stepped up & put in a very good performance. Won the ruck & were a yard quicker all over the park.

Higham/Monaghan a good supply of quick ball to work off. Wire forwards on front foot & gave Briers time he needed. Ratchford a great game too.

Child should be stood down for cowardice. Bailey got Grade A & 1 match ban for far less against Catalans.

Briers should be minimum Grade B & miss 1 game with EGP. That's if the match review even bother with it.

Bentham took two & a half minutes to make that call on numerous replays. Why so long if BOD is so clear? Not a try for mine.

On all play off showings so far, Wire should pick Hudds if they get past Hull.

If Briers gets anything less than 1 game ban, then the disciplinary committee is a joke.

If Hock had done this then people would be calling for 3 matches at least (and since he is effectively a Salford player, there is no bias here).


Stupid reaction to a legal tackle.

Disciplinary rules say to intentionally strike with hand arm or shoulder is Grade D-E

Having now seen the Briers 'punch' on TV, I can't believe some of the over-reaction on Sky or these forums. A nothing 'punch' which Ablett, looking over his shoulder, saw coming. Should have been punished at the time, and by the letter of the law you couldn't really argue with a red, but talk of 3-5 game ban is simply farcical. At worst he'll lose his early guilty plea and pick up a fine (leading to complete meltdown on this forum!)

Too many people listen to what those two clowns spout on the TV and regurgitate it on these forums as if it's their own opinion. Try watching the game and come up with your own opinions, those two are quite often wrong and much of the time clearly do not know all the laws (the difference between a forward pass and a knock on with respect to momentum etc).

Shouldn't even have been benefit of the doubt. On numerous occasions, look at 2:19 into the video review for example, the ball can clearly be seen on the ground. Just because Pinky, Perky and SCummins don't see it doesn't mean it wasn't there!

Briers - total clown for throwing that punch, that should have resulted in a red card. If he gets a ban, we take it on the chin (no pun intended). He redeemed himself thereafter, with one of his best displays this season.

Waterhouse and Grix. Both made dreadful attempts at tackling for both of Leeds' tries. Waterhouse redeemed himself with some awesome defence later. Grix with his try.

I feared the worst, when Woody went down with a knackered shoulder (they were made of polystyrene in the early 2000's), but was delighted when he came back on. That could've been a career wrecker. He aint getting any younger.

Westwood - Superb

MonaghanM - A VINTAGE display. Played Leeds like fiddle. Brilliant.

Superb 1 -17

The Sky Sports commentary team REALLY do have to take a look at themselves. They're supposed to be impartial. Today's commentary indicated anything but. Maybe now, some people will get it into their thick skulls, Eddie Hemmings DOES NOT LIKE WARRINGTON. NEVER HAS DONE, NEVER WILL DO. I've known the fella for about 10 years, and he's never said a positive thing to me, about us, in all that time. He's a Widnes fan. Widnes have not had much to crow about in the last 20 years, so Eddie had a little "love-in" with Stains. Stains aren't as good as they used to be, so he doesn't "blow smoke up their bottoms" as much as he used to.

On the whole, I'm a very happy bunny.
Calm it down Briers, you're no good to us, sat in the stands with a ban, alongside an injured Myler.

ONWARDS WIRE

I seem to remember ablett and briers being at each other in the grand final last year. Sure he took one of the wire lads out late but going of memory there. Lee over the years has seemed to only loose his rag with certain players and seem to remember his scrap with Tomkins last season was preplanned. Lee shouldn't have reacted in the way he did though. Hopefully we will have him in the team for the semis as he was vintage today and justified his selection

I am wondering who will have the last laugh here ???

At the time of the Briers/Ablett incident I wondered if my eyesight was going awry. Everyone around me was screaming "Off, off, off!" and I was confused because to me if anyone was going to get sent off it was going to be Briers. Quite a few were shouting Bailey's name too thinking it was him who they were expecting to go, which seemed strange to me as him and Ablett are hardly lookalikes.

I was somewhat bemused and confused, but as I was standing as far away from the incident as possible in the SE corner I decided to forget about it and ring the opticians on Monday. I haven't seen it on telly, so I'm relieved this thread has confirmed that my eyesight is fine and I just happened to be surrounded by the blind and/or thick.

BOD is the rule when it is NOT clear, that's why. He could not judge either way ( fair enough if you look at it, virtually impossible ) so BOD to the attacker is the clear rule in that circumstance.

comparing Briers to Hock is the equivalent of comparing the Scouts with the 3rd Reich...get over yourself...give your head a wobble and have another look at the limp bunch to the shoulder of the wind up merchant.

deary me....it was handbags at the most....not eye gouging.

