Triple M to rock rugby league in 2013
Roar Rookie On New Year’s Day, Triple M Sydney announced they are to be the official home of the NRL on FM commercial radio.
The Southern Cross Austereo-owned station will cover games across the weekend (how many games was not mentioned) and they will call the finals and State Of Origin for the first time in the station’s history.
For years Triple M have called themselves the home of rugby league, with various rugby league shows on the station such as ‘Friday Footy Panel’ and ‘The Offload’. There was also loads of rugby league content on other shows on the station like ‘The Dead Set Legends’, ‘The Rush Hour’ and ‘The Grill Team’.
Since 2007 Triple M have called Monday night football and were the official broadcasters of the 2010 Four Nations.
With 2GB to likely be named as the official AM commercial broadcaster and calling games at the same time as Triple M, will 2GB’s stranglehold of the ratings on the weekend end?
I think so, because Triple M’s call of the Monday night football attracts the youth market (from 13 to 45), and not just because the calls sound more exciting.
It’s because they have a talented team of experts who relate to the fans, their call is more focused on the analysing the game (unlike 2GB), and they are more in touch with the game (unlike the ABC).
I am a fan of 2GB calls and love listening to the stupidity of the continuous call team, but I think the average fan has had enough of it. People have been screaming for a rugby league program on the weekend with more analyses of the game with just a little bit of stupidity, and ‘The Offload’ produced that.
With Triple M calling games on the weekend, it will mean we will have more hours of a program like that on radio.
The only thing that might hurt Triple M’s call is finding a back-up play-by-play caller. There are rumours of John Harker to join the crew but he has not called a game for 11 years and might have lost it.
Other options are Anthony Maroon, who was the station’s Monday night Football caller until he left the station in 2008 but recently re-joined the M’s, or – and this may be out there – Andrew Voss, as he has left Channel Nine but he he hosts Sports Today on 2UE at the moment.
Either way it is going to a fantastic 2013 as the radio wars of the old days will resurface, with the fans having more choices of who to listen to.
And more choices means the call teams will have to be on their A game, which is a big plus for the fans.
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The Crowd Says (22) | Page 1 of Comments
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January 3rd 2013 @ 4:22am
kellett_1992 said | January 3rd 2013 @ 4:22am | Report comment
I really like listening to 2GB, but Monday night footy on triple M is really a lot more amusing and entertaining. Maybe it’s because I fall into that age bracket? Haha. 13-45 that is a lot of age and I didn’t think 45 was youthful, more mature.
January 3rd 2013 @ 7:53am
Brad said | January 3rd 2013 @ 7:53am | Report comment
I can’t stand the 2gb call with its stupidity and never talking about footy. I still like the ABC but agree its more for the older demographic. Triple M is very entertaining with its RL shows and really puts RL on the FM radio map which is great for the game however everyone I speak to cant stand Anthoney Maroon and he’s non stop bias towards Souths. Flick him and the station will continue to do well.
January 3rd 2013 @ 8:20am
Christo the Daddyo said | January 3rd 2013 @ 8:20am | Report comment
If it’s going to be anything like their Swans coverage it will be appalling. Barely get any commentary through the constant spruiking of stuff.
January 3rd 2013 @ 9:45am
HardcorePrawn said | January 3rd 2013 @ 9:45am | Report comment
I have to agree; the coverage of AFL in Melbourne on Triple M is terrible too. I stopped listening a few years ago after one match where the constant plugs for Carlton Draught were just too over the top:
“That is a great goal!
His teammates will be buying him a beer tonight! And it will be a cold, crisp, frothy Carlton Draught!
For! He! Is! A! Carlton drinker!
And he deserves only the best after kicking a goal like that!!”
*Click* (switches over to the ABC coverage of the same game)
IIRC there was no mention of who kicked the goal, or how it was scored. It also concerned me that the player involved may not want to have his name associated with a beer in that way: what if he didn’t drink Carlton? Or any beers? Or what if he was a tee-totaller?
January 3rd 2013 @ 9:02am
Anna said | January 3rd 2013 @ 9:02am | Report comment
A bit harsh on the ABC, at least they provide some analysis of the game
January 3rd 2013 @ 10:18am
liquor box said | January 3rd 2013 @ 10:18am | Report comment
ABC are streets ahead of the rest of the field. Warren Ryan knows what he is talking about and often notices weaknesses in teams a few weeks before the rest of the media notice and Stirling (when he is on…not often enough) demonstrates his great knowledge of the game.
Stirling is awesome at analysing a game, it is a shame he is asked to be a “comedian” by his other networks, he is a great resource of knowledge when given a chance to prove himself.
