On Saturday there was a blatant forward pass by a Hull KR player (forget who) form which they scored a try and possibly denied Hull FC a win. OK from where the ref was I could (just about) accept that he didn't see it go forward. What about the TJs though - surely one of them saw it and could have have let the ref know. Or what about the TV ref - surely he also could have had a word in the ref's ear. If we have technology available, as it was at the Magic Weekend, why not use it to the full.

They don't show up well on the telly.

They would do if you altered the rule to the receiver being behind the passer at the moment the ball is received. Which would amount to pretty much the same thing.

Leeds scored a try off a big forward pass too, Webb to McGuire. I was right in line with it.

Absolutely diabolical decision. Everyone in the ground saw it apart from the officials apparently.

Only just seen the HKR one, outrageous!

If I remember rightly they show a picture from behind the Hull tryline and Ganson has an unobstructed view. How hw gave the try only he knows. I remeber Brian Carney in bewilderment at how the try was awarded. As soon as the pass from Webb to Maguire was made you could see it was well forward. It's now getting beyond a joke. Remember the days when league fans would ridicule union for the number of tries scored off forward passes? Maybe it's time to alter the rules so that the ball HAS to be passed backwards rather than not forwards.

If the ref has an obstructed view he has to give the try. It's up to the TJs to advise him.

The problem with changing the interpretation of the law as you suggest is that you'd have to slow the game down to a crawl at times as basic physics means that a player travelling at any kind of pace will throw the ball forwards to a teammate running behind him. There's a video on youtube that shows this very clearly.

Or you'd always have to attack from so deep that a modern defence would prevent nearly all go-forward.

Alternatively, why not have TJs who recognise a blatant forward pass when they see one?

Couldn't agree more. We see forward passes at just about every game but I do not recall a TJ flagging for one. Is it within their remit? If not it certainly should be.

I'd go for the receiver being behind the passer option. No real effect on the speed of the game.

You'll not see one flagging. In Super League, they'll use comms. In the Championships they might use comms or the forward pass signal (if the ref looks at them) which is the flag held vertically on the chest.

You could then throw the ball forwards and the guy running through is going quicker than the passer and can reach it before it lands?

If you mean that the receiver is behind the passer when he catches it, what happens if a running player passes backwards simultaneously with being tackled? He stops but the ball still has momentum and will be caught by the receiver in front of where the tackle happened.

Yes, I mean what I said earlier in the thread.

So what ? It'll be different for maybe 1% of passes but you'll be able to use the video ref to decide.

What if the ball is passed backwards but the receiver is in front of the passer but still takes the ball cleanly whilst reaching back?

As I said previously Ganson had an unobstructed view but he was just being Ganson as always.

There were LOADS of forward passes pulled in Carcassonne, every one that was a bit flat was given.

The referee was very letter of the law.

He seemed about as popular with the French crowd as Jamie Le Ahy is

See earlier response. That situation's going to be a lot less than 1%, isn't it ? Like about 99% less.