After posting last night that it feels like we're on the wrong end of penalty counts most weeks, I thought I'd have a look at what we've given away and what we've been given this season and it's all a bit strange. We've given away the least amount of penalties in the league but we still lost the penalty count pretty much every week. We've given away 16 but only been given 8 in 5 games! That is unbelievable. 


Our record of 3 wins and 2 defeats, including some big wins and close defeats is the same as Saints. In their 5 games they've been given 33 penalties and conceded 


Why are our games so different to the norm? What do teams do differently against us that means they don't get penalised? (Huddersfield gave zero against us, Leigh 1 and Leeds 1). There must be reasons behind it and it's something Peet and the staff need to look in to because it's absolutely startling that we've had only 8 penalties in 5 games, especially when we've battered 3 teams. 

There isn't anything our club can do within themselves when referees are clearly refereeing opposition teams differently when they play us.Perhaps this is not down to MP but Rads. He needs to discuss the problem with the match officials bosses to establish what is behind it.
I'm sure that the RFL will say there is nothing unusual and nothing to see. The match stats prove there is something happening. The difference between Saints pens awarded and ours is striking and the club should demand an explanation. 

Yeah it's been like that for a while. At one point last year we had conceded almost double the amount of penalties as Warrington.


If you look at the back end of last season when we thrashed Leeds, Salford and then Leigh by an aggregate of 140-0 we lost the penalty count by 14-13.


I don't think they are tracked but the amount of 6 again's that opposition teams get vs. us is unbelievable as well.

What was noticable against Leeds for me was the six agains, Leeds were getting them regularly we hardly got any (one if I recall). Yet I couldn't see any difference in the tackle methods or hanging on - strange.


When Eckersley made that incredible run to get back in the field of play he was hit high when he was tackled but nothng given.


The stats do look very unbalanced from the OP but I doubt anything will happen or they will get looked at.

Thought the same when Eckersley made that run back into play.
When he was hit high I thought what would have been the consequences if the had stayed down.
It was a one on one tackle straight to the head.
A card probably, yellow if there was mitigation red if no mitigation.
So what was the mitigation?  

Last week Leigh conceded 1 penalty v us. Be interesting to find out how many they conceded v HKR
Also after conceding 1 penalty against us let's see how many Leeds give away at Wire next week.


From those figures above it appears curious that referees are appearing to change their criteria when refereeing our opponents. 

You're obviously watching a different Leeming to everyone else then, he can't stand at dummy half without doing a gull wing impersonation while mouthing off and looking in the Refs direction. 

Hudds
vs. Wire - 7 pens conceded
vs. Leigh - 7 pens conceded
vs. Hull - 3 pens conceded
vs. Wigan - 0 pens conceded (0 given against us) - I think this is actually wrong in the stats. I think it's more like 1 penalty against us, 2 against Hudds.
vs. Salford - 5 pens conceded


Leeds
vs. Wakey  - 4 pens conceded
vs. Salford - 3 pens conceded
vs. Cas - 2 pens conceded
vs. Catalans - 5 pens conceded
vs. Wigan - 1 pen conceded (5 given against us)


Leigh
vs. Wigan - 1 pen conceded (3 given against us)
vs. Hudds - 3 pens conceded
vs. Catalans - 6 pens conceded
vs. Hull - 7 pens conceded
vs. Hull KR - 6 pens conceded


Hull
vs. Catalans - 7 pens conceded
vs. Wigan - 3 pens conceded (4 given against us)
vs. Hudds - 6 pens conceded
vs. Leigh - 7 pens conceded
vs. Wakey - 5 pens conceded


Incredible really how well behaved teams are specifically when playing us. We should be truly honoured.

I think I was 1 out in fairness to the refs, we've actually had 9 penalties this season, so that's only 24 behind Saints, 21 behind Leigh and 20 behind HKR. 


At least there is a comeback for everyone when we get the usual 'Wigan get everything' lines thrown out, each and every time we win/score a try/play a game. 

And in the interest of giving the whole picture, how many penalties have Wigan conceded against those teams?

And the Hull one included the incident when AK was injured that should have been a card but wasn't even given as a penalty! Same on Eckersley on Saturday. 


I'd seriously like to hear from the club that they're questioning this. It just doesn't stack up.