If he referees the game in a way that best suits Saints you should be ok then?

QED.

WOuld this rule him out of the GF though?

You very rarely get a ref doing the same team two weeks running

Well if Ganson or Silverwood don't get the Grand Final you'd have to think it would go to Phil Bentham.

Unless they fancy doing something a little different and using an Aussie ref? Would they be fit enough to still cover both halves of a pitch, the lazy slackers?

He got the CC final so unlikely to get the final - Bentham?

No.

Precedents were set in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 for the same referee to get the FE and the GF.

Either Silverwood or Ganson will get the GF so both will need to be on their best behaviour. No more asking if the kicker was onside or imaginary offences by the team in possession.

Maybe I have missed something, but where's Ben Thaler? Haven't seen him reffing anything for a while x

He did the St Helens surprise home loss to Les Catalans in Round 27.

I doubt we'll see him again at this level for a while after that.

According to the bleating on The Entertainers this is good news for Leeds as Silverwood is a well known Leeds fan and home banker.

Oh the irony...

Saints fans are smack heads. FACT. End of!

By bleating, you mean that one fan who has mentioned it? Christ, if I was to take just one Leeds' fan's views as that of Leeds fans as a whole, there would be trouble. Especially if I chose Damo.

Richard Silverwood with Leeds: All Comps

W =redL W W W W W W W W W W =redL W W W W W W W W=red L W=red L L L L L L W=red L W=red L W W W W W W

Played 39, Won 28, Drawn 0, Lost 11, 72%

Richard Silverwood with Leeds: Headingley All Comps

W W W W W W W W W W =redL W =redL L L W =redL W W W

Played 20, Won 15, Drawn 0, Lost 5, 75%

I don't really think Mr Ganson will show any bias, but I do think the RFL make life hard for themselves when they do this sort of thing. If you don't put a home-town ref in the game, nobody can accuse a home-town ref of influencing the outcome (whether such accusations are justified or not) and you avoid controversy.

I tend to agree with that. It would have harmed no-one to swap the refs around.

I've long since held the view that the RFL do this kind of thing deliberately to court controversy. It clearly doesn't work though.

IIRC this will be only the second game this season we've had Silverwood

(Tvoc along any second to confirm or deny

)

Precisely.
What difference would it have made if Ganson had reffed our game with Silverwood given the saints game?
Oh hang on they'll save on expenses.
Plus any idea what's happened to James Child running the line on big games, not seen him appointed for any games recently.

That's correct. The only other game this season was the away win at Huddersfield (18th April '09, 6-34)

2002 - 4 (W =redL W W)
2003 - 7 (W W W W W W W)
2004 - 3 (W =redL W)
2005 - 5 (W W W W W)
2006 - 7 (W W =redL W=red L L L)
2007 - 7 (=redL L L W =redL W =redL)
2008 - 5 (W W W W W)
2009 - 1 (W)



Could it have anything to do with his elevation to 1st grade referee? He's taken SL matches in Rounds: 05, 09, 13, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, and 27.

I couldnt care less who refs the game, they will do their job. the one worry is t'old froggy as Vid ref at our match. not because he is a frog and maybe inclined to favour the froggy dragons but more the fact he is useless

He's not, he's the reserve ref.

my error, still a worry having him about

I'm sure Bentham is refing the CH GF. Not sure they would allow a ref to do both GFs.

Must be due another =redL in there then?

Perhaps but as there are more W's than =redL's another W is statistically more likely.

If Leeds can't win it this year Les Catalans would be the next best result for the game.

And somewhere a Catalans fan is saying--"bloody english ref for the match"