RFL statement: video referee decision at Magic Weeekend

[League Express]

The RFL have admitted that video referee Steve Ganson made an incorrect decision in awarding a try to Chris Green of Hull FC in the closing stages Super League fixture against Hull Kingston Rovers at the Etihad Stadium yesterday.

Click here to view the article

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Hudgell's response:

http://m.hullkr.co.uk/news/club-statement6

The gibe at Jon Sharp was completely uncalled for and something you'd expect a petty fan to do, not the chairman of a professional sports club.

[Larry the Leit]

Hudgell's response:

http://m.hullkr.co.uk/news/club-statement6

The gibe at Jon Sharp was completely uncalled for and something you'd expect a petty fan to do, not the chairman of a professional sports club.

 

That really is childish and utterly predicable.  I don't think we need morality lessons from an Ambulance chaser.

[Dave T]

I'm confused. He wanted an apology - he got it and is still acting like a dick.

[deluded pom?]

 He wanted an apology - he got it and is still acting like a dick.

It didn't take an apology for that Dave.

[Old Frightful]

"Every week, someone, somewhere, feels aggrieved, and it's us this week"

 

Yes Neil, it was you this week.

 

And it was Hull FC and their fans on that fateful, Ganson refereed day last year, in the corresponding fixture at the Etihad Stadium.

 

But did you see, hear or read about Adam Pearson ranting and raving and issuing statements?

 

Did you see or hear or read about Peter Gentle whining, describing an incorrect call as a "tragedy"?

 

 

For me, it would be entirely appropriate if the only person to be reprimanded by the RFL, Ganson's suspension aside, is Neil Hudgell himself.

 

His comments bringing Jon Sharp's integrity into question are simply unacceptable.

 

As has been said elsewhere, Hudgell's bitter hatred of Hull FC appears to cloud his reasoning and distort rather too much of his decision making in circumstances like this.

 

It will be interesting to see if he considers making Sharp an apology when the red and white mist abates, I for one, won't be holding my breath.

[TwoBlues]

His comments bringing Jon Sharp's integrity into question are simply unacceptable.

 

As has been said elsewhere, Hudgell's bitter hatred of Hull FC appears to cloud his reasoning and distort rather too much of his decision making in circumstances like this.

 

It will be interesting to see if he considers making Sharp an apology when the red and white mist abates, I for one, won't be holding my breath.

  His comments do no such thing.

  Seems the bitter hatred by FC fans is clouding their reasoning.

  Perhaps other people should be considering an apology.

[flyingking]

Unfortunately the nature of sport is that games are sometimes decided by people making mistakes; whether it is players dropping balls or missing tackles, coaches selecting the wrong team or tactics, or refs making shocking decisions. These things happen and that is part of the drama of sport, though rough for the players and fans if you happen to be on the wrong end of these errors.

Fair play to the RFL for admitting their match officials got it wrong and for issuing the apologies and also for opening up channels where you can communicate with the referees and ask them about their decisions. I do not know any other sport which is doing that and it does show commitment on the part of the RFL to being accountable and transparent.

[Blind side johnny]

  His comments do no such thing.

  Seems the bitter hatred by FC fans is clouding their reasoning.

  Perhaps other people should be considering an apology.

 

 

So what did he mean by: "For all of them I need more than ‘sorry’ from an ex-Hull FC player, coach and vocal advocate down the years. It is empty and tokenistic and an insult to our fans" then?

 

I'm not a follower of either Hull club by the way, so have no axe to grind. I thought Mr Hudgell's comments were wholly inappropriate.

 

 .

[Dave T]

It didn't take an apology for that Dave.

good point...

[Padge]

I think this new trend of officials making mistakes should be stamped on now.

 

I remember when I was a lad and the officials got absolutely everything right, players made no mistakes  either, GB beat Australia and the fairies at the bottom of my garden sang Rule Britania.

[SE4Wire]

I think this new trend of officials making mistakes should be stamped on now.

 

Maybe we should bring back promotion and relegation for the refs (I'll put my spoon away).

 

On the incident itself though, Ganson got it wrong.  People make mistakes.  Yeah it was a bad one but not a lot can be done about it now and I felt the Sky team going on about it was pretty unprofessional as was Hudgell's statement.

[Dave T]

Maybe we should bring back promotion and relegation for the refs (I'll put my spoon away).

 

On the incident itself though, Ganson got it wrong.  People make mistakes.  Yeah it was a bad one but not a lot can be done about it now and I felt the Sky team going on about it was pretty unprofessional as was Hudgell's statement.

Sky going on about it wasn't unprofessional at all. It was a massively controversial incident that rightly became the key talking point of the day. It would be very strange if they didn't go on about it tbh.

[Just Browny]

Hudgell's behaviour isn't really becoming of someone in such an important role, nor is Sandercock's whine. What they really should be doing is thinking about the next game and the rest of the season because, for most of the game, they were the better side.

[Saintslass]

Unfortunately the nature of sport is that games are sometimes decided by people making mistakes; whether it is players dropping balls or missing tackles, coaches selecting the wrong team or tactics, or refs making shocking decisions. These things happen and that is part of the drama of sport, though rough for the players and fans if you happen to be on the wrong end of these errors.

Fair play to the RFL for admitting their match officials got it wrong and for issuing the apologies and also for opening up channels where you can communicate with the referees and ask them about their decisions. I do not know any other sport which is doing that and it does show commitment on the part of the RFL to being accountable and transparent.

