SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER
engage Super League XIV Play Offs
St Helens v Wigan Warriors 5.30pm (SKY)
Ref S Ganson TJ T Martin TJ R Hicks VR I Smith RR B Thaler RTJ M Thomason MC D Campbell

No problem with that at all.

Leeds get the Club Call, Stains get the Ref Call.

Says alot about the standard of reffing in SL when Wigan fans are actually happy we've got Saints fan Steve Ganson reffing a Wigan Vs Saints semi final

We get Fook call

Any other time I would say that this is great news as he's the best ref in the comp by a mile. However, it concerns me that he is officiating on this the biggest game of both team's season so far. Let's just hope his true colours don't shine through.

I agree with this, he has been the most consistant throughout the year and no doubt will be on call for the grand final next week.

Rememder his was the ref at this years game in Murrayfield and that went quite well!!!

Happy about this. He seems to make a concerted effort to ref such games in a fair manner because he doesn’t want to leave himself open to any suggestions of bias.
I have a nagging doubt in the back of mind though that one day, he’ll find it irresistible to let his guard down and make a crucial call in accordance with what his heart tells him. Scores tied with 5 minutes to go and he fails to call a Saints forward pass. He is a former member of St Helens supporters club after all.

Any stats on how we’ve fared under Ganson in Wigan/Saints games, penalty counts etc?

Murrayfield this year

Has he only done the one derby game?

Is this a portent?

In 1983 we played our biggest match in a decade when we faced Leeds in the JP Final. To our disbelief, we had to play it at Elland Road - in Leeds, and were to be reffed by John Holdsworth, nominally from Kippax but a well known Leeds fan.

The outcome - Wigan took the match, and a new era was born!

Brian Juliff and Gilly! He did disallow one for Ramsdale iirc...

Looking back at the Stats, i cant see him doing one previous. Mostly Klein and Thaler over the previous seasons.

He did indeed. Controversially, a Wigan penalty goal was also disallowed even though Colin Whitfield had quite clearly kicked it, though I think that was more to do with the touchjudges.

I proved last week in another thread that in the Wigan games he's done this year he's kept the pen count well down (both ways) compared to the other referees.

When we played Saints in Scotland they had 6 pens to our 4. Thats the only derby he's done as a whistle blower. Other times have been in the video box.

He let's the game flow and thats why he's being warmed to at the moment.

Its what Thaler used to do when alot of people deemed him as the best ref in the comp. I dont see why they all dont cotton on to it - letting the game flow makes it easier for them too. As well as not being afraid to make a big decision ala Mr Ganson

Really ? Kippax is bandit country very strong Cas support there and you know how much they love Leeds

Yeah, but I've seen him at Wembley twice since then, on both occasions when Leeds were there - dressed to the nines in Loiner colours.

All that is hopefully irrelevant. Generally, he gave us a fair crack of the whip that day. Here's hoping Ganson does the same.

Whatever our previous opinions on Ganson, it's the best thing we could have hoped for.

It'll be a fiery match anyway without it being the GF qualifier.

Let's see what reception he gets if he comes for his warm up in front of the away end...

Happy with Ganson, the man is clearly the best ref in the competition.

Ganson is the best around and I'm happy with him.
Also happy with Ian Smith as video ref. He's been excellent as VR all season and got both decisions right last Saturday with the l'anson and Gleeson tries.
Good games from both and I reckon they'll be the GF referee & VR.

I might be wrong but I can't see him getting the GF. as he was ref for the CCFinal.

I don't mind that too much.

I will give it 10 mins at Stains before we are all singing " The referees a w*nker".

he is use to it

ThinkGanson has been the best ref in the comp this season,,and if you do go through Saturday i think he could well ref you again @ OT...

As I said in earlier thread , Happy with that, and he will get the final, biggest game needs the best ref, simple.