Top referee stood down by RFL following suspension

[LR23 277]

5 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Almost everything about this is NOT in the public domain.

Some unvalidated crapola is being spread across social media etc without a shread of substance to underpin the claims.

Our game is so small. Most of us know folk within the game and its hard to keep the skeletons hidden. Some folks know the craic. Most don't.

Speculation is pointless. It'll all come out in t'wesh!

Exactly - brushing these things under the carpet makes it worse and will only get the social media nut-jobs claiming it is some sort of conspiracy.

[Wellsy4HullFC 3,897]

48 minutes ago, RL does what Sky says said:

That's another problem with cases like this ... the accuser is often never known. Yet if the allegation is found to be untrue then nothing is often done against that accuser for making such a false allegation.

Being found not guilty doesn't necessarily mean they didn't do something; it often means they just didn't have enough evidence to procede. For the reason, you cannot vilify the whistleblower. If we vilified the whistleblower, no one would ever come forward and guilty parties would rarely get caught. It's the exact reason we have a whistle blowing policy in our places of work.

I completely agree though that if a case is going to be completely fabricated, there should be the means to prosecute for defamation of character.

[Private Baldrick 1,933]

2 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Being found not guilty doesn't necessarily mean they didn't do something; it often means they just didn't have enough evidence to procede. For the reason, you cannot vilify the whistleblower. If we vilified the whistleblower, no one would ever come forward and guilty parties would rarely get caught. It's the exact reason we have a whistle blowing policy in our places of work.

I completely agree though that if a case is going to be completely fabricated, there should be the means to prosecute for defamation of character.

Ah!...... Thaler,...…...whistleblower…….like it!

[Wellsy4HullFC 3,897]

55 minutes ago, RL does what Sky says said:

They still didn't have to report it ... and nor should the RFL have told them either.

What might the reaction be of the Hull fans if it was in the media that a Hull KR player had been suspended by the club but was then ultimately found not guilty ... would they never refer to it when he plays against them ?

They didn't have to report it, but then again it's there job to report the news and if the RFL give them news, the media rarely take the moral high ground do they!

I wouldn't blame the media here. This would be at the RFL's feet. They need to release some information though, because people will notice that a top referee isn't refereeing and will want to know why.

[Wellsy4HullFC 3,897]

1 minute ago, Private Baldrick said:

Ah!...... Thaler,...…...whistleblower…….like it!

I wish I could say that was intentional

[RL does what Sky says 1,420]

Just now, Wellsy4HullFC said:

They didn't have to report it, but then again it's there job to report the news and if the RFL give them news, the media rarely take the moral high ground do they!

I wouldn't blame the media here. This would be at the RFL's feet. They need to release some information though, because people will notice that a top referee isn't refereeing and will want to know why.

Although had anyone actually noticed that Ben Thaler had not refereed since the opening match ?   I hadn't.

[LR23 277]

5 minutes ago, RL does what Sky says said:

Although had anyone actually noticed that Ben Thaler had not refereed since the opening match ?   I hadn't.

The Twitter detectives would have got hold of it eventually. Better to get in front of these things.

[DavidM 8,160]

2 hours ago, Chris22 said:

Interesting to read of Thaler's shock at his suspension. It makes you wonder, if he is cleared to return to refereeing, whether he would do.

We have a huge lack of referees as it is, the prime example being Liam Moore, who officiated in the Super League despite only being in his mid 20's.

We could do without losing more.

Yes fair point . I’m seeing young guys in SL who it seems were doing our games in league one not five minutes ago

[fighting irish 969]

What's he done?

[Wolford6 1,930]

Anyone is innocent till proven guilty. The RFL should not have commented about the suspension until the review is completed. If there was query about his absence, the RFL could do the same as soccer clubs do and say that he was/is carrying an injury.

 

Poor show.

[Click 489]

2 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

Anyone is innocent till proven guilty. The RFL should not have commented about the suspension until the review is completed. If there was query about his absence, the RFL could do the same as soccer clubs do and say that he was/is carrying an injury.

 

Poor show.

Suspension doesn't equal guilt.

I don't understand why some people seem suprirsed that this has been announced, don't most major sports announce when people have been suspended? I'm sure it has happened multiple times in RL before.

Should we not release if an investigation is underway as well then? As this could imply guilt also.

[Mr Plow 841]

2 hours ago, RL does what Sky says said:

Although had anyone actually noticed that Ben Thaler had not refereed since the opening match ?   I hadn't.

I hadn’t but then again I don’t actively look at referee appointments. I usually find out when I get to the game who the ref is. 

[RL does what Sky says 1,420]

24 minutes ago, Mr Plow said:

I hadn’t but then again I don’t actively look at referee appointments. I usually find out when I get to the game who the ref is. 

Exactly ... the vast majority of people wouldn't have even noticed - or cared - until it has now been published in the media. Yet the media, as they always do, will claim it is "in the public interest" !!!!!

