Sat 17 Oct: Challenge Cup Final: Leeds Rhinos v Salford Red Devils KO 3pm (BBC)

[Rupert Prince]

1 minute ago, Just Browny said:

Hope they are disinfecting that cup between touches

Did I miss it but Salford were not able to collect their medals?

[unapologetic pedant]

Ref penalises Salford for an illegal PTB under pressure, then on the handover watches Leeds under no pressure go through the motion of playing the ball illegally. And we`re expected to take seriously his explanation of the distinction.

I don`t blame the ref. I blame the coaches, players and most of all the RFL.

[Click]

Just now, Rupert Prince said:

Did I miss it but Salford were not able to collect their medals?

They said the losers medals weren't being presented on the field - so they went straight back to the dressing rooms

[Dave T]

There are many decisions that affect the game. For me, Leeds's try was in touch, Salford shouldn't have had the ball for their last try, but that's the game, everyones doing the best they can and these things work themselves out in general. 

Leeds were the slightly better team, Salford did very well but its a fair result, no injustice here. 

[Click]

Just now, unapologetic pedant said:

Ref penalises Salford for an illegal PTB under pressure, then on the handover watches Leeds under no pressure go through the motion of playing the ball illegally. And we`re expected to take seriously his explanation of the distinction.

I don`t blame the ref. I blame the coaches, players and most of all the RFL.

Indeed - the PTB's are a mess in SL and have been for a long time - but that has always been the case,

It isn't hard for the person playing the ball to retain their feet - something all of those Leeds players managed to do with their "illegal" PTBs afterwards.

[Futtocks]

From Twitter, this made me laugh.

 

[Blind side johnny]

4 minutes ago, Click said:

You should learn the rules of RL, and then you would know it wasn't a pedantic decision - He knocked the ball on, he is 6ft10 or however much of a giant he is - He shouldn't have to fall over because a hand is on top of him. 

One of the key parts of the PTB is to have balance and not fall over.

The ref had a good game I felt, pretty anonymous generally, and ref'd with a smile on his face which was good to see.

You should watch the game. It wasn't a knock on but a supposed illegal ptb. Both sides got away with loads exactly the same throughout. The decision was pedantic.

[Hughsehhh]

Just now, Futtocks said:

From Twitter, this made me laugh.

 

Even the 2 year olds want to bring back the biff

[Padge]

Ian Watson, being brutally honest. Blaming nobody but his own side, no ref bashing, just honesty.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Just now, Padge said:

Ian Watson, being brutally honest. Blaming nobody but his own side, no ref bashing, just honesty.

The more I see Ian Watson interviews the more I like him

 

Paul

[dkw]

1 minute ago, Padge said:

Ian Watson, being brutally honest. Blaming nobody but his own side, no ref bashing, just honesty.

He's a brilliant coach and a better bloke. Hopefully over the years he keeps this attitude. 

[Padge]

Here's Sinfield to bring it all down to misery.

[Click]

Arghhhhhhhhh - listening to Wilkin talk about it is infuriating - "it may be lazy analysis from us" - as he talks about how he didn't touch it with his foot as the reason it was a knock on -

IT WAS NOT THE REASON. LISTEN TO WHAT THE REFEREE SAID WHEN HE GAVE THE PENALTY.

You are being paid for this ! None of these people in the box know the reason why it was a knock on.

Infuriating. 

 

Surprisingly - that wouldn't have been a knock on in the NRL, and most likely would have been play on (if they accept the lack of playing with the foot, which usually they do)

[JohnM]

3 minutes ago, Padge said:

Here's Sinfield to bring it all down to misery.

Didn't he do well, tool

[dkw]

8 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

From Twitter, this made me laugh.

 

It should be the new RFL advertising programme...

[Mattrhino]

20 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

after all that effort- such a shame the game was swung by a padantic pathetic refereeing tic against pauli pauli - if i was a salford fan i would be fuming

Salford player had Olezdki in a chokehold for the "knock on" that led to thier try. Its all swings and roundabouts.

[Click]

6 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

You should watch the game. It wasn't a knock on but a supposed illegal ptb. Both sides got away with loads exactly the same throughout. The decision was pedantic.

I did watch the game, thanks though.

It was a knock on, it is in the rules - granted it hasn't been in the rules for long, a couple of seasons roughly. The player who is playing the ball has to maintain balance as he does so. If the referee decides he's being crowded and that's why he's fallen over, then he may blow a penalty for that. It wasn't an incorrect PTB to illicit a penalty against Pauli either, just a knock on.

It wasn't pedantic either, only one other time did someone fall over as they played the ball earlier in the game, it was Donaldson, and guess what? The ref gave a knock on for that too.

Stay on your feet while you play the ball and it's play on, but he fell over because someone was touching his back.

 

[tonyXIII]

Gutted! I'd kick the cat, but it died a year ago.

Another coat of paint on the posts and that first conversion would have bounced clear. "Sack the lazy painters," I say.

[JohnM]

Gutted for Salford and their fans. Just hope the players(and manager) are not kidnapped by other clubs. Keep it all ogether. 

[marklaspalmas]

Really good game. I enjoyed it. Great day for the sport.

Thank God I stayed off this forum for the full 80 minutes

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Just now, JohnM said:

Gutted for Salford and their fans. Just hope the players(and manager) are not kidnapped by other clubs. Keep it all ogether. 

This is the key, something is building there and it needs to be kept together. In the past it was a club players left for bigger clubs to play in finals and compete for trophies, now though Salford are showing they can compete for trophies as well nad hopefully players will take notice of that. Only thing that could sway players away from Salford is the inability to compete with top teams in terms of wages. 

[Futtocks]

Great effort from both teams, and also another big event presented really well by the BBC.

[Niels]

5 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

You should watch the game. It wasn't a knock on but a supposed illegal ptb. Both sides got away with loads exactly the same throughout. The decision was pedantic.

Again I agree.

Usually for a penalty to be given in the last 5 minutes of a tied cup final,  you would expect it to have to be clear cut.

That was the key moment.

[welshmagpie]

A cracking cup final!

[Dunbar]

8 minutes ago, Click said:

I did watch the game, thanks though.

It was a knock on, it is in the rules - granted it hasn't been in the rules for long, a couple of seasons roughly. The player who is playing the ball has to maintain balance as he does so. If the referee decides he's being crowded and that's why he's fallen over, then he may blow a penalty for that. It wasn't an incorrect PTB to illicit a penalty against Pauli either, just a knock on.

It wasn't pedantic either, only one other time did someone fall over as they played the ball earlier in the game, it was Donaldson, and guess what? The ref gave a knock on for that too.

Stay on your feet while you play the ball and it's play on, but he fell over because someone was touching his back.

 

You are exactly right in what you say.

And not to argue with you or anyone else (claiming it was pedantic or inconsistent) but this is exactly the ridiculous position we have placed out referees in. Yes, it was a knock on by the letter of the law but 99% of the play the balls in the game break the laws in one way or another. And we ask our ref's to blow some up and let others go while at the same time demanding impartiality and consistency. 

Anyway. What a terrific game of Rugby. Entertaining for 80 minutes and a great contest.

And well done the BBC for the in match effects. Imagine how much less of a TV spectacle it would have been without the (fake) crowd nosing and singing. It made it feel like a real cup final.