Proper officiating

However for the last three matches the sole intention of the opposition has been to spoil, frustrate and try and bring the game down into a dog fight. I don't blame the opposition, that is the tactic which they obviously believe gives them a chance to get something out of their game against Caldy. 

However I do blame the officials. If they punished obvious transgressions fairly the team playing such tactics would need to wise up quickly or be left with only 10 players on the pitch after conceding numerous penalty tries. When the opposition pack is being driven backwards at a rate of knots and then a metre from the line the maul suddenly collapses, or when an unprotected player is illegally smashed out of the way at a ruck the officials do not seem to understand that is part of a pattern of play. Left unpunished this negative and often illegal pattern of play is reinforced and continues. It is just wrong.

In the last three games Caldy has initially tried to play an attractive brand of rugby but to combat the over robust and negative plans adopted by the opposition sides they have had to switch to forward dominance alone to keep their run going. 

Many may say so what, but the downside of all of this is a mounting injury list caused by such illegal tactics and growing disillusionment from supporters with the very turgid match day spectacle. 

I do not decry the opposition (other than when their tactics descend into obvious foul or illegal play), they need to employ whatever legal tactics they think can win them the game.

However I very strongly believe that it is the job of the officials to properly punish transgressions to let the game flow and reward positive play. In the last three games this has not happened, enterprising rugby has been stymied and negative rugby rewarded. Yesterday Huddersfield had two yellow cards and one penalty try against them. At best they should have had double that against them. Huddersfield are a great club and a very decent and likeable bunch of people but they should have been punished properly yesterday ............in my view the poor standard of officiating was largely responsible for a poor game of rugby that would have turned off any aspiring young players amongst the crowd. 

Next week against Tynedale, whatever the outcome, I hope we see a proper game of rugby with enterprise and endeavour to the fore and negative and illegal tactics punished by the officials. The sooner we get back to playing rugby the better.

Your right about the general level of officiating, but the good news yesterday Huddersfield are a very friendly and humorous bunch before, during and after the game - also for anyone holding their stock, this cold snap has seen a much needed surge in the sale of Taverners' Fruits 👏👏👏

Personally I know I couldn't, so let those willing to have go get on with it good or bad.

I don't think any official comes with an agenda, or I'd certainly like to think they don't 

So lets embrace what we have and try and make it work for everyone !

The thrust of my point was that referees should be encouraged to reward enterprise and good play and be firmer on negative and illegal play. 

I knew that by putting this post out there I may be criticised (and I was quite eloquently and fairly in a private message from a knowledgeable rugby man) and to be honest I wasn't wingeing about unfair treatment against Caldy as a side they can look after themselves. It was just frustration at what I saw as very negative rugby being rewarded because of inaction by officialdom.

I may be unfair and I am happy to take onbaord other pints of view. 

Puli

What about the crooked putins, hookers feet in field of play at lines out, forward passes, at al levels!!!!

Laws should be applied by refs and accepted by players. If a scrum has gone down yet again and the ball is playable, play it not reset the scrum. I will leave it at that for the time being

My point in this thread wasn't to single out individuals but rather to comment on what I saw was maybe a pattern which could be down to the briefing or the instructions that the officials receive.

I will apologise for lumping in Caldy's game against Wharfedale which wasn't fair of me as I wasn't at that game and I shouldn't have commented on hearsay.

The general impression that I got from a few people who watched the Caldy v Huddersfiled match was that early firm action from the referee would have contributed to it being a better game. I can understand the natural inclination not to be heavy handed (and I may have also been as lenient if I was the man in the middle) but sometimes it does just encourage further negativity and frustrations build up.

Am I correct in believing the officials are paid at this level?

I am hopeful that Saturday's game for Caldy against Tynedale at Corbridge will be a feat of attacking play by both sides.....and if Caldy are being bested by Tynedale they can always just stick it up their jumper