The incidents quoted by him are unbelievable www.hullkr.co.uk/club/news/artic ... e-Chairman

The incidents quoted by him are unbelievable www.hullkr.co.uk/club/news/artic ... e-Chairman

Totally correct in what he says.
The RFL is run by clowns and has been for years, change wont be a bad thing.
The way they cover things up & explain the mistake cannot be allowed to go on for the good of the sport,anyone thinking otherwise obviously doesn't even a fair game or is in the pockets of the RFL. #Corrupt

"It is time the match review panel stood aside as they are not fit for purpose.

This week whilst Justin Poore was cited and suspended for 3 weeks for a dangerous throw, three Widnes players received cautions for a dangerous throw on Richard Whiting. I invite anyone to review footage of both, and point out the difference.

I believe the throw on Richard Whiting is far worse, yet when being questioned, the review panel explanation was that as they couldn't spot the culprit, all escaped with a caution. On Twitter last night, even the referees considered it was an incident possibly worthy of a red card.

In a week when a player in Australia suffered a serious neck injury, this reasoning is without logic, damaging and irresponsible. It brings the game into disrepute and challenges the whole integrity of the competition. It is infuriating and demoralising to us as a club to be on the receiving end of a flurry of these decisions. We have tried to deal with them in an appropriate manner, behind closed doors, but the same mistakes continue to be made.

It is six weeks into the season and we have already been on the wrong end of three inconsistent decisions. I do not have an issue with my players being cited for infringements if we are dealt with consistently. But that has not happened, as acknowledged by the RFL as recently as two weeks ago.

Justin Poore was cited for Grade B punching at Huddersfield, whilst a Giants’ player was not cited, even though the panel later acknowledged they had missed this player throwing three punches. Another Giants’ player was cited for a Grade A single punch and escaped suspension, but when it was pointed out to the panel multiple punches had been thrown they admitted to also having missed that.

In the same week a Catalans player ran after an opponent at Castleford to throw a punch and escaped with a sin bin. Kris Welham was cited for a head butt in round 3, whilst a head butt by a Salford player the same week was overlooked. When later pointed out to the panel, it was acknowledged as worse and that when contact was pointed out to them on video that it was "missed".

A leading international player this week avoided censure for repeated punching in the tackle, shown live on Sky Sports.

Only a change in personnel, I believe, is capable of effecting the right change, and I call on the executive of the RFL to do that before a player suffers serious injury as a result of their inaction. I fully expect the governing body to accuse me of bleating, and my simple answer to that is to ask them to review the incidents identified above and provide a clear explanation for their actions. Instead of attacking the symptoms they need to tackle the cause, which sadly is lack of knowledge, understanding and core competence.

We certainly as a club aren't alone in expressing these frustrations, and I share fans’ disillusionment which is becoming an increasingly regular feature on social media. Sadly those views systematically fail to register highly enough in our game, as they were ignored when the whole restructure of the game was under review. The same can be said of the players as a group.

I also share the views of Adam Pearson on aspects of the disciplinary panel process. There are too many members sitting with vested interests, lack of knowledge, and an arrogant, high handed ‘holier than thou’ attitude. I am fed up of walking into the panel hearings and leaving with a sense of having sat talking to the wall, or being looked down on with the outcome stitched up long beforehand. We will certainly be making a formal complaint about the conduct of the panel chairman last night who disbarred an executive of this club when making submissions in respect of this case that he simply didn't like.

There are too many people with too little knowledge of the technical aspects of our game making decisions they are clueless about, ruining the spectacle of our game, bringing it into disrepute and driving people away from it."

Cap well and truly doffed Neil. Never a truer word has been spoken.

This will no doubt cop him a disrepute charge but it needed saying. It's time for a revolution.

Well Said Mr Hudgell
The whole Rugby community is behind you on this one

I congratulate your Chairman on taking this stance. Speaking for many, many fans of the game.

