lloyd barkham

Found an e-mail link on rfl.uk.com the official RFL website to Stuart
***mings so I sent him a message asking how he possibly could appoint
Russell to Saturdays game. I didn't think I'd get a reply but I've copied
both e-mails below.

Apart from the surprise of getting a reply what was the fact that despite
Stuart ***mings being a school teacher he is illiterate. :-0

His other comment was that it was OK to make bad decisions because of bad
positioning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My e-mail:

""Isn't it about time you stopped Russell Smith refereeing Bradford games.
He
obviously has a vested interest as he was an ex-employee of them. As his
decisions show he obviously still favours them immensly.

Especially after the CC cup final I just cannot understand his appointment
to
this game and that was proved to me tonight. He provided no protection to
our
kickers and managed to give a 6 again decision when a ball was kicked
directly
at a Leeds player and bounced off.

I don't expect an answer from you but I'll see."

Reply as follows:

Lloyd,


Thankyou for your e mail regarding the appointment of Russell Smith to the
Bradford V Leeds game last Friday. As you will know, Russell lives in
Castleford and as such is prohibited from refereeing his home town club,
Castleford Tigers.

You will also be aware that Russell Smith is one of our most experienced
officials. When two of the top teams play Russell will always be in the
frame because of his ability.


You will also be aware that other Bradford v Leeds games this year have
been refereed by different referees - Steve Ganson and Karl Kirkpatrick.

Russell did make and error in the game on Friday on the back to one call
you refer to. This was down to bad positioning and nothing else.


Thankyou again for contacting us and I wish your club, which I assume is
Leeds Rhinos, and yourself well in the weeks to come.

Regards,


Stuart

Stuart ***mings

Technical Executive

The Rugby Football League

Tel: 0113 237 5517

Fax: 0113 237 5018

Email: stuart.***mings@rfl.uk.com

phil.l

: ***mings so I sent him a message asking how he possibly could appoint
: Russell to Saturdays game. I didn't think I'd get a reply but I've
: copied both e-mails below.
:
: Apart from the surprise of getting a reply what was the fact that
: despite Stuart ***mings being a school teacher he is illiterate. :-0
:
: His other comment was that it was OK to make bad decisions because of
: bad positioning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:
: My e-mail:
:
: ""Isn't it about time you stopped Russell Smith refereeing Bradford
: games. He
: obviously has a vested interest as he was an ex-employee of them. As
: his decisions show he obviously still favours them immensly.
:
: Especially after the CC cup final I just cannot understand his
: appointment to
: this game and that was proved to me tonight. He provided no
: protection to our
: kickers and managed to give a 6 again decision when a ball was kicked
: directly
: at a Leeds player and bounced off.
:
: I don't expect an answer from you but I'll see."
:
: Reply as follows: : : Lloyd,
<<snipped>>
I'm not defending Russell Smith, but if he's in the wrong position to see
what is plainly visible to tv viewers, theres little that can be done about
it - the speed of the game does not warrant disecting every play of the ball
like this. Leeds made many forward passes as did Bradford and most were
ignored, he cant go to the video for things like this its just his decision,
and that of his assistants.

Also, i dont agree with posting private e-mails in public forums, it's bad
taste.

BTW I hope your lot can turn the pies over on Friday.

lloyd barkham

But he's supposed to be one of the best and so shouldn't be in the wrong
position. It was obvious to just about everyone else in the ground that
whatever he couldn't see that the ball was kicked as hard as possible and
bounced off a Leeds player. There was no way it could be 6 again whether he
could see it or not. It just proved his deep seated prejudice against Leeds
and for Bradford that a decision that had to be made even if he couldn't
see it went in Bradfords favour.

Sorry, I was just flabbergasted that I actually got a reply. Further there
have been other "private" e-mails posted on here (to the BBC if I remember
correctly) and I can't remember seeing you criticise them.


So do I.

