RateTheRef

Robert Hicks appointed referee for the 1st Test of the 3 games series this weekend. Same team around him as the Grand Final with Thaler as video Ref, Hewer as reserve and Kendall and Thompson as touch judges
Not sure of the merits of this appointment as he didn’t have the best of games in the recent final but Ganson clearly likes him.
Are we likely to see him referee all 3 or will Thaler maybe get the 2nd? I would like to see that and it would be wonderful to see Gareth Hewer get the 3rd. What a filip for part time but well deserving refs that would be. Dream on though I would suspect!

I didn’t see the game but Hicks has come in for further criticism on the BBC site, with one poster saying he should take a good long look at himself and others claiming NZ got away with a lot of skullduggery because of his leniency, with some questionable challenges going unpunished.
Anyone able to substantiate or correct these comments?

Is he a kiwi? Thought he was one of the Aussie crew. Was at the World Cup. Pencilled in from.the start I would imagine. Thaler must wonder what he has to do to get a game

Gerard SUTTON is a vastly overratted referee. His brother is running referees in Australi and Gerrard and Ashley Klein are getting a leg up. Sadly our best referee is MAtt Ceccin- he who made that contro call in the World Cup last year. Week in and week out Ceccin is the most consistent and best manager of players.

Matt Ceccin is quitting at the end of the season sadly

Sutton must have suitably impressed as he is handed the dead rubber of the 3rd test. Child and Moore running touch, Hicks with the water bottle and a new face in Bentham in the tv truck

I suppose they weren’t going to fly him all the way from Australia for just one games, regardless of how good or bad he was.  Still think Thaler is unlucky and, by the same token, Hicks rather fortunate but hey-ho, what do I know?