"Ebony And Ivory Live Together In Perfect Harmony
Side By Side On My Piano Keyboard, Oh Lord, Why Don't We?
We All Know That People Are The Same Where Ever We Go
There Is Good And Bad In Ev'ryone,
We Learn To Live, We Learn To Give
Each Other What We Need To Survive Together Alive."

The Big Hull and Rovers Love in !!

No one on the other boards will believe this

from a fc fan, well said hudge,

It needed saying and well done to him for saying it.



It would be good if a few other chairmen (including ours) could now put their heads above the parapet and publicly endorse what NH has said.

Well said Neil. We may be the biggest rivals in Superleague but on this issue we are totally together. Perhaps its time for a petition to be started calling on the RFL to make the necessary changes. I'm sure supporters of all clubs would willingly sign it to let those in authority know just how we all feel.

And the reply. Sadly they truely believe it as well.

[iRFL Director of Standards and Licensing Blake Solly said: “Rugby League’s disciplinary process is the envy of many other major sports and is held in high regard for its transparency, consistency and fairness.[/i

[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/29818/rfl-statement-disciplinary-process[/url

Once again Hudge talks much sense. Refs will always make errors but those with hindsight & technology to assist shouldn't be getting it wrong. Not a fan of the EGP system either, think that needs looking at.

Nothing in that brief statement addresses any of the concerns raised by Neil's own statement...

However, it does highlight a combination of complacency and self-satisfaction...

The reply from the RFL sums up the games problems. Self interest and self preservation.

Blake Solly, hang your head in shame son. If you're not part of the solution........

He's right but will now face a fine and a stadium ban.

As an aside, that tackle on Whiting is absolutley appalling.

Spot on Neil, unfortunately we'll no doubt be hammered even more because of this. The RFL need to see the issue is not JP being banned, probably deserved it, he usually does, but the ones who grt away with it scot free.

Not seen the whiting one is there a link to it?

Got to say well said Neil and it is time something was done that on whiting is far worse the guy should have got at least 4 games and poor's was correct, just get every one right not the odd one

Quote ="barham red"Spot on Neil, unfortunately we'll no doubt be hammered even more because of this. The RFL need to see the issue is not JP being banned, probably deserved it, he usually does, but the ones who grt away with it scot free. Not seen the whiting one is there a link to it?'" www.hullkr.co.uk/club/news/artic ... e-Chairman

Quote ="barham red"Spot on Neil, unfortunately we'll no doubt be hammered even more because of this. The RFL need to see the issue is not JP being banned, probably deserved it, he usually does, but the ones who grt away with it scot free. Not seen the whiting one is there a link to it?'" www.hullkr.co.uk/club/news/artic ... e-Chairman

How can the rfl ban him from his own stadium?

Yep, completely agree.

Looking at that you can see why NH is so up in arms about it, the Whiting one is terrible.

The consistency has been poor recently. So the RFL's only real defence against claims of bias then becomes one of incompetence, which isn't great.

All leaderships or bureaucracies (whichever it is) have a finite useful lifetime. This lot rather jumped the shark with licensing IMO and some fresh blood would be good. It's not an easy job, more responsibility than power, but there's plenty of room for improvement.

Understandably chairpersons only kick up a stink if it goes against their team. In that case they make a complaint. Rather than making a t-shirt when a decision goes their way, for example.


Or saying 'we'll take that, as we've had enough go against us'. So it rarely builds up enough momentum to make a difference.

I'd like to see a few chairmen get together and make some specific recommendations.
I'm personally curious about whether allowances are made for previous good behaviour, on top of the EGP system? Whether 'missed incidents' (I mean, seriously WTF?) can be considered later when brought to the attention of the panel? Whether you can plead guilty but challenge the grading? How does the panel view the relative severity of a sin-binning or sending off vs a ban?

And how are offences bench marked?
Poore deserved a ban this week, IMO. But three weeks when Widnes get off? Similar with Paea/Flower last week and the week before. This week it should have been both, the earlier ones it could easily have been neither.
Incidents should be judged on their own 'merits', but surely not entirely in isolation.

Good to see him speak out and raise the points he has