Comments on: Is Phil Gould a poor winner or a sore loser?

By: damos_x

damos_x — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:11:51 +0000

To complain of parochialism in ther SOO arena is to expose one’s ignorance of what the contest is about, namely, beating your near neighbour at the most popular form of football in the region (Rugby Lge) in an annual series which gives everyone distraction from the daily grind & celebrates the highest standard of said code displayed in any competition much to everyones’ delight. Of course the commentators are biased, they actually played/coached/mentored across the generations & thus it is important to them that their home state triumphs but there is a fair balance in comments & commentators & again, if you find it a tad provincial then that is most likely because it is provincial, NSW v QLD, can’t be put more clearly one would think. Asking people who, if they weren’t busy with paid employment as aforementioned commentators, would be at the game or watching it on TV to be impartial when they simply would not be in any other forum to appease viewers is to reject the very quality which makes SOO, namely passion & you can’t have passion if no-one cares & so mote it be. Don’t like Phil Gould ? Think the commentary is biased ? Well you are right on both counts, but if you tune out next year it doesn’t mean anyone else will.

By: Veuve

Veuve — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:45:26 +0000

I’ve heard Gould say on several occasions he wished the NSW team had the utter determination QLD have when they play origin. He used footage of Shane Webke on the Footy Show one year and how with just minutes left Webke was doing his darnedest. Gus can be painful but he sure wishes NSW could have some of the never-say-die attitude QLD brings to the game.

By: Mike Abes

Mike Abes — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:24:12 +0000

Gould is by far and away the bst of the commentators. He has unique insights and I enjoy the way he gives his OPINION.

So many commentators simply state facts…”the half is tacked on the 10 metre line”.

I love the OPINIONS he gives, what he forsees, what the danger signs are etc…..

Compared to Ben ikn (the worst commentator ever), he is amazing.

He annoys people because he gives opinions. It is ok to disagree with him, he isnt perfect.

By: Greg Russell

Greg Russell — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:33:49 +0000

I agree with Conks that Gould’s no-try insistence on what was actually a brilliant and legitimate try by Slater was embarrassing. (And, just like Warren Ryan on ABC Radio, I pronounce it a legitimate try even though I’m a NSW supporter.)

Sheek wrote “Sometimes Gould is brilliantly insightful. At other times he trips himself up horribly trying to be too smart.”

Why is it that we expect that someone will be either always right or always wrong? I’m fed up with arguing with people at this website about the O’Neill/Tuqiri issue. For most of O’Neill’s supporters, their argument boils down to “O’Neill is always right, therefore he must have acted legitimately here.” O’Neill is a brilliant sports administrator, but he is not always right. I have sat in seminars by Nobel-Prize winners and observed them make undergraduate mistakes.

Gould, O’Neill, Nobel-Prize winners, Russell, Conkey, Sheek, McKay … none of us are always right and none of us are always wrong …

… except if we comment on the All Blacks, when we must always be wrong, because by definition only All Blacks fans can have any knowledge or insight about their team! (Sorry you NZ supporters, I couldn’t resist a little dig … please take it in good spirit and have a good game tomorrow night!)

By: Gaff

Gaff — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:45:27 +0000

I would be happy if whenever Gus Gould makes a comment they play a sound track of a donkey braying over the top.

The guy is a goose and his arogance and one-sided-ness is annoying.

By: sheek

sheek — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:25:52 +0000

Sometimes Gould is brilliantly insightful. At other times he trips himself up horribly trying to be too smart. I can live with him (not in the same house though, mind!).

By: Brett McKay

Brett McKay — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:07:29 +0000

Conks, I’ll throw up an alternate theory – Gould has stopped blowing up about the video ref, because it’s become a dead-set lottery. Only the salary cap is a bigger hobby horse for Gus than the video ref, and I think he’s just to the point where he’s sick of blowing up about what looks to be an obvious mistake. I think he was right about Slater’s try by the way, and neither Williams’ or Johnson’s should have been given either, but they were, and now we have sheepish commentary when the vid ref is called for.

Even Sterlo has stopped trying to guess when it goes upstairs…

By: Mushi

Mushi — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:55:45 +0000

Ken if you think that all NSW needed was a lucky bounce or decision lets go back to origin two

- QLD have I think four players laid up the day of the game with stomach viruses that had to play dehydrated, you don’t need to be a doctor to know that dehydration isn’t a good thing for a professional athlete
- Barrett knocks out Inglis, I don’t think it was intentional but it sure was “lucky” for NSW that the best attacking weapon in the game gets knocked out
- the abysmal performance by the referees in origin 2 (which even NSW based commentators admonished) with at least two try swing in what could generously be described as 50/50 decisions

NSW had enough luck to take home a Keno jackpot.

