I think all refs, including Kendal, get plenty wrong. The problem is when they are complete "game changers" and officials like Hicks are too arrogant to even check when the technology is available. I don't know what the officiating was like in the other three games we lost this season, I do know that Hicks gave Wire an 18 point turn around with three appalling decisions. okay, our good mate Thaler gave the video ref one! So I don't really think you can say that the refs are good when we win and poor when we lose.
He's got no chance. Massive mistake and a poor game at Wembley. A mistake at London the week after and lost the game. And another couple of mistakes in the Wigan/Salford game that led to another Super League Chairman criticising his performance publicly.
Kendall meanwhile has had several performances in important games where he's just not been noticed, which is a sign of a top refereeing display. He gets the nod with Thaler as video ref.
Going off what Kendall said when dealing with Clubb i think he has been told he has the grand final, which, if that is the case, is well deserved, he has consistently been head and shoulders the best ref this year. Hicks not only gets decisions wrong but struggles to control games which is a bigger issue, players dont seem to listen to him.
His communication with the players is incredibly disrespectful. There are certain players you just have to be professional with and courteous to. James Roby is one of those. He's played the game for god knows how many years and has never, ever done anything to warrant being spoken to like he's a naughty 9 year old who has just swore at the referee. Hicks loses the control of so many games, the players seem stressed. His inconsistency and communication style just frustrates players and provokes incidents in games. He's smug, arrogant and displays his dislike for certain teams far too openly. I'm not suggesting he's biased in favour of certain clubs, but in games he will absolutely hammer one side if they annoy him early on, he'll stomp around the pitch barking at them angrily and act like he's in a mood. Better referees take the emotion out of it and just give what they see. They will make mistakes, but they'll give the same decision if it happens again to the other side, which is all you can ask for.