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Why is Hadley calling the RWC semi-final?

Roar Rookie
13th October, 2011
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Roar Rookie
13th October, 2011
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It has been revealed by Channel Nine that 2GB radio presenter, Ray Hadley, is to call Sunday night’s Australia vs New Zealand Rugby World Cup semi final.

This is a disgraceful decision, yet unfortunately one entirely in keeping with Channel 9’s shabby treatment of this year’s world cup.

John O’Neill must now deeply regret the ARU’s decision to give rugby’s showcase to Nine, the home of rival code rugby league.

In this excruciatingly self-interview, Ray Hadley re-tells (to his no doubt enthralled audience) the phone call he received that morning, with the help of the man who made the phone call, Channel Nine Director of Sport Steve Crawley.

During this self-interview, Ray Hadley appeared not to know who Wallaby great Andrew Slack was, calling him the ‘Channel Nine Queensland guy’, later admitting that he’d have to get ‘a rule book out’ as he hadn’t called a rugby game ‘for awhile’.

It got worse when he initially couldn’t recall the last match he had broadcast, citing it as ‘the one against England where someone kicked a field goal’, although later recalling that it was Johnny Wilkinson who had booted it.

He also had to check with Steve Crawley in regards to what time they were ‘on air’ on Sunday, expressing concern about having to do his Monday morning radio show in New Zealand.

Unfortunately, Ray’s wife has ‘allowed’ him to cancel their plans to attend the radio awards on the Gold Coast, which means that he will be calling the semi-final…

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According to Tim Elliot writing in the Herald, Hadley can be heard on his daily radio show ‘smouldering disgust fuelled by his many pet hates, from out-of-touch judges to dole bludgers, climate alarmists, asylum seekers who try to come to Australia by boat, whom he calls illegal immigrants’.

Just last week in his Daily Telegraph column, Hadley bizarrely claimed that the government was spending $1.4 million of ‘our money’, ‘buying cigarettes for boat people’.

Is this someone who should be representing the game of rugby in Australia? Indeed, representing the Wallabies?

Channel Nine has reasoned that, as most of the matches broadcast by Nine this World Cup had utilised Kiwi commentators (yes, we realised that), they ‘had to have an Aussie’ for the semi-final.

Surely any number of Australian commentators would be available and would jump at the chance ? How about Gordon Bray or John Fordham?

Or seeing as Gerard Whateley is able to work for both Foxsports and the ABC simultaneously, surely experienced, knowledgeable rugby fans such Jim Maxwell or Steve Robilliard would be a good choice?

A further insult is that respected rugby ambassadors and legends such as John Eales and George Gregan will be required to lend credence to Hadley’s involvement.

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If Ray Hadley, who presents as bigoted and ignorant, is all that Channel Nine could dredge up, I wish they had stuck with the Kiwis.

All that we decent rugby fans can hope for is that Ray’s wife changes her mind and decides that hobnobbing with John Laws, Alan Jones and other such ‘voices of the people’ at the radio awards on the Gold Coast is preferable to a night in Auckland.

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