Not the same team without Sean o loughlin . I still think they will be at the business end when the end of the season comes

Good old jake you can rely on him!.

The funny thing regarding the red card call was that he said he never saw if it connected. Judging by the "Ref Cam" it clearly did.

Also what's with the video ref calling out there decision?

If it had been Grix or any other full back in the competition they'd have walked. Everybody knows it and everybody saw what happened, Silverwood included.

That would mean giving out an automatic ban for the World Club Challenge, putting it on report means they can let him off with a warning.

If he gets a ban, I guess he can use his 'get out of the charge plea' I won't do it again honest

Well, Stevo never saw anything dirty about it.

Mind, he's set his stall out once again with his fave teams sparkling at the front and the ones he's not interested in in a dusty box kicked underneath the wallpaper table. Classic Stevo when he proudly announced Thursday Rugby League on Sky when we'll be watching Warrington take on St Helens, then on Friday we'll be seeing, er, erm silence whilst false teeth rattle... oh yes it's Catalans! We're seeing Catalans on Friday!

The thing is, from Wigan's point of view, last night's result is fairly unimportant in the grand scheme of things. It's what they do in Sept/Oct that counts, not February.

The Champions ultimately come from a mini tournament played at the end of the season. The only criteria for the major clubs (Wigan, Wire, Leeds specifically) is to make sure they are in that mini tournament somewhere (which they will be, barring a catastrophic implosion). As Leeds and Wigan have both shown in recent years, the regular season finishing position is almost irrelevant for the top stream of clubs. They will back themselves to come out on top when it really matters.

Ultimately, last night's result didn't make the slightest difference to Wigan's chances of retaining their crown in October. That's the drawback of the current play-off system, although the situation may alter next year with the introduction of a top 4 play-off. The matches between the elite may take on a slightly greater significance with the reduced number of play-off spots available.

I agree , a dismissal then would have ensured a loss for Wigan at that point, the ref bottled it.

As regards the result , you don't lose the league in game 1.

2 video referees has been brought in to stop mistakes like the Ganson Magic Weekend one. (I can't remember fully)

Odd how he was one of the video refs last night.

So, one ref on the field, a fourth official in the stand, 2 video refs with SIX camera angles and 2 linesmen and the best decision was to put Fatty Bowen on report?

If you try and tell me there is NO top 5 bias, I think that proves you wrong.

Why cant they make decisions based on evidence before them? A try can change the outcome of a game in the same way as a dismissal. So why not adjudicate in the same way as a try?

I've always said a player is going to get seriously hurt before the rfl make the head high shot an instant sending off, & before people say its bad technique, that's a load of rubbish, players have always put big shoulder charges I'm but now they have been kicked out the game you hardly see them, so it just shows you a player can tackle correctly when they try hard enough, look at meli on hall last season that was one of the worst I've seen.

Nobody goes out there to put in a high shot, just like nobody goes out there to throw bad passes. It is very easy to stop doing a shoulder charge as you set yourself up differently to do one, with a high shot you aim to tackle the player in and around the ball carrying arm, unfortunately mistakes are made. The way the attacking player deviates from his expected path and fatigue from the defending player also play a big factor.

Grid never stepped last night it was lazy defending by bowen or a stop at all costs tackle.

It was poor last night and should have had a straight Red. I was listening to the game on BBC Manchester and they were saying he should have been off and they were slating the ref for not having the conviction to do so.
The problem we have is the refs are afraid to act on stuff even when it is pretty clear cut.

that's what o was meaning a ref won't make a decision on the spot unless the player gets seriously injured, there has been some bad 1s over the years, I know the games played fast but its very bad when its a 1on1 and the players goes high, it maybe is with the modern tackle been 1st 2 in go high around the ball 2rd man legs.

I didn't think this day would ever come,but I agree 100%.

Any other full back would have walked last night. A mixture of World Club Challenge and Wigan's star signing made sure that Bowen didn't. The ref should be embarrassed to admit that he didn't see the point of contact but of course he did.

Was ludicrous.

Spot on

We'll see similar incident go unpunished pretty much every week. Wouldntt be so bad if red hall picked up the pieces properly

Embarrassing. Firstly by that bald cut and paste commentator who said there was nothing in it, just an accident, then to see Bowen actually LEAP to take him out and very, very late.

Its supposed to be a sinbinning for taking out a kicker isn't it?

That should get 5 games for intent to cause severe injury.

was it as good as this commentary ?????? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VePaFwELzM

was it as good as this commentary ?????? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VePaFwELzM

Quote ="quinny"was it as good as this commentary ?????? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VePaFwELzM'" absolute class commentary

Quote ="quinny"was it as good as this commentary ?????? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VePaFwELzM'" absolute class commentary

Quote ="quinny"was it as good as this commentary ?????? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VePaFwELzM'" Fantastic

Quote ="quinny"was it as good as this commentary ?????? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VePaFwELzM'" Fantastic

have you seen the ref's new sponsor as well?


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