Would it not be a good idea to introduce a new rule which simply says .The ball MUST be passed backwards, thus eliminating the flat pass grey area,

Jeez, far too simple.

I thought that foot in touch call swung the momentum in favour of Shudds - it was a very poor call and having been showed to be completely wrong on the big screen, why didn't the ref reverse it, then call Mr Roby on to the pitch and slap him upside the head?

As for stripping; it's now an art that certain players have mastered - Sinfield, Henderson, Hodgson, Elis to name a few - getting a crafty hand in during the tackle and flicking the ball loose as they withdraw. It's difficult for the ref to spot, as we now gang tackle and allow the ball carrier to be swamped by bodies, so just about every tackle is a confusing melee.

I'm not sure how you resolve it - maybe 2 ref's on the field would allow the ruck to be more closely policed; or if the suggestion of VR at every game from next season is accurate, it'll be another thing to refer upstairs.

He was at it again today, an absolutely awful display by the officials. A half decent team would've beaten Cas by 20+ points today.

I heard it the other way.

What? You heard the ref had a great game? Or that Cas were great?

I would say he means neither.
Maybe Mr B got his info from where I did:


Peter Smith @PeteSmithYEP

I don't think I'd blame him if Cas lose, but Salford have got the better of referee Tim Roby's decisions tonight. They lead by 2 late on.

Confirms what Steady said above.

Roby favoured Salford (in that we didn't get very much throughout the game going our way).

Edited - to clarify as per below

That is quite an accusation.

Favoured Salford in the sense that all the calls went their way, whether it be pens or 50/50s. We got very short shrift in that second half - I wasn't "accusing" him of anything, as you put it. Just that we got very little and, in my opinion, it was a very poor display by him.

So Roby favoured Salford in a non accusatory way?

I have never seen Roby or Stokes or Hicks look anything but poor.

Just so I know where I/we stand; a thread started by wakey fans about the ineptitude of Tim roby has now turned into a defence of Tim roby by wakey fans because Cas fans agree that he is/was poor!

I can't see anyone defending Roby?

Ok. Maybe defending is a bit strong and I'm being a little sensitive. I don't post as much these days, but can't remember being as angry as I was at the game yesterday. I text my wife after 10 mins telling her their was no way we would be allowed to win yesterday as I felt the writing was in the wall. I should just be happy with an ugly win, but all that does is gloss over that roby was absolutely awful and shouldn't be allowed near a rugby pitch for a good while.

Sounds to me like both sets of supporters had a reason to feel aggrieved, but its always easier to get over when
you have the 2 points in the bag.

We got 2 points last week but it didn't stop me remembering how poor Stokes was. Think it's important that fans of the winning side don't let the three clowns off the hook.

He was extremely "inconsistent" lets say - and one or two of his decisions lacked common sense to be honest.

for example.... Cas pin Salford on their own line. 5th tackle goes down still stuck in the corner after going absolutely nowhere. Ball comes free on impact and Roby gives a ball steal. Now even though the trajectory of the ball made it fairly obvious it was just a spill, WHY ON EARTH would Castleford steal it at that point!?

Similarly in the first half, Sneyd bobs his head through the line with two defenders on his legs, reaches to put the ball down and it gets slapped out of his hands... PLAY ON!

.......inconsistent decisions which appear, albeit unintentionally I'm sure, to have favoured Salford.

His officiating is really poor - there's a few good lads in the Championship who have filled in SL before and done a decent enough job for rugby league to be able to "drop" and "promote" referees based on their performance.

Chris Leatherbarrow officiated us last year a couple of times and he did a fair job.

I always say you never notice the best referees. Roby, Child, Stokes want to be the centre of attention. Nit-picking is fine, but you've to do it consistently then for 80 minutes and it's impossible

Tim Roby is an awful ref - simply awful.

Robert Hicks is just as bad, Stokes is no better than either and Silverwood needs to be told that people don't pay to go watch him! I get the impression from Silverwood that he resents the players because he was never good enough to be where they are, they're the stars, he's just a ref and that seems to bother him so much that he can't help but show his contempt.

Thought Silverwood had a decent game today.

Has he found out that Taulima Tautai has been doing something with his misses???


Not as bad as Andy Raleigh down at London the other year but

Ref's are like parking wardens or traffic cops; it takes a certain obtuse and narcissistic personality type to want to do it in the first place, so it's no surprise that their foibles and peccadilloes are in evidence on the field of play.

I thought Silverwood had a very good game today.

I thought Silverwood had a pretty decent game. A few calls I didn't understand but I was too far away to have a clear view. I was not in a position to dispute them since it was not clear whether he was right or wrong.

I felt he did well.

Tim Roby is someone I've never seen have a half decent game. Particularly when he has reffed us in recent years, Hull FC twice and Saints he has been abysmal. Probably the worst ref going at the moment.

I would say Roby is the worst then followed by Hicks and Stokes.

I would have Bentham and Thaler in my preferred refs then Silverwood.

Even though he baffles me at times, 70-80% of the time I'm happy with Child so would put him in my top 4. (I know many will not agree but it is just an opinion.)