That's right.

IMO refs will hear threats of violence all the time that they have to forget because someone else has made a break and is going to score.

correct. but you don't forget. you wait till the next break in play and deal with it.as i and every other referee does. as silverwood has countless times

It seems that's where we're at with those in the Hardaker 'guilty' camp. The refs just simply forgot they heard those comments, genuine error.....but remembered them post match.....even the ref who was apparently directly called a "f*g" just let it slip through his mind at the time as he was too busy reffing a match to actually discipline a player for something he's put there to discipline in the first place.

So you sent off every single player who swore at you?

You knew every single player who swore when they did swear?

You never had to deal with a serious injury at the same time as another player swore at you?

You were always sure of who the recipient of abuse was and who was sending it?

Did you ever rise above u11 level?

Have you watched a SL game? Have a look at the PTB and see how many times a tacklers hand will accidentally find it's way into an opponents face or head. That's a clear offence and hardly ever pulled.

There's no way that refs list all the offences they hear or see or warn players. They give warnings to the most serious offences but there will be hundreds of offences that occur during a game that are forgotten as soon as they've happened.

Is Silverwood getting abuse btw?

People are doubting/discrediting what he apparently heard and believe something fishy has gone on......I can't see the 'abuse' as is claimed, if you want proper personal abuse you should follow what people have launched towards Hardaker in the last few days (and going by his tweet, also towards his family) all because he blew a kiss and MIGHT'VE said a certain word.

i refereed football league

again players are carded for persistently infringing the laws of the game. you have to keep in your head who has done what and how many fouls.hard to do but the higher you go you get help from the sidelines

The irony is the type of people that give out that type of abuse are probably the least likely people to give 2 sh*ts about the word he allegedly used and dare i say it the most likely people to use the term themselves. They just want an excuse to have a go.

They are cockroaches and need exterminating.

I think Leeds Rhinos, the biggest club in English RL, have pretty much openly questioned the integrity of one of the top refs in the game. Such is the nature of the comments that Leeds have made I'd suggest that some of the mud will stick. Given the insane levels of hysteria over this issue I doubt that Silverwood's reputation hasn't taken a massive beating which he will struggle to overcome.

That, to me, is a form of abuse and I don't like it. I think Leeds were out of order.

Idiots on twitter will always talk rubbish. I don't know if Silverwood has received similar abuse or not. TBH I don't care. I don't think either Zak or Silverwood should be on twitter in the first place. But I think Silverwood has received a lot of flack over this that he simply might not deserve at all.

I also think it's possible that Silverwood has screwed up and he could be an ex ref soon. I don't know. But I don't think Leeds should have been rushing straight to the press with their statement, this issue should have been dealt with professionally. Just like everyone is saying the RFL should have done with Zak.

Good.

If hardaker goes down it will be a small crum of comfort to seel silverwood go down too.

A couple of pages ago you said Hardaker's reputation will be exactly the same as it was before the Saints game even though he's now been accused a SECOND time of a gay slur.

Yet you now protest that Silverwood's reputation may never recover from Leeds questioning the timeline of events between the match officials and RFL.

Oh dear.

I don't agree it's a form of abuse Leeds have rightly IMO questioned the time line. I think it's right we made this public as I have no confidece in the RFL dealing with the issues in private. They cannot just brush it under the Carpet which is what I think they would have tried to do.
GH has been a vocal supporter of the RFL, which might be in jeopardy now

I'll make it clear for you. Even though I think I already have been.

My opinion of Zak, purely from what I've read on here from Leeds fans, is that he's a bit of an idiot with a string of moronic offences. One more offence is hardly damaging his reputation, merely confirming how daft he really is. His reputation remains pretty much the same.

Silverwood, on the other hand, is pretty much being accused of lying over hearing something to justify a witch hunt on their player. Seeing as he is a referee and a referees integrity is pretty much essential, questioning his integrity is a massive thing for the biggest club in the country to do. While many supporters will have already thought he was a vvanker, a dreadful ref or any number of things, very few will have truly thought he should be tossed from the game. There have been many people wanting him gone on threads in rlfans. His reputation has clearly been damaged and I think Leeds Rhinos have acted disgracefully over this.

In a similar way, the reputation of the RFL hasn't been damaged either. Everyone thought they were worthless before and they still think they are worthless. It's just more evidence to confirm what they already felt anyway.

I think the RFL have probably made an error by telling the press they were investigating the incident and naming him. IMO they'll regret that and accept they messed up. IMO it could have been an easy mistake for a press officer to do and they were probably under pressure from the press not to be seen as condoning "homophobia".

But after Leeds complained so loudly about their employee wrongly being named, I think it's a bit ridiculous for them to pretty much accuse the RFLs employees of carrying out a witch hunt and inferring that Silverwood is lying.

If GH supported the RFL before then IMO he should still support them. But it's RL politics and I have little interest in it.

Silverwood's reputation will be at the same low level it was before this incident after this incident.

Did you miss the link earlier in the thread to Sliverwood's previous suspensions by the RFL? Have a read of this [urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/14995646[/url

You are not concerned about Hardaker's reputational damage because of past indiscretions yet very concerned about Silverwood's reputation despite his equally poor track record.

I'll take the opinion of the other Senior (Keith) about Silverwood that he publicly stated after a WCC a few years ago. He's an appalling referee and if this latest furore leads to him finding some other form of employment the game will be better for it. He, like Hardaker, is clearly an idiot with a rap sheet. However, at least Hardaker is very, very good at what he does.

