2 Apr: SL: Catalans Dragons v Widnes Vikings KO 6pm (TV)

[chuffer]

Bit of brilliance there from taylor

[MZH]

So lucky, that kick was going into row z.

[chuffer]

Ah dudson..great opportunity squandered

[chuffer]

Bosc seals it..

[Roy Boy]

Sick of Terry O'Connor vaunting the brave Widnes team!  They are getting beat by the better team on the day, get over it O'Connor ffs!

[chuffer]

Oh well...cant fault our effort, well done lads and well done cats

[chuffer]

Would have won my acca too if nit for bloody Salford....Dobson owes me a ton by my reckoning

[Davo5]

Good effort from Widnes

[Maximus Decimus]

Can't complain with the team we had out. I think many of us feared a real pasting.

I've said it a few times but our resilience has really improved the last 2 years. We played shocking on Monday and had a poor side out today and only conceded 20 and 21.

When we get players back, this should be enough to see us pick up victories again.

[MZH]

Widnes tried extremely hard, ultimately they didn't offer enough threat with the ball.

[Futtocks]

Can't complain with the team we had out. I think many of us feared a real pasting.

I've said it a few times but our resilience has really improved the last 2 years. We played shocking on Monday and had a poor side out today and only conceded 20 and 21.

When we get players back, this should be enough to see us pick up victories again.

Well the Sky lot were talking about some of the lopsided scores when Widnes lost in Perpignan before, so this close game is a good sign (but no points, of course). 

[Maximus Decimus]

Well the Sky lot were talking about some of the lopsided scores when Widnes lost in Perpignan before, so this close game is a good sign (but no points, of course).

We've turned up after Easter before with a weakened side and got pummeled. We wouldn't really expect points from Cats away at the best of times so I'm not too concerned.

I'll be concerned if we lose to Cas next week as with Wire the week after we could end up with at least 5 defeats on the bounce.

[Futtocks]

We've turned up after Easter before with a weakened side and got pummeled. We wouldn't really expect points from Cats away at the best of times so I'm not too concerned.

I'll be concerned if we lose to Cas next week as with Wire the week after we could end up with at least 5 defeats on the bounce.

That was the point they were making. No points, but a tough, close match instead of a gubbing.

[chuffer]

Widnes tried extremely hard, ultimately they didn't offer enough threat with the ball.

Agree, think if bridge and runciman would have been on the pitch tom and Joe would have had more to work with

[Maximus Decimus]

Agree, think if bridge and runciman would have been on the pitch tom and Joe would have had more to work with

Don't think Gilmore is ready and maybe not good enough. He's had 3 games where he has offered little tbh.

[chuffer]

Don't think Gilmore is ready and maybe not good enough. He's had 3 games where he has offered little tbh.

Yeh I think id reluctantly agree, there's been times in the past when he's shown promise and this period has been the perfect opportunity for him to step up but its not happened and so I think he's missed his chance now unfortunately

[Maximus Decimus]

Yeh I think id reluctantly agree, there's been times in the past when he's shown promise and this period has been the perfect opportunity for him to step up but its not happened and so I think he's missed his chance now unfortunately

He had the reputation as a good kicker but he's not impressed on that front either.

[Hvy wg]

French guys moaning about the refs and raving about "how good was Mason!". 

Anyway, Taylor superstar, Pelissier superman. Escaré super-bombed-that-bomb-again.

[Manfred Mann]

The video referee Alibert was appalling. The on field referee called a try to Gigot and the video evidence even in slow motion could not prove conclusively that the boot of Gigot had touched the dead ball line. That means that the decision should go with the on field referee.

[Maximus Decimus]

The video referee Alibert was appalling. The on field referee called a try to Gigot and the video evidence even in slow motion could not prove conclusively that the boot of Gigot had touched the dead ball line. That means that the decision should go with the on field referee.

 

Maybe his being French affected his decision, didn't want to look biased...

 

It was a 50/50, I must admit I don't like how much they appeared to be using the VR for routine decisions. It's like somebody looked at the Union WC and thought we needed to bring it in despite the fact that it was universally panned. 

[barnyia]

Mason is trying to cheat everybody, that's 3 games I've seen him be the third man in the tackle finish around the legs and stay marker. Sending a player back into the defensive line to take his place,

[MamaKangaroo]

The video referee Alibert was appalling. The on field referee called a try to Gigot and the video evidence even in slow motion could not prove conclusively that the boot of Gigot had touched the dead ball line. That means that the decision should go with the on field referee.

I agree.

I also think it's wrong when he changed an on field decision without being asked to look at it. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't called it wrong!! Video ref at all games or none. It's also a huge advantage to Catalan who have every home game televised.

[Evil Homer]

I agree.

I also think it's wrong when he changed an on field decision without being asked to look at it. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't called it wrong!! Video ref at all games or none. It's also a huge advantage to Catalan who have every home game televised.

Not sure how it's an advantage when they've had three tries wrongly overturned by the VR in the past week.

[Manfred Mann]

I think we should recall the previous game of Catalans when Castleford scored a try by a player in an offside position. On field referee Ben Thaler said no try but video referee Alibert over-ruled him and gave a try to Castleford. Ben Thaler argued with him on screen, because, having seen the video replay, Thaler was so baffled by Alibert's conclusion. Yet as a result of the public interchange Thaler was dropped from Super League refereeing for this week, while Alibert was not, and moreover Alibert was allowed to be referee for the next Catalans game (against Widnes), where he blundered again.

 

I don't know what the problem is with Alibert. Maybe he has a problem with Catalans. Or maybe he is just incompetent. Since he is ostensibly French I would tend to go with the latter explanation, though I am in no position to know whether the former explanation has any merit.

[wackojacko]

I don't know what the problem is with Alibert. Maybe he has a problem with Catalans. Or maybe he is just incompetent. Since he is ostensibly French I would tend to go with the latter explanation, though I am in no position to know whether the former explanation has any merit.

 

Not that I saw the game but it could do, we're always complaining that English refs suck up to the Aussies when we're playing them.