Check attendance at the bottom as well

Hull FC coach Richard Agar:

"I'm angry. I saw this bloke referee a trial game between Salford and Hull KR and I thought: 'I'm dreading when we get him'.

"Sure enough he's backed it up. Just a disgraceful performance. I've got seasoned Test players in there coming in shaking their heads in disbelief.

"It's just been a good game and a good spectacle punctuated by ridiculous decisions, completely ruined by one bloke.

"I've had the benefit of watching it on video and when Sean Long went in to score that try he was cleaned out. Plain and simple cleaned out. He said he didn't know where he was.

"He said he tried to shoulder charge a tackle and, from what I saw, he completely missed contact. A player of Castleford has ran 50 metres and begged for him to be sent off."

Castleford coach Terry Matterson:

"I can see Richard's frustration. We've had the referee twice and had two very similar performances.

"There were 37 penalties in the first game and 27 tonight. I'm frustrated. We got the two points but it doesn't hide the game never flowed into a rhythm.

"We didn't play well but we got the two points and that's the main thing."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hull: Phelps; Sharp, Whiting, Yeaman, T Briscoe; Horne, Long; Moa, Houghton, Radford, Westerman, Tickle, Fitzgibbon.
Replacements: Obst, Manu, Lauaki, Dowes.

Sent off: Long (76).

Castleford: Mathers, Dixon, Arundel, Isa, Owen, Chase, Orr, Jackson, Hudson, Emmitt, Jones, Aspinwall, Ferres.
Replacements: Huby, Fozzard, Widders, Clark.

Attendance: 8,063.

Referee: James Child (England

The Agar quote was on another thread, but 8,063? That's wrong. Said over 11,000 in the stadium.

No worries , Mods can merge thread if ok , but 8000 ?

Quote ="Tarquin Fuego"No worries , Mods can merge thread if ok , but 8000 ?'" Att: 11,856 www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/ma ... 88,00.html

Quote ="Tarquin Fuego"No worries , Mods can merge thread if ok , but 8000 ?'" Att: 11,856 www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/ma ... 88,00.html

Attendance: 11856

according to fc website

Spot on Rich. He should not get into trouble, Noble never last year.

Quote ="PAUL M"Spot on Rich. He should not get into trouble, Noble never last year.'" m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/apr/ ... pe=article Think Rovers fans tried to organise a whipround. I'll put £5 in for Agar.

Quote ="PAUL M"Spot on Rich. He should not get into trouble, Noble never last year.'" m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/apr/ ... pe=article Think Rovers fans tried to organise a whipround. I'll put £5 in for Agar.

I'd like to see Agar get a touchline ban.


It might help him develop his communication skills

Maybe his job was on the line !!!

Obviously very frustrated after a poor performance from the officials.

I feel sorry for the guy i really do.

He is under a lot of pressure as it is without match officials practically screwing his team over.

He sits in the stand anyway, I'm not sure what the difference would be.

I said the same thing last night. For the greater good. Hopefully the fine money will go to referee development?

Tell you what,it is a concern the standard of reffing in general don`t you think?
Makes you wonder if the S.L. are struggling to recruit refs.

is there a link to the audio of him saying this? the bbc site only has Kath and Radford...

Justin Morgan refers to James Child as "the Child" and reckons that Stuart Cummings runs with 6 and a half full-time refs. I'm sure that Rich Agar agrees with him.
Coaches have to put up with enough pressure as it is without the added worry of an idiot officiating over the match.

Agar press conference on FCTV now. A bit cross.

Also Webbo and Fitz in the Circle Restaurant after the game.

make him sit in the east stand

Interesting to hear that Ganson admitted he got a lot wrong during the Wigan game. Another close match ruined by inept refereeing then.

Fantastic.

At least he had the humility to admit it, I guess, that's all you can say.

I find it interesting the club have posted the interviews. Not sure it's something we normally do, and we're certainly not backing down from any confrontation with Red Hall on this one, if anything the opposite.

The cynic in me can't help thinking that when you have trouble at home it's always useful to have a war with an external enemy...

Indeed. What with the inconvenience of a fully fit squad (apart from Ogre) this controversy couldn't have arrived at a better time for post rationalisation of results.

There is absolutely no "IF" about it.

The whole of the game, from junior level upwards, is struggling to recruit refs. As I said on another thread, until we can guarantee a neutral referee at every game from youth level upwards, it will continue. The problem we have in attracting and developing referees is a lack of protection from no-nowt, numptie speccies, coaches and players who feel that because someone has had the balls to take up the whistle, he is fair game to blame for all the inadequacies at playing level.

It is a problem that has endured for years and no one, especially the numptie, no-nowt supporters, have found a credible solution.

Start by broadening the base of the pyramid and then watch the improvement in quality that percolates upwards

Worked for Thatcher