What a load of utter rubbish!! Give people some credit just because you don't agree that the ptb's were slower than usual and don't insult their intelligence.

Sheens is a typical Ocker gobe. He always has been, and always will be.



Nice to see him make reference to Matt Cecchin. Of course, the Aussie referees can do no wrong, they are practically perfect in every way.



And those turds Eddie and Stevo don't help either. Stevo saying it was boring all this slow play the balls and men lying in the ruck. IT HAPPENS EVERY WEEK IN SUPER LEAGUE!!! They don't complain then, say it's boring etc. They are only agreeing with that tosspot Sheens because they don't want to court controversy and go against the "Aussie grain". No doubt the RFL will now give Matt Cecchin every other appointment remaining in the 4 Nations by way of an "apology".

I didn't see anything wrong in the play the ball, it was slow, but both teams took advantage of it, a team who plays to the conditions, both weather wise and refereeing wise, is one who will win the tournament. If I was the International board fine sheens, he should not be able to criticise referees like that live on TV, do it behind the scenes. His team got the rub of the decisions tonight.

I disagree. I am personally immune to the two clowns in the commentary box, but it was quite clear tonight that the PTB was very slow compared to normal SL games. Now you might argue SL games could use some slowing down at the PTB, but I personally found tonight's game dull, and the reason for that dullness was because the PTBs were so slow, and so messy, with defenders holding the ball carrier's leg in the air after the tackle is completed, second and even third man flops well after the tackle is complete and just general holding on even as the man regains his feet to try and play the ball. With international defensive lines, there was almost no room for the likes of Lockyer and Marshall to demonstrate the skills we all pay to see. It was pretty awful, like a throwback to the early 80s. I hated it.



I assume that Bentham had been instructed to allow very slow PTBs, because there's no way he'd allow that in a normal SL game. But if that's the case, then Sheens and Kearney must have known about it, so were being right gits afterwards when criticising him.



My prescription would be to have Ganson ref all the rest of the games. He doesn't give a bugger about how the Aussies want it reffed, and he'd blow the pea out of his whistle if they tried that sort of rubbish again. I'd rather watch a first half hammered with penalties than another game of that degree of tedium.

Here, here

I enjoyed the physical, slowing down, arm-wrestle stuff. I'm sick and tired of watching a diluted tag version of rugby league where easy attacking metres are gained on the back of tiresome dummy half or first receiver scoots, and where defences have to retreat 10m within a nanosecond of executing a tackle after the ref calls 'held'. It's tiresome enough when the attacking team is gifted 10m of territory as a reward for being tackled in the first place! Lockyer and Marshall possess the requisite skills and craft to unlock the tightest and most intense of defences anyhow and actually earn the time and space to work their magic. The fact that they didn't is because neither played well enough on the night.

Well said sir.

FACT: it was poor refereeing



FACT: players will adapt to what is being refereed.



It was a digraceful effort by the officials. Sheens just called it like it was. Most coaches would whinge when they lose, the Kangaroos won by 13+.



How often do you hear a coach when his team wins comprehensively?



Sheens was right, I watched the game tonight with kiwis, aussies and british alike who were disgusted in the control of the game.

He's complained and will continue to do so all week until they are given an Australian ref at Wembley.

Sheens could have made the same point without sounding like my 9 year old





Not impressed at all

Disgraceful and really petty comments. Especially his clear implication that it’s a "Brit thing"



Perhasps the RFL should be equally petty and come out with "We are not sure how it is done in Australia but in the UK we respect the officials, one match ban"?



Even worst for the fact that it was his team that was the guilty party. Bentham probably should have blown a few penalties to stamp his authority, but then if it had carried on we would have either had "No consistency from the refs" if he stopped blowing for penalties every 5 minutes, or "it’s another Ganson show, 7 penalties in 7 minutes!" I think he made the best decision personally.

sorry but that is how origin is played and if you dont like it stop saying there the best team/ players in the world. it great not to see a team with a nippy hooker run ten meters because it is impossible for any tackling players to get back in time. why he said its a brit thing no idea didnt see the interview was late here and i wanted to sleep, but hes talking bull its an nrl tatic and its made them have some great attacking players as its harder to break a solid defence line rather than a dogs back leg because some one has hit the floor faster than a rugby union player got back up and played the ball quickly. Also aus where laying around alot more than new zealand and thats why they lost also the fact bentham gave aus a penalty for a high shot and smith does the same thing to sika and nothing given. I think refs are scared of aussie teams and are idiolising there players to much you could see bentham having an nice chat to the aussie players every time there was a break in play.