This incident with Briers and Ablett started way before the final punch. Reviewing it on the TV coverage, you will see at minute 16:52, Ablett tackles Briers. Effects the tackle legally, but then has a bit of "afters" which don't get fully covered by the camera. It was right in front of me, and I can assure you, Ablett's hand was in briers' face while Briers was on the floor. Briers was trying to get up and Ablett was preventing him from doing so.

Hopefully, there are other camera views that cover this should Briers have to go up before the panel, as the provocation of Briers' punch was a long time in the making.

Knee jerk reaction from the fans in the heat of the moment. But pleased your eyesight is ok

Should have been sent off, no question about it. Child bottled it. But on the flip side, it's about time we got away with something. Leeds have been doing it for years so it's nice to do it whilst playing them. I'm sure they will get the decisions that send them to the Grand Final though.



Waterhouse will still get plenty of s***e on here, regardless. Grix's try was simply awesome.



Westwood was a machine in that game. Hilarious seeing the overrated players thread on the VT and a pie eater adding Super Benny's name to the list. Haha!



I'm loving this Monaghan/Higham combination tiring out the opposition. Was talking about it during the game and it was noted that Saints used to do that all the time, with Cunningham scooting then Roby would come on and scoot and it would just knacker the opposition out.



Really really don't care about the commentary team. Eddie has never liked us, he's always been a Widnes/St Helens fan regardless of the fact that he lives in Appleton. But that's up to him. They should replace Eddie with Bill Arthur or Rod Studd. Both are much better announcers than Hemmings.



I'm more relieved than happy, as I was really nervous about the game, but I'll enjoy next weeks matches knowing we have a week off and then the big decision of what team to pick. I have a feeling Hull can turn over Huddersfield, they seem to be shot. And as for the other game, I don't normally do this but I want Saints to win.

I haven't seen it on play back. Was it handbags? Any chance from what you have seen he will get cited?

-Have a look at the Briers incident again Ablett hit Briers right in the chops and finished on the collar then did some gobbing off in Briers shell like-Yes he shouldn't have reacted like that -But Childs wasn't going to take action -so one blow to the head deserves another to the head. Even though Briers missed and hit his shoulder - I like Leeds have many friends over there -But please take off the Leeds Goggles and look at the incident again - I agree with the benefit of doubt try shouldn't have been given -But look again at the two forward passes on Sinfield try. That also should not have been given - Please give the Saints a thrashing and we could meet again for your revenge (?)

Well, on the Virtual Terrace, a lot of people are asking what ban he will get, and one of the higher grades includes "running in". He never ran in. Ablett did his usual s***thouse impression (probably from an offside position no doubt), and grabbed Lee by the collar and put him down, then said something. Child blew for the initial penalty to us. Briers got up, and as Ablett was turning around, he did his own s**thouse impression and threw a punch at him.

Then there were handbags. Child has a word with his TJ's, and then gave the penalty to Leeds. Didn't put it on report, didn't send him off or to the sin-bin. There were questions that he actually didn't see the incident, but he must have done as he changed his decision and gave the penalty to Leeds. If he hadn't have seen the decision or already blew up for the penalty to us (which he did), he shouldn't have changed his mind, so he must have seen something.

Either way, he bottled out of sending him to the sin bin/sending him off. Leeds fans were furious, Lee Briers was lucky, Warrington fans were chanting there is only Lee Briers, Carl Ablett was on the receiving end for a change, and for once in a long time, a decision actually went against Leeds.

people are saying, inconsistency with the referees, I'm just watching the game back, I'm seeing the general inconsistency in Leeds favour, 1st half, Joel moon decides to turtle on top of the ball prevention the funny half to pick up the ball, play on.

5 minutes later, cooper does same thing, penalty.

second half, carvell penalised for knee in on Maguire at the play the ball. next set, Maguire does the exact same thing, no penalty.

IHarrison got penalised for pushing Bailey over at the play the ball, Jones Buchanon has just blatantly pushed someone over, at the try line after a load of wrestling on the floor.


as I said on the vt, I can't see why people are feeling sorry for Leeds, they still got plenty of favourable calls, as they always do

It clear on tv that Ablett's first contact is Brier's face and then grabs the collar.

Ryan Bailey didn't take a single hit-up in the last 30 minutes of the game. Plenty of pointing to other forwards to do the hard work but for the "extra prop" not to take a hit-up for 30 minutes is alarming.