Perhaps I am in a minority, but I think there has been a quantum leap in the standards of reffing this season. Although there reluctance to penalise holding down is making for slower games this season.

In this particular instance the VR was asked to make a decision based on the flight and trajectory of the ball. If he is not allowed to decide on forward passes due to camera angles etc then how could he judge this particular incident ?

the refs are "letting the game flow" more this year - this is of course code for forgetting the rules/allowing teams to get away with breaking the rules

it hurts the better teams and stifles the more creative players, dragging everyone down to the same standard - we will never win an international competition by reducing standards to make the league more competitive

Not in this instance. With a knock on, it is black and white. You look where the ball was touched first and then where it was next touched. IMO it was in front of the first point.

Things like momentum do not come into knock on decisions.

That is one of the reasons forward pass decisions are so difficult.

Or perhaps it puts us more in line with the NRL refs who last year were letting plenty go (as we saw in the World Cup!).

By allowing a little more holding down, there is an argument that this will develop skills more, as you need to be better to break defences as they can get set, rather than making cheap yards through scoots from acting half and simply winning through pace.

He was fine. All the major decisions towards the end of the game were correctly called both by Smith on the field and Alibert as the video ref.

The only one which was debatable was the 'obstruction' of JJB by Newton. That was called in line with how that sort of decision is normally called though, and I don't have a problem with them remaining consistent.

The worst decision he made was allowing the Sheriffe try from last week where he knocked the ball on.

I find Alibert's taste for settling high controversy refreshing.

No it isn't. That's a misconception caused by the lack of knowledge of an outspoken commentator.

viewtopic.php?t=401815 This is clearly a trend. He is shocking, but I am sure there are those who will simply say, why don't you go out and do it better.

viewtopic.php?t=401815 This is clearly a trend. He is shocking, but I am sure there are those who will simply say, why don't you go out and do it better.

I have no problem with Alibert as a match official, but no confidence in him as a video ref. It seems to be a lottery every time a decision is handed to him. He spends a lot time looking at replays and angles that will not show anything, for example he looked at about 2 or 3 replays of Kallum Watkins passing the ball tonight and last week used a camera angle from behind the sticks when checking an offside decision from a kick. I've also heard the referee on a few occasions asking if Alibert can hear him properly or having difficulty communicating with him. As a referee, where he has the help of touch judges and doesn't have to make such crucial decisions he is fine, but he clearly isn't ready to be used as a video ref yet.

Bulls win game. Folk who do not wish us well find things to whinge about. Nothing new under the sun.

The decisions to disallow Webb and McGuire's try were correct.

Jonas Buchanan knocked on, and then it went into Sinfield's hands. The ball moved forward, you could see that from the trajectory of the ball.

The one where Brent Webb was stood thinking he was in Bradford's defensive line, was also correct.

Are the Leeds fans forgetting, in amongst having 2 tries disallowed, that there was a forward pass from Burrow to Jonas Buchanan in the first half for his try? ? ?

Watched the game last night;

The Leeds no try involving Webb - correct decision. Webb clearly makes no attempt to retire behind the play-the-ball and becomes involved in that play.

The JJB knock on - correct decision. JJB knocks the ball forward (and does not re-gather). It is a knock on if it hits the floor or hits an opposing player and cannot be promoted by the opposition or if it hits a team mate or is caught by a team mate.

Bradfords winning try - incorrect decision. There is evidence of foul play in the build up. Penalty to Leeds.

We are 8 games into the season and the top 4 is still pretty close.

Is the referee standard getting to low acceptable levels that the outcome (result) of the game is soon being directly as a result of the officials error or incompetence.

Usually the decisions even themselves out over the game but of the 6 games out of 8 games I,ve been to this season, trying to be impartial I could only remember 1 game where the officials have gone un noticed.

Is this the season where the league is being shaped by the luck of the referee, or do you think the teams performance is still the major factor.

I don't recall the ref having that big an influence on the winning team in most of the games that I've seen.

This is not happening to our games at saints this season. In our close games so far the opposition has been allowed to slow the game down by a "skinny ten", holding down, wrestling etc. Saints reknowned for quick play the balls for momentum have not been as effective this season because of the referees inabilty to create or shape an open game.

That's the idea. If you can't rely on a series quick play the balls to catch to defence out you have to come up with other ways of breaking down the defence.

We have



1 Saints 8 7 0 1 197 100 97 14
2 Leeds Rhinos 8 6 0 2 185 94 91 12
3 Huddersfield Giants 8 6 0 2 196 115 81 12
4 Hull Kingston Rovers 8 5 1 2 200 137 63 11
5 WT Wildcats 8 5 0 3 194 145 49 10
6 Hull FC 8 5 0 3 178 145 33 10
7 Castleford Tigers 8 5 0 3 189 177 12 10
8 Harlequins 7 4 0 3 190 144 46 8
9 Wigan Warriors 9 3 0 6 174 173 1 6
10 Bradford Bulls 7 2 1 4 125 167 -42 5
11 Catalans Dragons 8 2 0 6 158 228 -70 4
12 Warrington Wolves 8 2 0 6 145 246 -101 4
13 Salford Reds 8 2 0 6 126 285 -159 4
14 Celtic Crusaders 7 0 0 7 92 193 -101 0

why should we change the rules because some teams arent good enough to defend properly?

If you can't defend on a series quick play the balls to catch you have to come up with other ways of defending your line!

exactly,

it has made decisions, especially at the ptb a lottery

I concur. Webb clearly makes no attempt to retire behind the play-the-ball and becomes involved in that play which he is not entitled to. Had Burrow been tackled the next play-the-ball would have enabled Webb to become involved assuming he was behind that play-the-ball.

so it's ok for them to miss forward passes,knock on's,offsides etc...?

Probably technically correct, but when the player is responding to the refs instructions in those situations its asking too much to expect him to hear the revised call and instantantly stop and play the ball. Some latitude was necessary.

I thought Thaler had a good game overall, just think that in those situations players are placed into an impossible position.

The french ref is utter garbage