I think you will find the NRL has a happy balance regarding the play the ball.

Its not touch football where tackles are almost voluntarily to get the next play (Scooting, FFS ) trying to catch markers /teams offside but its also nothing like today's game where the Ref let it be a slow play the ball.



The Ref decides the rhythm of the play the ball early in the game.

The players play to the whistle.

i watched the whole of the origin and it looked no different from last night apart from there is more intensity in the origin match.

Well if that's what the pinnacle of our game has become then I'm happy to settle for second best.



It's a load of bollox saying the players will adapt to how the ref lets then play. The best players in the world are there to play - not spoil play. It doesn't say much for their aspirations. RL was once a great sport to watch - it's going down the pan quicker than last nights curry if all that our best players want to do is wrestle on the ground. They could take a little responsibility and actually try to play a bit of rugby.



It was boring as fook.

The speed of that ruck was marginal, and I mean marginally slower than the weekly rounds of the NRL. If Sheens and Kearney want a quicker PTB, tell their respective players to get their ing hands off the ball in the ruck.

Poor comments from Sheens and if the RFL had any balls they would say something. I can't imagine them fining him though

I think Sheens should be banned from RL Fans Forum.

Sheens may have a point but he's certainly got no class. He's a typical Australian, having lived in Sydney and been labelled whinging Pom more times than I care to remember, it never ceases to amaze me how ironic that statement is, we may have invented whining but boy did they perfect it.



They do this every year, complain about the ref, stamp their feet until they get their own way.

Couldn't figure his comments out, was he saying he wanted the ref to penalise his own team for slowing the PTB down





If you don't like it, don't do it youreslves you whining Aussie tosspot.

But Chris returnofthechris the fact that you were built up to move to Oz and it did not suit you colours your judgement.



English people have been branded as whiners for decades nowadays there is a trend to brand Aussies as whiners at any chance there is to do so.

Maybe its the pommie influence starting to come through in Australian culture?

Some old things die hard, where I live there is an English enclave about 10ks away, you can smell them before you meet them.

In a Supermarket the Body odour comes across from the adjoining aisle.

The team plays to the Refs whistle.

Should Australia have jumped up from every tackle and the Kiwis hold Australia down in every tackle?

The Ref decides what he allows in the play the ball.

If they've got any sense they're using natural chemical deterrents to keep you crusty ockers at bay.



A good friend of mine has just returned after 6 months working in Aus. She says the country is fantastic, but the people are arrogant, rude and offensive. That's probably the 1,677th time I've heard that, and my personal experience backs it up. So full of themselves it's almost self-buggery.



Aus players and coaches cry and complain repeatedly about [ianything [/ithat doesn't suit them perfectly, until someone gives in. They're like a spoilt child. I can't help thinking the term 'whinging pom' was an ironic comment that got snapped up by an ocker too stupid to understand.



Anyway. Yes, it was a slow ptb last night, but I imagine the ref had been instructed to let a little go - he doesn't ref like that in SL. Hopefully things will tighten up.

That must be the reason that 1000's of your countrymen and women are moving to Australia or want too.

I do not care for many English people they seem arrogant, racist, obnoxious and have accents that make them sound somewhat thick.

Touché.



Ask yourself, where would you rather live?

If your answer if England you need your Head read.

Tim Sheens is a traditionalist , and he's keeping up that tradition of Aussie coaches complaining about the refereeing after the 1 st game , win or lose , they do it every tournament , next week the Aussie players will be instructed to dive about shaking themselves violently in some pretence that they are being held down , this will earn them penalties galore



Australia will win



He has now put the England team at a massive disadvantage , do they play things as they were allowed last night ? , which was quite ridiculous , it was a slower game than a NW counties match from both sides , the Aussies started it , were allowed to get away with it , so eventually the Kiwi's did the same



The RFL should insist upon Ganson , he's the only ref that would ignore Tim Sheens moaning



As for the whinging Pom , well that was a reference to immigrants decades ago who complained about the heat , crap beer and the lack of proper fish and chips , but the RL administration of Australia have refined it into an art form , they are indeed World Champions at it