Love Rugby League's "5 things this week" article described Ben Thaler as the in form ref in SL.

Just wondering what people think about this really.

From my point of view he has been the best ref this year, not singularly because he is brilliant at spotting everything etc etc (they all make mistakes) but more to how he lets a game flow, and how he communicates with the players. When I see the ref appointments for the games on Sky I am always happy to see him in charge, because generally the game will run smoothly, and he has good banter at times.

I know Leeds fans wont be his number one fans at the moment, and I could be accused of just liking him for being in charge of a game we won, but I truly think he helps the games flow better, and I would think that if we had lost on Saturday.

So, thoughts, and if you dont agree who would you say is better and why?

They all seem to screw up regularly, don't know why as they have two linesmen and in goal judges. The best are the ones who don't want to be the centre of the attraction. I'm not sure who is best, the worst for me has got to be Hicks.

Thaler definitely. He tends to blend into the background - which is what you want from a ref. James Child is one notorious ref who likes to make himself the centre of attention.

Matthew Thomason has impressed in games I've seen him ref. BTW, what has happened to Thierry 'seven-tackles' Alibert? Sacked?

I was impressed with Thomason too. Granted London/Catalans isn't the same as being the ref for Leeds/Wigan or a Hull derby but still looked good.

Uncle Albert has gone back to France and is now in charge of their match officials

Who is the least bald man in the comb-fighting contest?

I like Chris Leatherbarrow and can see him doing well in the years to come. Why has George Stokes fallen out of favour lately?

Referees will always get things wrong, in any sport. There's two of em in Australia yet they have some absolute howlers. For me I like to see two things. Firstly the ref blend in so he is just part of the background and not centre of attention, secondly I think it's great to see a referee actually enjoying the job, something which seems a rarity these days.

Silverwood or Thaler for mine, though I must say I do miss Ganson.

Leatherbarrow & Thomason. They tend to keep out of the way and not make the game all about them and not seen either of them have a properly bad game.

Easy!
ALL the "experts" who post on these forums, especially when their team have been beaten!

I'd agree with Thaler for the same reasons others suggest ie. he tends to let the game flow.

James Childs has a bit of a rep for blowing up too often but he's reffed Cas 2 of our last 3 games and seems to have improved a lot. Whether he's made a conscious decision to try and not get so involved or whether Cas have become more disciplined only time will tell.

TBF to him Child has actually improved from around 2-3 years ago. Wasn't it the year when Magic weekend opened the season (2011) that he gave about 87 penalties in a Cas/Wakey game. He does still have this annoying habit of deciding he's going to ping the same team for 10 mins solid for nothing reasons, then switching it to the other team.

I don't know, but Ian Smith is the King of the Rotating Finger on the VR.

I don't get to watch games on TV very often (bad experience with Sky) but I was impressed by the way on Saturday that you could hear the ref, more often than not, making the correct call then asking the video ref to check it. What really annoyed me was that you could hear the ref, more often than not, making the correct call then asking the video ref to check it. Grow a spine and make a decision.

I dread to think!!!

Its a job I certainly wouldn't like to do, especially in front of some of the fans who frequent these boards.

Silverwood is gash, the guy sent of Crookes at the weekend for a high clumsy challenge which by no means was the worst we've seen this season yet was unable to send off Bowen for a clinical late swinging arm several metres after the player had kicked on..he's an absolute joke of a ref, I'd rather have Child.

Certainly some of the championship refs are coming along but watch them once in SL they'll be getting their orders regarding whom to ping and who not to.

Silverwood easily best ref.

Best
Thaler

Worst
Roby

Maybe not the worst you've seen and perhaps clumsy but, still 100% a red card.

Ganson is the one you don't mess about with. www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/illus ... 500d8.html

Ganson is the one you don't mess about with. www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/illus ... 500d8.html

If you'd watch todays farce in London you'd understand why. I've never seen a ref so out of his depth - including Scott Moore's first half sending off which virtually everybody missed resulting in a mass punch up. Awful stuff from Stokes although he could learn from today's game. A shame I can't find a video of it all.

Thomason seems to be a decent ref, we had Hick on Friday night never seen him have a good game yet.

Comments with a bias!!!

Thaler - Would not give him any matches but those on TV, then he simply refers the decisions to the video ref - so we stand a chance of getting the correct decision rather than his blunders at crucial times when not televised. Really needs to improve! I believe he is extremely overconfident in his own ability and please would he stop "chatting" to the players

Roby - I cant forget his words on TV "direct contact with the head" in the Warrington Widnes match last year when he was the touchjudge - result Cahill sending off!. The very next week he was reffing a match when a similar incident occurred (including use of the same words) but he reacted by giving a penalty!
He seems to be improving.

Hicks - not fussed at all and I do believe he needs more tested experience in championship matches. I would advise refs when he is touchjudge to ignore what he says - reference the recent touch line errors on a televised match. I have seen him change a touch judges decision at a Broncos match despite both the touchjudge (and myself) being far closer to an incident which ended up giving an advantage the wrong way. I have not seen much improvement.

Childs - Is improving all the time but I get the impression he leaps without looking sometimes and poor decisions result?

Silverwood - Still the best referee. A similar incident as that described above involving Cahill was dealt with him properly with words on the lines of "the tackle was high but unavoidable with the ball carrier slipping as he approached the tackler".

I would prefer refs to take charge of matches that do not involve their home town please.

The number of head clashes seems to be increasing sometimes accidentally?, sometimes by players on the same team - Surely some must be high/dangerous tackles.

I dont think we have anything like the number of officials to have two refs on the field - but I do favour a trial. However with the number of officials present at each game - Match Commissioner, Ref, Touchjudges, Reserve official, two behind the sticks - surely we can improve decision making.

The number of forward passes are an embarrassment particularly when a try resullts. The comment repeated by Cummings a few weeks ago that you cant test for a forward pass because of difficult camera angles I feel is nonsense. As we have seen a virtual line across the screen/pitch to test for offside at a kick I am sure forwards can be dealt with in the same way! I dont subscribe to the argument that the are too may time delaying decisions by video - we need accurate decisions. Maybe Captains call should be allowed when a suspected forward pass results in a try.

I wonder are touchjudges told not to offer the ref assistance in certain circumstances?

No they can't, the speed & direction of the player passing the ball would be just two factors that would need to be analysed if it's to be anything like accurate in relation to any line. This is because the ball has forward momentum when a player is running forward, the pass is relative to the player passing it NOT the ground. This is specifically mentioned in the laws.
In RU their laws stipulates that the ball shall not travel forward toward the try line though interpretation of such is now accepting of momentum as to why a ball will travel forward in relation to the ground but will have actually being passed backwards.