Why don't you just let him referee the game or chose who HE wants, good to see Brian Carney call him out for what he is.
Maybe he could take all the refs out on a mini bus trip and buy their beers to gain their favour?
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Why don't you just let him referee the game or chose who HE wants, good to see Brian Carney call him out for what he is.
Maybe he could take all the refs out on a mini bus trip and buy their beers to gain their favour?
I don't recall you insulting him when he was just about the only person in the whole of Rugby League saying that Flower needed some support over the Hoiha incident, just as McManus may have been a little over emotive over a justified concern, I think that you are being insulting to a fellow rugby league supporter who has always tried to forward the welfare of Rugby League in general
Agree. We're all disappointed with the referee's performance but sport is not an exact science. Hicks made a huge error which he will have to live with but all these bitter & twisted postings and conspiracy theories just make McManus & Saints look like bad losers and I'm NOT in 'that number'.
We lost. Well done Wolves.
Get over it and let's march on for next time.
If he had any concerns over the referee prior to the game he should have contacted the RFL privately. This rant has done him and the game no favours, again he should have gone through the proper channels and asked for a meeting with the RFL to air his views.
Just my opinion of course.
I have a very strong gut feeling he's already done that with the RFL and they have just stuck their heads in the sand similar to the Catalans/Warrington fiasco. There is no transparency with the RFL they just let it simmer and hope it goes away. McManus will not let the RFL sleeping dogs lay.
Just look at all the frustration McManus got with Ben Barba, the RFL couldn't make their mind up of his suspension and had to make amendments to comply with the NRL.
It's not something I'm keen on. He may have a point about Hicks's recent involvement with Warrington and the perceptions that may create, but it doesn't take a public diatribe to raise that point (and personally I don't think it's a big deal anyway).
I also don't think it helps us as a club to be entertaining the idea that a referee or the RFL were responsible for our failure last weekend. We lost because a) Warrington played well, and b) we once again demonstrated a lack of the mental fortitude required to win the biggest games. If we are going to fix that we have to acknowledge it rather than blaming someone else.
I would like to agree with you but then we'd both be wrong! If he had contacted the Rugby League even privately, it could have been construed as trying to influence the preparation of the game, imagine if the Chief Executive of Liverpool had arranged for such a meeting with the so called fan before a Liverpool Man Utd cup final, it would be rightly thought to be unethical and inappropriate, if it had been arranged by the police as a form of restorative justice, fair enough, but the unprofessional way it was done was completely inappropriate and that is what McManus was pointing out, just MY opinion on the Saints forum, not as a wind up merchant on a rival fans forum
Its strong words from Eamonn, my first thought is what else has happened to stir emotions? The club asked for a response from the RFL, I assume the communications were kept private but I would guess the response has hardened not softened the clubs stance. Perhaps we will never know but it would be unsurprising if the club had been given cold shoulder from a governing body founded on back sliding, self serving unaccountability a corrupt Labour club would be proud of. Were the club ever hopeful of any constructive response from the likes of Ganson? Arrogance it is said knows no better than itself.
Im still unconvinced at whether EamonnÂ’s remarks will help the team, but the Chairman has a right to express his opinions. After all we live in the UK not North Korea. As Chairman, Eamonn has invested significant amounts of emotional and financial investment in this club which earns him the right to have his say. There have been occasions IÂ’ve criticised the club (e.g tubthumping) and many others where ive supported it; through this there is no doubt Eamonn has only had the best interests of the club at heart and has been a man who is articulate and transparent in his views. He deserves support now.
I was equally dismayed with Brian CarneyÂ’s response. Notwithstanding the small fact EamonnÂ’s notes were made in a publication aimed at St Helens fans, there was a delicious irony of a broadcaster and production team that seeks cheap sensationalism of the sport at every opportunity suddenly espousing the need to protect the sensitivity of match officials.
If the welfare of match officials is so paramount then why would anyone in this position put themselves at the mercy of the vicissitudes of social media? The whole Twittergate affair was handled with the usual incompetence one expects of the RFL. In some misplaced gesture of ‘solitude’ they chose Hicks for that final and no doubt have continued to defend their man. As pathetic as it was predictable.
Its clear the club feels sore about a lot of things. For everyone connected with St Helens lets hope we win the GF and then as the great Ron was want to say, tell our critics to ‘lick ‘em and stick ‘em...’
Don't recall him having a go at Flower when he did more harm to the game (and to Lance's face) then a justified criticism of the officiating.
Getting a lesson in morals from the resident pie eater (well you're actually from Billinge so a Wigan fan from St Helens), is hilarious. You're club is a gutter club, just like that lot in blue & yellow. Get off your high horse
Yes. You are right. It was more our own performance 100 per cent. But some ridiculous decisions in a short space of time didn't help and it's the whole circus of the choosing of that particular official for a cup final when his wrong decisions aided the club who he had met with. It's almost hilarious, it's that bad.
FWIW, I think Hicks is a terrible referee. Never rated him. Way below a decent standard. One of the worst of a very bad bunch
The irony of criticism from someone whose last coach used to have a 'chat' with the referee at half time if he wasn't happy with the officiating.
It's got me thinking now, I'm wondering if he's done this partly to galvanise the club and create a bit of "us and them" mentality. I have to say, after a few beers and sleeping on it, I'm reasonably happy with last night, we had plenty going against us and still managed to nil one of the better sides in the league. Ok, we were disjointed, made mistakes and looked knackered but our defence was spot on when it mattered. After not being bothered and being rather ••••ed off all week, I quite enjoyed last night and the presentation at the end was well done.
A shining example to all other clubs.
Players attacking teammates with bottles in public, abusing and bullying young barmaids broadcast far and wide on social media, punching unconcious players on the ground, etc. Always got the best interests of the game at heart eh?
I think the game is littered with chairmen and coaches whose team have been 'robbed'. The ref had a poor game and should have been stood down for a while. There should never be any talk of the ref having been influenced by inferring connection to the opposition. Certainly not by a chairman.
Are you actually a Saints fan? Do you attend matches? Last night the official was appalling. I defended Childs over the Catalans Warrington match, after which he was consigned to officiating in the Championship. However last night his decisions were abysmal. Paul Mc Shane never made an attempt to get in the defensive line all night. Childs awarded three penalties against Saints in the first twenty minutes for nothing I could see. He disallowed a try for a non obstruction! I watched it back when I got home and JH was obviously livid. "We're the nice guys and we're having to do it tough" was what he said, citing both a ball strip where Cas knocked it on but Childs gave the scrum to them, not us (GF Wires first score spring to mind ?) and of course the "obstruction" non try. Since running away with the league calls have consistently gone against us, which any but the most ardent Saints hater would agree. I get sick of the idiots that come on here and slag off the club, have you nothing better to do? I'm glad we celebrated our success last night, any fan who was there enjoyed it, but probably not the some of the po faced "expert fans" (who are actually neither) who post on here, who never actually go to a game. As for our Chairman's remarks, he cares about the game and believes in the way Saints play, attractive honest rugby. That's why we lack a "grub" like McIllorum , Connor etc, we do it the right way. McManus has invested his life in our club, and I'm grateful he has. We're head and shoulders above every other side and only the decisions of officials is tarnishing our record. He's called the officiating out for what it is, if you're embarrassed go and support another team, I'm sure your tremendous support would be much appreciated somewhere else.