Fair play to Steve Ganson too for admitting his mistake openly and thereby living by his own principles, given that it was he who initiated #AskTheRef, holding the referees accountable to the public for their decisions.

 

#AskTheRef might be rather interesting tomorrow! 

Edited May 27, 2013 by Saintslass

[SE4Wire]

Sky going on about it wasn't unprofessional at all. It was a massively controversial incident that rightly became the key talking point of the day. It would be very strange if they didn't go on about it tbh.

 

 

I think they were right to mention it a few times, but it did seem to come up every couple of minutes to try to back up the flawed argument they were making that time about an apparent referee mistake when generally the on-field referees were calling it right.

 

The idea of using the error of a video ref who isn't refereeing on the pitch any longer to try to evidence that an on-field ref had made a mistake was disingenuous.

[Dave T]

I think they were right to mention it a few times, but it did seem to come up every couple of minutes to try to back up the flawed argument they were making that time about an apparent referee mistake when generally the on-field referees were calling it right.

 

The idea of using the error of a video ref who isn't refereeing on the pitch any longer to try to evidence that an on-field ref had made a mistake was disingenuous.

I didn't see it like that tbh. The Hull KR game pretty much finished there and then and I never felt that was happening during the Wire v Saints game at all.

[SE4Wire]

I didn't see it like that tbh. The Hull KR game pretty much finished there and then and I never felt that was happening during the Wire v Saints game at all.

 

I was away at the weekend and haven't watched all the games yet, saw the replay of the incident and it was obviously a shocking error but haven't seen the whole FC-KR game yet so haven't seen it "as live" so maybe some of the momentousness didn't come home.  It was more the summing up of the day they had on both evenings after Saints-Wire and Leeds-Wigan and it seemed to be the only thing that was emphasised so for someone dipping into rugby league it makes the officiating sound a bit amateur, not a way to attract new fans.

 

Also there was Stevo moaning about all the technology offered and how it should be used on Saturday evening when there was no technological issue.  When a man is that far offside at the kick you only need the most basic of replays to be able to see it.  If you're going to have a user error where the video ref misses the blindingly obvious there ain't a lot you can do about it.  You just have to have a reminder with all the officials afterwards and hope it doesn't happen again.

[Kenilworth Tiger]

While people are applauding the RFL for publicly apologising for the error I'm no fan of it. I think it can set a dangerous precedent moving forward and one that I'm not comfortable with.

Something along the lines of "The RFL have spoken to all parties involoved and the matter is now closed"

I din't like the overall tone of the coverage this weekend - far too much emphasis on look at our super dooper new cameras and we'll scrutinise every chuffing decision that's incorrect. The quality of play was great in most matches and that it what we should be talking about.

Anyway, my initial sympathy to Hull KR has now diminished after Hudgell's shocking statement

[Larry the Leit]

While people are applauding the RFL for publicly apologising for the error I'm no fan of it. I think it can set a dangerous precedent moving forward and one that I'm not comfortable with.

Something along the lines of "The RFL have spoken to all parties involoved and the matter is now closed"

I din't like the overall tone of the coverage this weekend - far too much emphasis on look at our super dooper new cameras and we'll scrutinise every chuffing decision that's incorrect. The quality of play was great in most matches and that it what we should be talking about.

Anyway, my initial sympathy to Hull KR has now diminished after Hudgell's shocking statement

 

I think that there's something in this.  I do like the honesty of the RFL here, but is there really a need for it at all?  Wouldn't it be better just to accept decisions from the officials from the players on the field, the fans and the club officials?

 

Sky's coverage was on the whole pretty lame.  Their new camara in the sky was over-used massively, and it often obscured the view of the usual camera shots too.  Their commentary has, for a very long time, focussed on the negatives, or just trotted out cliches about how great so and so is when they're not actually playing well.  Eddie struggles to say anything positive about any player that represents a club outside the top six.  This weekend Eddie and Stevo told us that Sinfield's form of late had been poor then told us he should be man of steel in the same breath. 

 

Credit to Dave Woods, over the years his skills in calling the game have got better and better.  He is a class act and I'd love him to be signed up by Sky.  Sky don't seem to do succession planning too well, signing walking talking cliche machines like Barrie and Terry who are just morphing into Stevo "light". 

[Ullman]

So what did he mean by: "For all of them I need more than ‘sorry’ from an ex-Hull FC player, coach and vocal advocate down the years. It is empty and tokenistic and an insult to our fans" then?

 

I'm not a follower of either Hull club by the way, so have no axe to grind. I thought Mr Hudgell's comments were wholly inappropriate.

 

 .

Absolutely, given Hudgell's comment and the context in which it was made it's difficult to read it as anything other than an attempt to impugn Jon Sharp's integrity.

[hindle xiii]

Reading one or two tweets gave me the impression Hudgell has done some kind of mahoosive u-turn...?

[hindle xiii]

Meh, BBC link.

[Just to be clear]

Meh, BBC link.

Just to be clear, he said the same in his original statement, which is what made his attack on Jon Sharp all the more worse for me. Despite Ganson being wholly responsible for the error, Hudgell defended him yet took a petty personal swipe at Sharp. The respect we expect players to give to officials should apply equally to those running clubs to those in charge of officiating.

Although I do agree with his comments on Ganson.

[Griff]

During theSky commentary, Eddie Hemmings said that the try had been allowed because Green was outside the ten when Eden "touched" the ball.

In Sharp's interview, he says that Ganson had "tracked the wrong player". Which is strange in itself, seeing as nearly all of them were offside.

Anyway, that little discrepancy bothers me.