He doesn't need to look though when he's got a video ref who's watching. I can remember quite a few occassions where Ganson has asked the video ref for his opinion about bad challenges which have resulted in red cards but on this occassion he didn't seem to bother. Why not?

I've said though now in hindsight I'm glad it stays on because it kills an excuse for Leeds fans and Eddie Hemmings to use. The whole refereeing continues to be poor though and it never used to bother me but since the referees went professional in 2008 I think standards have dropped rather than increased.

I'd have to agree with you there - since they went full time, the standards aren't acceptable for people who now only have 1 job to concentrate on.

From what we've seen of Ganson in the last few years, I can only think he didn't send him off because he was happy enough that the incident wasn't that severe, but put him on report as an insurance. Of all of our referees, he's usually the one big enough to take the tough calls in the big games. And if that is the case, it's a mistake from him to not walk Ablett.

Every game needs a video ref with the same no of cameras as at the sky games but the money isnt there and we also need to switch to the oz style 2 ref system but as mentioned we are struggling to put out one top class official per game let alone two. There are no sports I can think of where the same sport is officiated so drastically different just because it is on TV or has such big differences between different top-flight national leagues. If these two changes could be implemented then I dont think that there would be as many dodgy decisions being made.

Something the RFL desperately needs to look at is the training structure to promote more officials worthy of being in charge of superleague fixtures on a weekly basis. This is the underlying problem IMO.

The VR had a say in Coley being sent off as has been mentioned.
He also had the main say in Howells being sent off for Quins last season when he tackled Sam in the same way as Ablett. In the Quins game Ganson didn't see it and obtained all his info from the TJ and VR.
Howells was sent off and got four matches.
If you play for Leeds you don't get sent off and get 3 matches.

But they rely on one camera now for the majority of their Monday match reviews don't they?

Sounds a great idea to me, Rogue.
What got me (and I've posted this elsewhere) is that the ref at the Catalans v Wigan game was obviously in conversation with the VR and took the latter's advice before sending Coley off. Why didn't Ganson, the great senderoffer do the same. All we ask for is consistency.

no just the ones he would normally put on report.

Well said, Ted.

We all know how much of a disadvantage being a man down is in RL so I think 10 mins for potentially an accidental offence seems a bit harsh to me. 2 or 3 mins seems more appropriate to me as this still gives time for the incident to be reviewed IMO.

It was always my view that the sanctions in order of severity were:
"on report" -> sin bin -> sending off

Therefore I think this idea should be somewhere between the first two sanctions rather than the last two.

And I'm still annoyed about the Challenge Cup match. It's obvious to me that refs favour the opposition when Wigan are playing. In the league we managed to win at Leeds despite the ref but in the Cup the decisions were equally bad. With a fair ref we would be in the semi on Saturday.

Agreed. If it's that bad a tackle it wouldn't take ten minutes for the VR to see.

Easy Mr Ganson and all the rest of the muppet officials need to grow a pair

You don't need any of that crap. Ablett should have been sent off - period. If the referee hasn't seen it then the linesmen should have seen it. If they have both missed it then the Video Referee should have had a word in Ganson's ear. Bottom line - he should have been sent off.

My argument is that he saw enough of the tackle to put it on report, but didn't have the bottle (or desire) to send him off. And people prattle on that he is the best referee in the league. The man is an idiot & the conspiracist inside of me says he is fuelled by blind, ardent hatred of Wigan RL when he officiates our games. It was an atrocious tackle and an even more atrocious decision to leave him on the field. In a play off/grand final that sort of cataclysmic error could cost us the league. Simple as that.

Of course you would

I think Rogues idea is a very good one and would pacify fans who see bad decisions affecting the outcome of the game. Or put another way, Wigan get no advantage from Ablett being banned for the next 3 games.

The one modification I would make to Rogues suggestion is that if the Match Commisioner/video ref reviews the evidence and doesnt see it worthy of a sin binning he should be able to instruct the ref to allow the sin binned player back on the pitch immediately. This would then minimise players being penalised unfairly.

Glad you agree.

the last bit of your post would be far too close to admitting the ref had made a mistake which would never happen (see Coley's sin bin sufficient ruling as a recent example)

Really wouldn't be surprised if Ablett had his ban reduced on appeal.

of course he will get it reduced he plays for LEEDS.

They should just scrap the on report rule fir me.

If the ref has seen it and deemed it a penalty then he should have the balls to make a call. Likewise the touchie should have the authority to send someone off.

All games are reviewd anyway so there's no need for it imo

Nice to hear your idea discussed in the last few minutes on GMR last night ROgues... I thought they were going to blow a gasket at the injustice of an 'innocent' man being binned!!

Perhaps the problem is that "sending off" is *usually* too harsh a punishment?

How about this?

Jones gets red carded and leaves the field for the duration of the match.
After 10 minutes, Smith substitues Jones in the normal way.
After the match, Jones is automatically summoned to the RFL for further punishment.

So it acts like a Yellow Card but the offending player can play no further part in that match.

Thoughts?

Fredtosspot has it spot on there.

He was told not to challenge therefore i cannot understand how ganson can say he didnt see enough of the challenge if he had the foresight to tell ablett not to challenge.

Im not comfortable with this - A player goes to the bin for a foul theyve committed which in the refs mind he is certain merits such a punishment or like Andy Coley did being the next offender after a warning by the ref to the captain that the team are giving away too many pens.

Putting something on report doesnt/ shouldnt imply guilt - plenty of items referred dont see any further action taken - so to put a player in the bin whilst a conflab goes on in the stand is punishing a team during a game where a ref is uncertain of the degree of foul play or even if any has taken place

Sorry to sound like a lawyer and i can see how the Ablett tackle got people thinking about the video ref - but the only alternative is back to the pre report days of the early 90s .

What about leaving him on the field then but still having the "conflab" on whether to send him off? Personally I can't get over that Phil Bentham clearly (he was heard on the Sky coverage) got involved to send Andy Coley off at Catalans but didn't get involved this time. Why didn't he? He can't have looked at that and deemed it ok surely when he advised the Coley one to be a red card?