So perhaps you should take your self righteous attitude and stuff it where the sun dont shine, because your nation was just as guilty of it. It worked both ways, and all of the incidents left bad taste in both parties mouths, and sullied the game not true?

And OPEN YOUR EYES – you must want to look before you can see- because its bad for the game, and we care most of all for the game, not the result. How much more blatant/inept can the last weeks reffing be? FFS! Hell!

Re the Lions/Brumbies game:
Is it good for the game that either:
- the ref does not know the laws on double movement on the line, or
- chooses not to apply them?

Is it good for the game that either:
-the ref’s ego is so big that he chooses to apply laws that have no basis in the game to penalise team because he is frustrated, or
– he is so biased that he chooses to ignore his own commands at the scrums (“its out, use it”) and award a penalty try for nothing?

Re the Sharks /Tahs game:
Is it good that the ref either:
- does not know the laws on penalty tries, or
- knows them but chooses not to appply them -in direct contravention of his own rulings?

Either way you look at it, how is this good for the game? Surely you cannot support this kind of behaviour if you have any sense appreciation for the game?

“B. Penalty Try
A penalty try shall be awarded between the posts if but for foul play by the defending team

* a try would PROBABLY have been scored, or
* it would probably have been scored in a more favorable position than that where the ball was grounded.”

But what makes a knock on foul play even if deliberate??

“LAW 17. KNOCK-ON OR THROW-FORWARD
A knock-on occurs when the ball travels forward towards the direction of the opponents’ dead-ball line after:-

* a player loses possession of it, or

* a player propels or strikes it with his hand or arm, or

* it strikes a player’s hand or arm and touches the ground or another player before it is recovered by the player.

A throw-forward occurs when a player carrying the ball throws or passes it in the direction of his opponents’ dead-ball line. A throw-in from touch is not a throw-forward. If the ball is not thrown or passed forward but it bounces forward after hitting a player or the ground, it is not a throw-forward.

Note:-

(i)
A pass, throw or knock-on should not be adjudged an infringement unless it is clearly so under the Law. If there is any doubt, play should be allowed to proceed.

(1)
The knock-on or throw-forward must not be intentional.

Penalty:- Free kick at the place of infringement or in accord with
Law 14 Penalty (e). A penalty try may be awarded.”

Yup Marks cannot read the Rugby Law Book. Voertsek!

funny how you kiwis always talk about refs 30 yrs ago but scream blue murder when we complain about the present.

marks has been punished, and not by a saffa.

nuff said.

March 11, 2010

Referee Paul Marks has paid a high price for his controversial decision not to award the Sharks a penalty try in their Super 14 loss to NSW last Saturday night.
The Australian newspaper reports that Marks has been sacked indefinitely, with SANZAR referees boss Lyndon Bray conceding a penalty try against Waratah Kurtley Beale should have been awarded to the visiting South African side.

The decision to stand down Marks comes after Sharks coach John Plumtree and his players voiced their dismay at the officiating after their 25-21 loss to the Waratahs, their fourth successive loss of 2010.

AAP

I would like to think that bias refs are are thing of the past – im talking about the bias priks who use to ref All Black Spingbok games in the republic 30 years ago. Yeah you might call them great but they favoured you guys blatently. In todays game that is not the case – like cricket umpires, some refs tend to have brain explosions from time to time.

You saffas have been complaining about the ref alot lately, i think the sharks deserve the critisim themselves without lookin to the ref as a scapegoat. They are awful this year. There performances at home looked like they will still on holiday!

-Full Quote: “Teams want best refs, but will have to put up with the current crop of hickdeads for time being”

Soccer is farcical.

It seems farcical. In soccer, when you receive medical treatment, you leave the field, and can only return to the field from the sideline.

Agreed.