Should never have even got to thus stage . red hall idiots

Some common sense at last. It's about time though that Me Cummings was brought to task about the slipping standards and inconsistency in the officials especially as they are supposedly full-time so should be held to account.

Not a weekly round goes by without 2 or more games having some poor calls & decisions so they have to take a serious look at why this is and look to rectify it for the future of the game.

do we get an apology and expenses reimbursed? we should

Agree , The whole set up needs a complete shake up but I don't see any one soon capabler of such a task.

You would hope AP could get together with the owners/CEO's of other clubs and make the RFL understand that the quality of officiating is damaging the game and putting their investment and players livelihoods in jeopardy. With so many leisure options available to people the game is at genuine risk of falling attendances if this continues, couple it with the atrocious "commentary" provided by Sky and the incredibly questionable Stobart sponsorship deal and the future looks questionable if nothing changes. The RFL seem to think the fans are still "flat caps and whippets".

Good news. McGoldrick available and Ferriol out for 2 games. Still don't expect us to win, but at least the odds are slightly improved.

Cummings should be replaced as a minimum preferably by an Australian who can freshen things up amongst the officials. Even if Cummings was doing a good job (which he obviously isn't) he should move on he's been in there way too long and it's gone stale.

The sponsorship deal looks absurd now with the lack of money in the game but as I understand it it was a majority vote by the clubs which is even more bizarre.

I completely agree.

Obviously my views on the game are clouded by the fact we've seen about 1 decent/average season in 5 years (2010) but I am sick and tired of leaving a game and only talking about the abysmal decisions of the officials. I am sick and tired of seeing games where the Ref just allows both sides to play offside all game, which results in players being tackled as soon as they play the ball, allowing little attacking play.

I would have been in favour of the Stobart deal if it stipulated that ALL Stobart trucks would be painted in the SL livery over say a 2 year period, as this would have meant a large presence on the roads. Instead we have got a handful of trucks painted, and no cash to go with it.

SKY's commentary team are getting worse and worse every year, and now seem to offer nothing but irrelevant facts 'PlayerX last knocked on in the 3rd tackle in 2006' or just hype up games that even the casual RL fan knows isn't a classic (recent England-Exiles games) I know they have to try and avoid viewers switching off, but there is nothing wrong with constructive criticism of how a team is playing or on the quality of a game.

my other big RFL gripe is that they have taken a genuinely good opportunity of playing the RL World Cup in a 'dead' summer in the sporting calender, but have proceeded to mess it all up. So we have scenarios where the most attractive game in the tournament England-Australia, is played at the English RL heartland of Cardiff

Meanwhile England and NZ don't even meet in the group stage at all.

The thing is certain CEO of clubs will be very happy with the officiating when most things tend to go there way.
I think this is what AP was getting at when he said certain CEOs have to much influence what goes on with the running of the game.

Commiserations to you that he's had his ban overturned.

Thanks for the concern, we'll be fine

no because they have still found him guilty - he's been fined £300 (probably their way of getting round it)

I think the RFL is run by whippets (possibly in flat caps).

You make a good point about players' livelihoods - I wonder how many players' incomes have been adversely affected by incosistend and petty rulings. I still believe the whole incident ought never to have made it this far.

it is a stupid rule "deliberate contact with the referee", it's not as if he was violent or anything, the referee simply stood in the wrong place. I am all for someone laying Ganson out cold, I'll pay the fine!

I agree. But having made it that far they should at the very least check back in the same season's rulings for previous analysis/outcomes. The incident was very similar to Webb's which was a case heard in March. In Webb's hearing the panel agreed that there was no malice and that the player was just trying to cover a potential quick tap and dive over the line by the opposition player. They fined him but didn't ban him. Why not just compare the two and arrive at the same conclusion first time around ? It would have saved us time and money and them embarrassment.

They don't know the meaning of embarrassment, but they certainly understand incompetence, after all they are the masters of it.

just "who are the RFL" nowadays anyway, Lewis has gone back to outside ping pong, who is running the show(er)?

Your not wrong Standee, however sensibility surely states that if the ref thought it was deliberate contact why didnt he send him off for it ??

Kaff and co

dont you know that mate

In my dealings with the RFL, 'shower' describes them perfectly.
The greatest game is being turned into a laughing stock amongst its own fans.
If we had competent people running the game, we'd have a much higher profile in UK sport.

However,what this means in reality is, you will get less penalties awarded they will get more.

Tubby Nigel, I think, until a repacement is announced for Lewis.

Ullfc wrote.
my other big RFL gripe is that they have taken a genuinely good opportunity of playing the RL World Cup in a 'dead' summer in the sporting calender, but have proceeded to mess it all up. So we have scenarios where the most attractive game in the tournament England-Australia, is played at the English RL heartland of Cardiff Meanwhile England and NZ don't even meet in the group stage at all.

The city with the biggest following gets the minnows playing there and the oft tried and failed welsh dump gets the big one. Beggars belief.

I couldn't agree more.

Nicely summed up. Pretty much how I feel. Sick of the out-of-favour clubs being the RFL's whipping boys and us fans paying for the privilege.

The city of Hull's fans must fork out more than any other clubs' fans to travel and put money in other clubs' pockets and we still don't get rewarded with a decent international, despite last years' Kiwi game at the KC being a brilliant ambassador for the game.