I think ABC also provides a more complete coverage of the weekend and the lack of ads are a blessing too
January 3rd 2013 @ 10:51am
planko said | January 3rd 2013 @ 10:51am | Report comment
Liquor box could not agree more and I get surprised every week that Warren does not work part time with at least one team.
January 4th 2013 @ 1:28pm
B.A Sports said | January 4th 2013 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
Warren Ryan just regurgitates stats and often they are irrelevant, not to mention the “put you to sleep” tone he uses.
Morrow I like (except when he calls Dragons games). Some of their regional callers though like Gable (who is more a rugby man) and Stephenson (i think it is) up in Newcastle are poor.
I like the M’s call. Dan Ginaine does a good job. I hope they go with a new young play by play caller, not regurgitate someone old has been. It is bad enough they use Ray Warren during the week for is unintelligent rambling.
January 6th 2013 @ 9:35am
Bigjohn said | January 6th 2013 @ 9:35am | Report comment
I was going to comment, however ‘ liquor box ‘ has written everything I was thinking. The only thing I would add, is the best thing about the ABC , is that Gus Gould does not work for them.
January 3rd 2013 @ 10:57am
sledgeross said | January 3rd 2013 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Cant stand 2GB, people bag the Footy Show (especially those on 2GB), but the Continuous Call Team is the AM equivalent. All those stupid ditties and putting sh*t on each other is crap. ABC is informative but not that enertaining. MMM seem to have a nice balance between the two.
January 3rd 2013 @ 11:17am
Kris Swales said | January 3rd 2013 @ 11:17am | Report comment
Great news. I rate Ginane as a caller, can go a bit overboard at times but then again so does David Morrow and it’s what we love him for. ABC Grandstand will still be first choice for me, but this is a decent back-up option.
January 3rd 2013 @ 11:24am
Johnno said | January 3rd 2013 @ 11:24am | Report comment
John Harker is a dinousaur , can’t bring him back, he is too old. I always and will continue to listen to warren ryan, the voice of reason.He is very good .
January 3rd 2013 @ 12:15pm
Doghouse said | January 3rd 2013 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
So they announced the FM holder but not the AM holder. Amazing – NRL’s good run the Fairfax press may end if 2UE dont get the AM rights (common owner)…
January 15th 2013 @ 3:08pm
Jeffo said | January 15th 2013 @ 3:08pm | Report comment
I’d hardly call Harker a dinosaur! Warren Ryan is about 70, isn’t he?????? If you heard Harker’s call of the Olympic Water Polo in London, and plenty of other sports, you’d know he’d smash the league. I think he hosted channel 7′s Sportsworld for years, so his commenting on the game would be spot on. Give Jon ‘T-Rex’ Harker a crack!
January 3rd 2013 @ 1:01pm
marayong tiger said | January 3rd 2013 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
Bring back Won Casey!
January 3rd 2013 @ 2:14pm
clipper said | January 3rd 2013 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
Triple M will be a good fit for league.
January 4th 2013 @ 7:27am
Crosscoder said | January 4th 2013 @ 7:27am | Report comment
Right demographic,young go ahead from alll walks of life,representing the future.And rugby league is the game of the future.
ABC for the rl analyst,for those looking at the whys and wherefores.
2GB for those who consider inane comedy (sic) as being a pre requisite for a sporting commentary.
January 3rd 2013 @ 6:45pm
Tater69 said | January 3rd 2013 @ 6:45pm | Report comment
ABC Grandstand first, daylight second. Especially for those of us living outside the major metropolitan areas.
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January 4th 2013 @ 11:29am
kid said | January 4th 2013 @ 11:29am | Report comment
definately agree. Nothing better on a sunday arvo than backing the ute up to the river bank casting out some liveys and sit back listening to the grandstand call, while you wait for a big jack to smash the line.
January 4th 2013 @ 7:30pm
GD said | January 4th 2013 @ 7:30pm | Report comment
Agree 100%. ABC Grandstand is a godsend for those of us living outside of the capitals. It’s a shame they don’t / won’t / can’t cover Monday nights.
January 5th 2013 @ 1:22pm
Dobber said | January 5th 2013 @ 1:22pm | Report comment
ABC wont interrupt local programming during the week as sport has the weekend and its non-sport ABC people who jealously guard their patch during the week.
January 6th 2013 @ 9:46am
Bigjohn said | January 6th 2013 @ 9:46am | Report comment
I think GD is on the right track, the ABC are restricted on which games they can cover . Dobber is also correct re non-sport people, as the ABC is increasingly being run by women, who are promoting womens sports. No offence to the ladies, just that I prefer rugby league to womens basketball ( sorry, dozed off there for a moment )