Folau cleared for AFL debut

Noone said it's a great show J. But I would say that both the footy shows are at least final bastions of political incorrectness which I suspect malkes them valuable in some way, if not exactly watchable. I'd suggest that Beau is quite harmless, though about as entertaining as Q & A in a comedic way. His stuff is prettu much straight out of the Paul Hogan playbook of 30 years ago.

Grundy because he can run off Izzie easily and set up play; LRT's skills are more sublime......

JVGO Thanks for exquisitely making my point. Beau stereotypes and belittles soccer/football players and makes an ass of a RL "great". Consequently it rates 230K in the 2 capitals its supposed to flourish in but I admit worryingly it rates better in the bush. I would be in a lather if I was a Nine executive, heavily in debt, funding an expensive live program which alienates a significant part of its target audience (I assume there is a a significant crossover between soccer/NRL followers in Sydney at least) and its near prime time. The cost benefit analysis on this program would make interesting reading at Channel Nine planning days. As a follower of both codes, I'm not sure when I gave up on the NRL footy show but I'm pretty sure it was well before this. . The old Brisbane NRL show received much better ratings because it had other football segments to broaden its audience where football is more ecumenical but alas was deemed too expensive to have a separate Thursday night program when the Sydney ratings started to fade.

It's bizarre that Jaceman worked himself into a lather over something as juvenile as Beau Ryan. This might upset you even more. My god, he makes fun of a RL great. I'm so upset. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7S98XB1240

You may have a point, if you are actually interested in Australian football, there is plenty at grass roots level that is real, raw and passionate, below even WAFL, VFL QAFL etc, you can find it if you want, but you have to WANT. Real football is out there, Suburban, country, Amatuers footy is in all states and territorys and even O/S. Catch up with last weeks NTAFL GF, it was a ripper, and great viewing, Tiwi Islands and Nightcliffe.

Jaceman said "its bizarre that some in Sydney have worked themselves into a lather over it…" Well said.

Enough, thanks.

Jaceman - your last sentence should read 'tragically some 13 year olds don't grow up and end up watching the same programs well into their adult years'

A lot of pushing and shoving and over 20 years ago - interesting choice

JVGO I don't know who the Suns' major sponsors are, but just did quick check: the top two are HostPlus and Virgin Australia. I've never heard of HostPlus, don't know what they do, what industry they're in, etc, etc, so I can't really comment on them. As for Virgin - they have an exclusive sponsorship deal with the AFL, meaning Qantas sponsor the other 3 codes exclusively. The question is: are these sponsorship dollars pulled out of what other sports would be getting, or do they represent new money on the Gold Coast? You are right that a large captive audience is attractive to big sponsorship deals, and Suns benefit from that, but equally, one could be arguing that that's money going into the Gold Coast economy that would not have been going there otherwise. Interestingly, the third largest sponsor at the Suns is the Southport Football Club. Would their money be going to the Titans or GCU if the Suns weren't there? I'm not sure, probably not, but you never know I guess. I should add that both the Titans and GCU had 3+ years to get their act together on the Coast before the Suns came along - that's a good advantage they had - you can't blame anyone else if they failed to make hay while the sun shone.

Cattery, exactly why wouldn't the arrival of the Suns and their sucking up of significant sponsorship dollars from the other pro codes on the coast have anything to do with the current financial difficulties of these other teams? How much are the Suns sponsorships on the coast worth? The fact is that the AFL can guarantee sponsors the obsessive attention of all you southerners, very difficult for soccer or basketball or even the NRL to compete with that. Just be happy your dream is coming true C.Just think every behind the Giants kick on Saturday is like another elite NSW sporting talent being lured into an AFL academy and distribited around the league. Imagine that. How good would Freo be for instance if Patrick Cummins was playing for them. Or how much better would the AFL be if that ex leaguie the Magnussen Missile was n't wasting his time with swimming and chasing world records but was playing for Port instead. I don't know if they are actually showing the Olympics in Melbourne, it may well be too disruptive for the AFL season? But I hear 1 O'clock in the morning is good time for viewing anything non AFL down there. So if you are up late and do catch a glimpse you can drool at all that NSW and Qld talent that the AFL will be wrapping up pretty soon. Just think if the Torpedo or the Missile had have only been offered one of those $20 AFL bank accounts at the right time. For a chance to land your own NSW kid for your AFL team just send your $20 dollars to somewhere in NSW folks, our postcodes begin with a two I believe.

JVGO, I agree- I dont find Sheedy amusing - whimsical at best but unlike Beau (who apparently is amusing to 13 years olds a key demographic for NRL) he is not paid to be funny...Tragically 13 years olds grow up and watch other programs..

JVGO, I thought crowds were irrelevant to NRL people - its all about the TV ratings...isnt it?? If GWS pulls 40K on Saturday, surely the NRL with 4 western sydney teams playing in WS this weekend will pull more. No-one can explain to me how manly v St george on Saturday night (the NRL opposition to GWS) was not in the top 4 games for TV (FTA x2 Fri night, Sunday arvo and Monday night) when they were the last 2 premiers and the draw was done before the season starts.

Jaceman you have got to be kidding. The waratahs pulled 14,000 on the weekend. They are dead in the water and ready for the AFL to rip them to pieces. And all those north shore AFL mums are screaming for Demetriou to deliver the death chop to the Waratahs and hence the Wallabies. Sydney FC are a joke, they can't even get the crowd that Olympic, Marconi, Sydney united and hakoah would have put together. The Swans and Giants will pull a bigger crowd on Saturday than the Waratahs, FC and the Kings combined. i don't know how you guys can wait, finally the moment is about to arrive where AFL proves it is number one in Sydney, and you know how Sydney just adores a winner. So I wouldn't take any notice of Beau poking a little fun at the wonderful indigenous game. Sydney will all be wearing the tight little shorts soon, just like Beau. In fact I think Clipper does already.

AR, If you are going to attempt comedy you maybe should study a little more of Beau. He is actually a lot funnier than you seem to be, though to someone who follows AFL you may well be a barrel of laughs. I mean AFL people claim Sheedy is in some way amusing. Sorry but I don’t see it.

Bah! Call that a brawl. Now this is a brawl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBr2beSOUWc and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTJtHlMA4AA&feature=related

Not at all Cat. It was the AFL.

I think Sheeds will encourage it, that's one of the things he can bring to the game. Both of the blokes he dumped are 188cm, and lighter, but he certainly dumped them with ease. Once the season starts proper, it becomes a question of whether he can catch them. The pace of the game will lift again, and he is still getting used to it (obviously).

Shame on those AFL tyrants for pumping millions into stadiums and communities. Makes me sick.

he certainly has no trouble pushing those guys around, he was not even slightly bothered and he goes about the physical stuff quite differently as far as body osition and tackling. i must admit it will be interesting when comes up against some bigger guys.