[RL does what Sky says 1,420]

1 hour ago, Click said:

Suspension doesn't equal guilt.

I don't understand why some people seem suprirsed that this has been announced, don't most major sports announce when people have been suspended? I'm sure it has happened multiple times in RL before.

Should we not release if an investigation is underway as well then? As this could imply guilt also.

In my view no we shouldn't until proven guilty.  Mud sticks irrespective of the eventual outcome.

[Click 489]

1 hour ago, RL does what Sky says said:

In my view no we shouldn't until proven guilty.  Mud sticks irrespective of the eventual outcome.

I can respect that viewpoint - Personally this news doesn't effect me, I saw the headline, read the story of a suspension and then moved on with my day in the most part (apart from viewing this thread). 

I guess it just turns into a debate as to if this is in the public interest or not. I think it is probably in the interest of RL circles - He is a senior referee as well as being probably the best one we have in this country. We also don't have many referees to begin with.

People are always going to jump to conclusions and try and make things up - I just don't see how in this instance anyone can abuse him if he returns clear and free. What are they going to shout? "you got suspended" It doesn't really have much of a ring to it.

[RL does what Sky says 1,420]

2 hours ago, Click said:

I can respect that viewpoint - Personally this news doesn't effect me, I saw the headline, read the story of a suspension and then moved on with my day in the most part (apart from viewing this thread). 

I guess it just turns into a debate as to if this is in the public interest or not. I think it is probably in the interest of RL circles - He is a senior referee as well as being probably the best one we have in this country. We also don't have many referees to begin with.

People are always going to jump to conclusions and try and make things up - I just don't see how in this instance anyone can abuse him if he returns clear and free. What are they going to shout? "you got suspended" It doesn't really have much of a ring to it.

But people will still shout at him even if he is found not guilty and he will forever be linked with the incident. It'll just take until the first decision he makes when supporters don't agree with it. Even if they do only shout "you got suspended" it is still a reference to it ... I bet they will never shout "you were not guilty".

As you say, the news doesn't affect you - as it doesn't me - so I wonder just who are these people in RL circles who the media think are wanting to know all about it ?

[THE RED ROOSTER 784]

All you can say is this, In Employment Law it is only after a preliminary investigation that you as the employer need to be satisfied that that there has been a potential breach of company rules that requires investigation before you suspend an employee, which means that any such charges, if substantiated by the fuller investigation, constitute gross misconduct sufficient to warrant the potential termination of employment.

As far as it is in the public domain, this is not a Criminal matter so any charge does not have to be "beyond all reasonable doubt" but is under Employment Law which requires the employer to be satisfied that an act has occurred based on a reasonable investigation of the facts. having followed a fair and reasonable process, and any sanction from the employer being within a range of reasonable responses from a disciplinary panel.

So its not a case of guilty or not guilty, but simply is there enough evidence to support a "reasonable belief" that something has happened in breach of RFL policy.

Whether the fact that such an investigation is ongoing should be in the public domain is another matter.

[hunsletgreenandgold 1,226]

Wow Richard Silverwood isn’t holding back! 
 

Some of the replies he’s written are pretty scathing too. Clearly a lot of history there.

[Hela Wigmen 225]

29 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Wow Richard Silverwood isn’t holding back! 
 

Some of the replies he’s written are pretty scathing too. Clearly a lot of history there.

Doesn’t particularly paint either in a particularly good light. 

 

[RigbyLuger 83]

As we've only got one side of it, I'd say it makes Silverwood look worse. I can't remember ever reading why he isn't a ref anymore. 

[Hela Wigmen 225]

7 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

As we've only got one side of it, I'd say it makes Silverwood look worse. I can't remember ever reading why he isn't a ref anymore. 

He was suspended three times, he retired during his last suspension and that seems to have been it.

[LeeF 1,531]

7 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

He was suspended three times, he retired during his last suspension and that seems to have been it.

There was the release of personal data to a third party; the Huddersfield incident and then the Millenium Weekend incident. 
Silverwood clearly holds a grudge but only has himself to blame for what happened to him

[LeeF 1,531]

7 hours ago, RigbyLuger said:

As we've only got one side of it, I'd say it makes Silverwood look worse. I can't remember ever reading why he isn't a ref anymore. 

Completely unnecessary and looks like an idiot probably sums it up

[Wildcat 223]

8 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Doesn’t particularly paint either in a particularly good light. 

 

Pretty sad all in all - some of the lovely comments from RL supporters are pretty shocking too.

Far too many keyboard warriors on Twitter. 

[Lowdesert 2,594]

41 minutes ago, Wildcat said:

Pretty sad all in all - some of the lovely comments from RL supporters are pretty shocking too.

Far too many keyboard warriors on Twitter. 

It’s a cess pit and best kept away from.