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Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos

23rd September, KO: 19:45

M Com: A. Mills

Referee: R. Hicks

Reserve Referee: M. Griffiths
Touch Judge 1: J. Smith
Touch Judge 2: M. Craven
Video Referee: C. Kendall
Reserve Touch Judge: M. Smaill
Time Keeper: K. Leyland

Oh dear!

Who else? If we still manage to beat Leeds they'll bring back Steve Ganson for the Cats match.

It made no difference to the result but there is a reason why we have lost every match that Hicks has refereed this season. He's not 'bent' or anything like that but he obviously came onto the field last night with a clear view of how he was going to ref the match.
Leeds could hold down as much as they liked until they realised that they didn't need to.
Hardaker stiff-armed to the head by Oledski when on the ground - let it go.
Leeds refuse to return the ball after knocking on - that's OK.
Gildart punched in the mouth in the same incident - no problem.
And finally - the incident where Partington was held which should have been a sin-binning for Leeds resulted in a penalty to Leeds for Partington retaliating to a punch first thrown by a Leeds player.
It was the kind of performance that should see Hicks stood down but instead he will get the Grand Final.

If the club had any balls, they would put a video complaint to the RL and say that they will continue to do so on every occasion that he referees Wigan - but they won't.

Southern Softy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:28 am It made no difference to the result but there is a reason why we have lost every match that Hicks has refereed this season. He's not 'bent' or anything like that but he obviously came onto the field last night with a clear view of how he was going to ref the match.
Leeds could hold down as much as they liked until they realised that they didn't need to.
Hardaker stiff-armed to the head by Oledski when on the ground - let it go.
Leeds refuse to return the ball after knocking on - that's OK.
Gildart punched in the mouth in the same incident - no problem.
And finally - the incident where Partington was held which should have been a sin-binning for Leeds resulted in a penalty to Leeds for Partington retaliating to a punch first thrown by a Leeds player.
It was the kind of performance that should see Hicks stood down but instead he will get the Grand Final.

If the club had any balls, they would put a video complaint to the RL and say that they will continue to do so on every occasion that he referees Wigan - but they won't.

Completely agree with all of this. We were poor and couldn't score in a brothel but the refereeing was worse. It was laughable at times and it's very little wonder our players are frustrated. Officiating this season has been of such a low standard in general nevermind against us.

Blackpool_Pie wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:33 am

Southern Softy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:28 am It made no difference to the result but there is a reason why we have lost every match that Hicks has refereed this season. He's not 'bent' or anything like that but he obviously came onto the field last night with a clear view of how he was going to ref the match.
Leeds could hold down as much as they liked until they realised that they didn't need to.
Hardaker stiff-armed to the head by Oledski when on the ground - let it go.
Leeds refuse to return the ball after knocking on - that's OK.
Gildart punched in the mouth in the same incident - no problem.
And finally - the incident where Partington was held which should have been a sin-binning for Leeds resulted in a penalty to Leeds for Partington retaliating to a punch first thrown by a Leeds player.
It was the kind of performance that should see Hicks stood down but instead he will get the Grand Final.

If the club had any balls, they would put a video complaint to the RL and say that they will continue to do so on every occasion that he referees Wigan - but they won't.

Completely agree with all of this. We were poor and couldn't score in a brothel but the refereeing was worse. It was laughable at times and it's very little wonder our players are frustrated. Officiating this season has been of such a low standard in general nevermind against us.

i was in the car on the way home (not from the game ) listening to talksport 2, and the commentators couldnt believe the decision

calling for 10 minutes in the bin for the Leeds player, penalty to Wigan, only for it to be given the other way round

general comments from them as well related to Wigan's attacking option - kick to the right hand side and chase, they could clearly see that we had nothing in attack

I must admit at the game I was fuming about the Partington decision but, having watched the incident today, he'd already knocked on so the delaying by the Leeds player was irrelevant. Great effort to create the chance by Shorrocks though.

Ref had called surrender so the Leeds player could hold him until told to break

pedro wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:27 pm Ref had called surrender so the Leeds player could hold him until told to break

This is why it’s best to try and watch the game back,they do get a lot right that in the heat of the moment seem wrong to us in the stands

fozzieskem wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:00 pm

pedro wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:27 pm Ref had called surrender so the Leeds player could hold him until told to break

This is why it’s best to try and watch the game back,they do get a lot right that in the heat of the moment seem wrong to us in the stands

I'm pretty sure he ahd called held and release before the scuffle. Its increbile that a player diving on the ball can be called a surrender tackle in the first place. The Leeds player was bascially holding on until he was sin binned to let everyone get back.

Hicks seems to get stuck in a mindset where the obvious (and usually correct) decision is something that he looks to avoid. The incident where we wer offside after a Leeds player dummied the PTB aparently wasn't play on, or penalty against Leeds - it was a penalty again us because Bateman being too close had "Caused" the dummied PTB so it was "our fault" and therefore we were offside. He seems stuck in a loop of unneccesary interpretation, and not just keep it simple. Mylers non knockon was another - gone backwards he said - 99% of the time, a full back dropping a high bomb like that is a knock on, almost regardless of the direction of the ball - but this one clearly went forwards and bounced off his foot backwards. We all saw that, but not the ref.

I don't think any of this would have changed the result (except the sending off that wasn't might have had a small chance), but its something I've noticed about Hicks. He should be dropped again.