I think everyone is aware of the threat Catalans have. We have lost against them twice already this season. Clearly the team will be aware of the quality Catalans have as well.

I am worried about the whole atmosphere on sunday. It will be a perfect atmosphere for the Catalans to come and play in... an 8k crowd with zero noise. They will feel very confortable. Some of our fans will get on the teams back if they don't start well. It could be a long night. Catalans will probably get clapped onto the field by most of our fans.

that would be a great gesture - they've done well this season with some good,entertaining 'honest' RL,if you know what I mean
really well organised with everyone working for each other - win or lose they deserve a good send-off especially Menzies who has been awesome
Baitieri is the POTY for me though with Henderson,Menzies,Pelissier & Millard not far behind

I asked Trent Robinson before the HKR game what it was like playing at Salford in front of a 10K plus crowd for their final game at The Willows and he said his team didn't even notice the atmosphere,they just concentrated on their own game - seems a good approach to me ?

After the game I agree they deserve it, most teams do.

However, why clap them onto the field when we want our team to tear them to bits? Why make them feel confortable?

Anyway, I'm sure the best team on the day will win despite the ref, and I have a feeling it will be Catalans.

Oh god, don't start this again.

Fwiw, I think Catalan have been one of the most entertaining sides this year. They've scored some awesome tries, and they aren't afraid to throw the ball around.

Why oh why are Wigan RL playing such a vital game only 4 full days before a possible game against us.

Why are you not playing either Friday or Saturday? Even playing Saturday would give you a crucial 24 hours extra rest and rehab.

Blame DFS Fatbelly

Has all the makings of a cracking play-off.

Personally though, I hope I'm bored soft by a 12 try rout from Wigan

This will be the best game of the PO so far i think, in terms of excitement.

Tony Martin isn't full time. He's not a ref either

I seem to recall Manly being clapped onto the pitch in 1987. Not by my Dad or I though.

I see Silverwood is the latest to be involved in some off field antics, and has been suspended. Should these people be in responsible positions at all?

There's only Silverwood who has been found guilty of any off field antics in recent times

yes, the lady who was gunning for Ganson's head on a stick, mysteriously, dropped the charges... and nobody ever found out why....

Probably because it's no one elses business.

maybe cos' he was innocent ?

for the sake of a rugby league lets hope Ganson cuts out the total crap tactics from both sides at the play of the ball,

The video is priceless

Commentator "Here come Manly - WAIT FOR THE NOISE! (silence) well, not like grand final day, is it?"

I'd say all of them because the teams walk out together

Interesting comments from Nathan Brown about Ganson:



Makes you wonder how the hell Ganson got another gig this week then - actually given who is in charge of refs, no it doesn't.

Nathan Brown has an assurance that the Giants game will be refereed in the correct way this week, maybe because the referee is not Ganson.

Ganson is running our game and we don`t have any such assurances about it being run in the correct way!!

Or am I being a little bit paranoid?

Ganson was at the same place as the incident - but he wasn't involved.

The police were investigating, Ganson was a witness and the RFL had to suspend him due to that.

The RFL made it worse by not issuing a proper statement but I think you'll find, Ganson didn't beat up any old women

I never ever want to be a witness.

On the radio last Thursday Ganso was talking about taking charge of the first play-off game and said something like, "i have to set a standard for the rest of the play-offs in this game."
He must have been instructed by Cummings to penalise liberally to send a message to the players. Spectators can always tell when refs are under special instructions and the players don't seem to have been informed.

who is nathan brown to say the game is refereed the correct way surely he means the way in which his team will give away the least penalties.

i think the players have to make sure they don't give ganson any reason to penalise them, then the referee has no bearing on the outcome

some common sense at last...

I'd rather have SG stopping the game every 2 minutes than Bentham only spotting 1 out of every 73 non-square markers at the PTB.

The latter simply smothers any attacking play and is like watching Bob Blackwood, Terry Hollingsworth et al all over again.

[size=85(With apologies to Messrs Blackwood & Hollingsworth)[/size