Wire fan here so most definitely a neutral.
My main gripe with Child was his inconsistencies, i can live with an inept ref if it's equal but i found myself shouting at the injustice of his allowance of the Wigan laying on tactics and the penalising of Widnes in half the time he allowed Wigan.
I really couldn't care less in this fixture about the result but whoever won or lost i wanted it to be a blood and thunder entertaining contest and most of all a fair one...it wasn't(a fair one that is).
Ah Van sending off, going off past seasons i'd say harsh but i don't know what's been said behind Red Halls doors in the off season so I'm going to assume this is a new directive.
Unintentional definitely but intention isn't the prerequisite to a sending off, personally a yellow would have sufficed for me.
Smith, intent and foul play surely must have no other outcome than a red, it's violent conduct even by rugby full contact standards.
Tomkins, i think wasn't trying to tackle him to the floor but the player(?) Wasn't ready for the contact and fell back with Joel on top of him, although i don't think he was peace keeping, Tomkins has always been a hothead and a bit of sh*th**s*.
Draw was a fair result UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, although I'm not sure it was.
12 v 14 for me, Child dreadful.