Fox Sports should appoint an ex-referee to commentate

Roar Guru

By Rickety Knees, 29 Jul 2009 Rickety Knees is a Roar Guru

Tagged:: All Blacks, Craig Joubert, fox sports australia, Rugby Union, Springboks, wallabies

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The fallout from the recent Test between the Wallabies and All Blacks has been the Robbie Deans quote, “we are still be penalised for things that we are not doing.”

There has been much dialogue about the refereeing decisions in this Test made by Craig Joubert.

Add the comments from the Clark, Kearns, Kafer and Martin to these decisions and this viewer (who played a lot of rugby) was left totally bewildered as to what was actually happening.

There has been much recent comment about rugby (as opposed to rugby league) being a complex game. The referees’ decisions become even more complex when the commentary team cannot interpret what is going on in front of them.

In this instance, I am referring to the Fox Sports team. This is a disservice to the game of rugby and will drive viewers away.

The Fox Sports Team do a reasonable job. However, is it not time to find an ex-referee who is prepared interpret what is happening and comment on the referees interpretation of the rules?

This would would serve to demystify the game for both gnarly old could-have-beens and the uninitiated.

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The Crowd Says (45) | Page 1 of Comments

Andrew B said | July 29th 2009 @ 8:14am | Report comment

Marto completed some referee training earlier this year, which has lead to an occasional comment from him defending, or at least explaining a referee’s decision. But that was during the S14, a few weeks after his exam, and since he has fallen back into his old style. As a ref, I found it refreshing. It is very frustrating watching a game, and have a commentator blow up at a decision, and say something as rediculous as “but he was clearly on his feet” when the player was resting on an elbow (for example).

My ideal commentry panel would be the caller, who just calls the game. A analyst, who can explain tatics and laws, and a crazy funny one eyed bstard, to keep it amusing. We are close with Clark, Kafer and Kearnsy. We just need the law knowledge, as you point out in your article.

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mitzter said | July 29th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment

couldn’t agree more. Nothing annoys me more when the commentators say the wrong thing and I know out there are people wanting to learn the game and young lads wanting to understand the rules and they say the wrong thing.
On channel 7 for instance they went on about the palu free kick where the ball wasn’t released from his hands. Semantics, I know, but i understood straight away what it was for, the commentators seemed to think it was for not kicking the ball (and having it touch the foot) and were saying over and over and over again that ‘he’s clearly kicked the ball, i don’t know what the referee is going on about’.
They also need a genuine caller – someone who has radio or race calling experience

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Nick said | July 29th 2009 @ 8:33am | Report comment

This is a brillant idea. The Fox Sports team are starting to fall into the ‘Gould’ mould of commentary, in which everytime a person turns on to watch they are making a negative comment towards ‘their’ sport. A former referee who would be able to at least agree with the ref on a few occassions would be both informative AND refereshing.

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- The Link said | July 29th 2009 @ 9:23am | Report comment
  
  Nick – I can see your general point however the Fox rugby team (save for maybe Kafer) is not in the same stratosphere as Gould and Sterling for example
  
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Hammer said | July 29th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment

I’d go further and say they’re so awful and biased they warp opinion in the aftermath … the kiwis has it pretty much spot on when Drake was alive as he provided the necessary knowledge in his area of expertise and was pretty neutral with his general comments ….

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El Capitan said | July 29th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment

I personaly like listening to Jed Thain commentate on http://www.arcrugby.co.nz/.

He’s a little one eyed, but hell funny in regards to players.

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Tony from Northbridge said | July 29th 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment

I’m available

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MattRusty said | July 29th 2009 @ 9:20am | Report comment

Brilliant. All codes should try this.

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Pippinu said | July 29th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment

Umps should be seen and not heard.

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Chop said | July 29th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment

I would think as commentators that would need to have that knowledge anyway and I think most do.

Referees are now an absolute protected species and no one, commentators, coaches or players are allowed to criticise them to any degree. I don’t think having one of the comrades in the commentary box might be able to give an explanation of what he was thinking but the critique of the referees would not change.

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Even looser said | July 29th 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment

And what happens when the ex-ref thinks the decision was wrong too?

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