If Silverwood is as bad as you claim then he should have been replaced by superior referees. The fact that he's refereed some of the biggest games in the country suggests he is no way as bad as you claim.



I give the benefit of the doubt for Zak in regard to this incident and I give the benefit of the doubt to Silverwood as well. The fact that Silverwood MAY HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG and yet people are wishing for him to be forced out of RL is utterly disgusting.

Zak can survive the fallout from this because he is clearly rated so highly as a player. Even if he did it he'll pretty much be excused by most Leeds fans. As I've said many times before, I think his offence is minor anyway and disagree with the nonsense it's created.

But referees are pretty much hate figures by default anyway. But Leeds Rhinos have pretty much caused you and a few other Leeds fans to wish for his removal from RL simply on the basis of the Leeds statement. If that statement wasn't made by GH there's no way you'd be calling right now for Silverwood to go and you know it.

If Silverwood has lied about hearing something and it's proven then he's pretty much done. And he'll deserve it. But it is only the Leeds Rhinos comments which have people question that.

IMO Hardaker's offence, even if he did do it as suggested, is a pathetically trivial offence that I think is being overblown. But I am pretty much disgusted by the way Leeds have singled out Silverwood so publicly when he might be completely innocent. If Silverwood is innocent of any wrongdoing I'd be tempted to walk from RL if I was him. And if he goes I'd hope that the rest of the top refs go with him.

You can blame Leeds, but considering they took their time with their statement it's clear they tried to gather the facts from the RFL's side of things.

If they're saying Silverwood has claimed to have heard something then it's most likely been because the RFL has told them that whilst discussing the details of the case.

If anybody has put Silverwood in the line of fire it's the RFL not Leeds.

They've possibly hung Silverwood out to dry, they've definately hung Hardaker out to dry.

Leeds rushed to the press? They waited days, took advice then released a statement. God he talks garbage

Its simple really - If the person who was allegedly on the receiving end of any comment does not take offence and/or does not wish to press charges then the matter should be dropped

People use all types of language in 'heated' situations and most normal people will understand the difference between a heat of the moment comment or an offensive 'phobic' based comment

The action of employing a lip reader when there has not been an official complaint is, in my book, an over reaction and definitly a bullying tactic employed by the RFL.

Perhaps we should make a complaint regarding the clear discrimination that the RFL are practicing on Zak??

The RFL confirmed that they were investigating the incident on the 2nd September. Leeds released their statement on the 3rd September.

The game took place on the 29th August. Leeds knew that night that Hardaker was being accused but they remained silent on the issue, even though they knew about the storm surrounding it, until accusing the RFL of a witch hunt.

The RFL merely confirmed they were investigating the incident on the 2nd. Seeing as the RFL have almost certainly received complaints and will have seen the forum talk on the issue they were duty bound to investigate it. If Hardaker didn't say "effing puff" that night then a proper investigation could quickly look at the facts and evidence and conclude that there is no case to answer. But Leeds have pretty much gone to war with the RFL and are questioning why an investigation is even taking place.

That's BS.

For one thing someone might say in the press that they don't want an issue taken any further while behind the scenes they could be threatening serious consequences if action isn't taken. That is what seems to have happened over the Ferdinand/John Terry case.



I think most oppo fans will be saying that the incident should be investigated. Most Leeds fans seem to be wanting Zak left alone.



You only have the statement from Leeds to know they are employing a lip reader. You do not know what complaints the RFL have received. The most blatant example of bullying tactics is the statement from Leeds.



We pretty much have. But it's a lame argument when we've all seen the video and know that there was an incident. If he was innocent then we wouldn't fear an investigation because he'd be cleared. We don't seem to want an investigation taking place.

You really need to wake up and get yourself out of the hole you are digging.

To be fair, had it been the first time this had happened, I kind of understand the situation you are wanting, but that is exactly what happened the first time it did happen. What we have now is different, under different circumstances, following different rules, no microphone pick up of what was said, and because it is happening again in such a short time the public perception is very different. Because of it happening again should be exactly why the RFL in changing their own procedures, should have at the very least have kept things private. Why you seem incapable of understanding all that I do not know.

What I find so strange about you view, is that can you image had Keith Senior still been playing in what appears this modern game. There were not many who gave cheap shots, sledging, abuse to refs, etc, as much as him. What would his reputation be like today. The main party innocent in this is the player, yet you seem to want to somehow allude to him been the problem.

Leeds haven't gone to war with the RFL, they have defended the position of the player quite clearly (which is something the RFL should also have taken into account), and questioned what the RFL are doing in going against their own systems to answer to a social media campaign, without any proof to warrant such a change. All organisations are there to be questioned, if it's members feel something is not right. Like I said, look at the first incident against Wire, and how the player, the club, and the RFL handled it, where the proof was there straight away, not only by a microphone pick up but by the player himself saying exactly what he said straight away. It has been done right before. This time it is not right, and the club not only needed to set the position straight for the player, but for the players family (an area you just completely disregard).

Like what changes? Getting his tats lasered?
as for his bird, yes shes in NYC, for work, a lot. Meanwhile he spend his time tweeting other girls. The joys of social media eh?

Ben Cockaine "turned his life around" after stomping on someones head, he went on to be an EDL pin up and being a facebook racisit.