Disagree about the refs with you there,in union the refs don't clamour to be big buddys with the players,laughing and joking and engaging in banter,they just give their decision and get on with it,our refs are like football refs,they think they should be as visible as the players themselves,respect towards the refs is dwindling and it's understandable when the players must be as fed up as the crowd.
Is the solution to get more ex players involved? Unfortunately the Rugby League just have a jobs for the boys policy so things will never change,Cummings,Ganson,who's next in line for a Referree Performance Management And Development Assistant To The Assistant role Thierry Bloody Alibert!!

Part of the problem, with suggestions of bias, leniency and evening up is that there is no transparency with the referees.

I don't know if the coaches and refs have any forum to review decisions, style of referring etc. but if I was Tony Smith I'd have been straight onto the phone to whoever is in charge asking "What the hell is going on at the PTB? Can we sit down and go through the match and you can point out where we were going wrong?"

Last night we had the cushion of a 22-0 lead before things turned, if it had been 14-0 or 16-0 then we may well have lost and that would have been a real travesty.

I tend to agree with Saddened here. Higham was my mom followed by Grix and then Ratch.
At 25 mins it was like a light was switched off and the game changed. Saints began charging in to tackles like we did in the first 25 and then it became a battle - irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the reffing. When he came back on we went on the front foot again.

Regarding Man Of Steel, certainly Micky is right up there, but there are a few other top contenders including Peacock

at last im not alone with the silverwood bashing(of which i take no delight in)but this prize idiot has shafted us more times than i can remember...i dread his name when we are playing and ive said this for years but some goons on here wont have it(wont mention them itll save embarresing them)so im totally in agreement with your post..as an after thought had we lost last night it would of been sour grapes,but to read all these threads about how bad silverwood reffed last night just proves my point

Understand what you are saying Tache, the RL seem to have decreed that the game is batter managed with a continuous dialogue with the players which if managed properly can be a good thing. It's when it becomes too pally pally it can become a problem as you say. The union refs leaving the players completely baffled and little dialogue doesn't necessarily earn respect.

Regarding Silverwood, he just cannot manage the PTB with any consistency and this leads to frustration amongst the players and the supporters alike. Also, despite helpful lines on the pitch he cannot keep the teams apart which also leads to frustration.

I would like to see if there is a statistic which shows how many skirmishes there are in Siverwood's games as opposed to other refs.

Thought I'd look at some decisions that weren't given, you can't get everything but you'd expect some to then clean/speed up the game.

07:25 - holding down on Hill not given, Higham then knocks on.

08:52 - Looks like Lomax either knocks on, or tackle complete. Drop out then conceded.

10:35 - grapple tackle on Higham

10:52 - 2nd effort keeping Higham's legs down

12:15 - Lomax 2nd effort on Joel taking him back to ground. We then made a forward pass.

13:35 - Hill having his head/neck pulled down after the tackle

13:57 - Wilkin lying on Bridge, we then scored though.

17:05 - Jones lying on when Ratchford won collision.

17:15 - holding on and lying in the ruck.

(After those 2 he did finally give one)

19:58 - Ratchford brought to ground again by Saints lying in the ruck, we then lost the ball.

22:05 - Westwood wins collision against 3 and then is held down.

22:15 - move shouted, it then takes Tony P 4 seconds to clear as he's looking at his line.

22:41 - I still think it looks to be kicked out of Evans hands.

26:22 - Wilkin trying everything to stay on Hill, even gets a piggyback

31:37 - Morley gets taken high by LMS.

35:18 - Manu taking around 7 seconds, and looking at line

36:23 - Turner comes up with a hand still on the ball.

How do Saints then get that holding down call on Bridge just before half time, after they were taking ages on their tackles.