Lloyd

phil.l

: news:Tkmgb.11139$qk7.92039431@news-text.cableinet.net...
:: Lloyd Barkham wrote:
::: Found an e-mail link on rfl.uk.com the official RFL website to
::: Stuart ***mings so I sent him a message asking how he possibly
::: could appoint Russell to Saturdays game. I didn't think I'd get a
::: reply but I've copied both e-mails below.
:::
::: Apart from the surprise of getting a reply what was the fact that
::: despite Stuart ***mings being a school teacher he is illiterate. :-0
:::
::: His other comment was that it was OK to make bad decisions because
::: of bad positioning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:::
::: My e-mail:
:::
::: ""Isn't it about time you stopped Russell Smith refereeing Bradford
::: games. He
::: obviously has a vested interest as he was an ex-employee of them. As
::: his decisions show he obviously still favours them immensly.
:::
::: Especially after the CC cup final I just cannot understand his
::: appointment to
::: this game and that was proved to me tonight. He provided no
::: protection to our
::: kickers and managed to give a 6 again decision when a ball was
::: kicked directly
::: at a Leeds player and bounced off.
:::
::: I don't expect an answer from you but I'll see."
:::
::: Reply as follows: ::: ::: Lloyd,
:: <<snipped>>
:: I'm not defending Russell Smith, but if he's in the wrong position
:: to see what is plainly visible to tv viewers, theres little that can
:: be done about it - the speed of the game does not warrant disecting
:: every play of the ball like this. Leeds made many forward passes as
:: did Bradford and most were ignored, he cant go to the video for
:: things like this its just his decision, and that of his assistants.
:
: But he's supposed to be one of the best and so shouldn't be in the
: wrong position. It was obvious to just about everyone else in the
: ground that whatever he couldn't see that the ball was kicked as hard
: as possible and bounced off a Leeds player. There was no way it could
: be 6 again whether he could see it or not. It just proved his deep
: seated prejudice against Leeds and for Bradford that a decision that
: had to be made even if he couldn't see it went in Bradfords favour.

its no different to when Wigan played Warrington a few weeks ago, and
surprisingly wire where winning and they went back to zero and wigan went
over, i think Ganson made that particular decision and it was kicked
directly at the opponents legs, maybe its a new tactic being tried out?
:
:: Also, i dont agree with posting private e-mails in public forums,
:: it's bad taste.
:
: Sorry, I was just flabbergasted that I actually got a reply. Further
: there have been other "private" e-mails posted on here (to the BBC if
: I remember correctly) and I can't remember seeing you criticise them.

maybe replies from corporations like the beeb etc, as they arent 'personal',
but when ***mins replied to you, i dont think he meant for it to be
published, and if you had told him your intentions, he definately wouldnt
have replied in this vein.
(That said, it would have been a secretary or someone else in his office
probably, as i imagine he gets hundreds of mails every day from irate
supporters/players/managers etc!)

:
:: BTW I hope your lot can turn the pies over on Friday.
:
: So do I.
:
: Lloyd

john turner

I hear what you say, but if Russell Smith was not in a position to make the
correct decision, why does that mean he's in a position to make the wrong
one?

John.

paul dredge

As a neutral watching, it was obvious that Russell has a problem with Leeds.
If you watch the game, he was looking towards Connelly when the ball struck
him . I constantly find it hard to understand, and Mr ***mings ignored the
point, how someone can play for a team and therefore logically is going to
have some feelings towards them (good or bad) can then be allowed to referee
a match involving them. Where he now lives should have no bearing on it.
However, if Steve Ganson wants to move to London I wouldn't complain!!

Paul

phil.l

:
:: I'm not defending Russell Smith, but if he's in the wrong position
:: to see what is plainly visible to tv viewers, theres little that can
:: be done about it - the speed of the game does not warrant disecting
:: every play of the ball like this. Leeds made many forward passes as
:: did Bradford and most were ignored, he cant go to the video for
:: things like this its just his decision, and that of his assistants.
:
: I hear what you say, but if Russell Smith was not in a position to
: make the correct decision, why does that mean he's in a position to
: make the wrong one?
:
: John.

Well someone had to makle a decision there and then, who else was there to
make it?
Whether right or wrong, the refs decision is final, and i'm not a Bradford
fan, trying to defend my team, its likely even Bradford fans would be
incensed by this daft turn of events, and Wigan fans would be over the same
thing that happened when they played Warrington and Ganson made the same
decision.
Its a fast paced game and sometimes wrong decisions are made, its too late
afterwards to do anything about them.

wigan 41/leeds 18 andy

Ah Lloyd and you wonder why you get called Whinos. Another Bradford won
because of a biased ref excuse rather than the real one which was leading
with 15 mins to go bottled it and lost our discipline.

I notice you didn't mention the blatant Sinfield knock-on under the posts
that he let you get away with.

john turner

I don't dispute that, but if the ref is unclear as to what happened then his
decision should reflect that. Maybe his decision should have been *play on*
rather than *back to six*.

Back to six implies that he saw what happened, whereas in this instance he
*guessed* what happened, and that's bad refereeing in my book.

John.

lloyd barkham

That's my point exactly. He has a vested interest whether it's sub
consciously or not.

Lloyd