Also if QLD didn’t outclass them how was it that Petero contributed more than their entire front row? The NSW pack was road kill for the first two games and surprise surprise bounce back when we lose three players. but hey just like with gus that’s of little importance hey

By: Hammer

Hammer — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:12:07 +0000

Yip he’s biased nothing new there .. but I wouldn’t mind if he actually had something new to say … every year Game 1 and through the series .. all we get is “that’s origin” .. and “they’re out origining them” … and so and so does origin better … FFS – yes it’s a great series but it’s no mythical beast … like their cricket commentary team the C9 league team are well past their best

By: Benjamin Conkey

Benjamin Conkey — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:43:13 +0000

What about when he declared that Billy Slater’s try should be disallowed…and then a five seconds later it was given a Try.
Normally Gould would go off about the video ref..but he didn’t…he just kept quiet, which suggests to me, he knew it was a try, and was just saying No Try because Queensland scored.

I think he’s great on the Sunday Roast, and in his newspaper columns, but his commentary is very annoying.

By: Hoy

Hoy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:42:29 +0000

I agree that Gould has a massive problem with commentary. It should not need to be said, but I can’t understand the commentary team that is allowed to operate with attachments to teams playing. It is clearly a conflict of interest. A bad one at that.

Andrew Johns should not be allowed near the opening commentary when he is involved with the coaching of one team playing.

Gould’s commentary, with all his “we” and “us” etc is a disgrace. It always has been. I can appreciate his brain, and I like watching his analysis on the footy show, and the roast, but come Origin, he is absurdly biased and I find it very hard to stomach.

And for all those who are going to counter accuse Fatty or what not, I can’t stand them either, and I almost thank god every time I watch the broncos and QLD that Ikin is gone.

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:38:59 +0000

I’m a born & bred NSWelshman who married a QLDer (yeah I know, but she can read and write ). Consequently I spend a fair bit of time north of the border and know that up there this hatred of ‘biased’ commentators is common. But despite never in my life wanting QLD or Manly to win a game, it’s never bothered me when Fatty works himself into a lather over ‘QLD’s mythical passion’ or throws in a ‘Go Manly’ during a club game. His allegiance isn’t hidden and he’s showing he’s still a fan and not a robot.

Gould is much the same although admittedly he is usually attempting more detailed analysis. Also there is an element of truth in this particular story – NSW gave up early starts in both games 1 and 2 and then got back into the contest – they were never completely out-classed – the difference between winning and losing those games could easily have been 1 missed tackle, 1 dropped ball or 1 contentious decision.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:31:07 +0000

I heard some of his comments towards the end which were of the poor winner variety. Essentially it was “Well done on 4 in a row QLD but”…. there should never be a but, NSW were absolute rubbish in games 1 and 2 besides Hayne and deserved to lose the series.

By: LeftArmSpinner

LeftArmSpinner — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:07:54 +0000

Easy. Both!

By: Mushi

Mushi — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:06:25 +0000

Darcy when he is covering a side he doesn’t have an interest in he’s fine. He shouldn’t be allowed to commentate for the roosters or the blues, and I’m a roosters fan saying that.

I will not miss having a guy try to tell me that everything that went well for QLD was because of NSW and everything that went well for NSW was because of NSW. Why does QLD show up if this is the case? Maybe we could just have a NSW skills drill and if it meets gus’ standards he can award them the win? then QLD and NSW can play a game of football whilst gus is down the pub celebrating.

Two states are trying to watch the game and it is little insulting to sit at home and have him drown out any discussion about your team.

I don’t have a problem with him being their most successful coach but someone who is behaving as a passionate fan cannot be, by definition, fair minded. As I pointed out stelring actually pulled on the jumper and yet manages to behave with professional objectivity. And therein lies the problem, having Gould commentate a game that he clearly is not willing or capable of providing objective analysis of. I didn’t think it wa appropriate when Vautin did it for QLD but at the very least sterlo and rabs could reign him in.

Even sterlo tried distancing the rest of the commentary team from him at two points in the match.

I just looked up his wikipage and obviously a few Queenslanders have gotten to it…

By: Shane Sullivan

Shane Sullivan — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:45:52 +0000

I can’t wait! To miss him I mean

By: Darcy

Darcy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:28:17 +0000

As an outsider who sides with Queensland I must say I don’t understand the animosity towards Gould. Fine he is the most successful NSW coach and is passionate about the side, but he is hands down the best pundit in the game. I’ve always found his articles informative and fair minded. I know you’ll probably never warm to the guy but in my mind you’re lucky to have him.. You’ll miss him when he’s gone.