Channel Nine’s coverage of the 2012 NRL season saw a change in commentary when Ray Hadley replaced Andrew Voss as the network’s second caller, a move that has brought plenty of conjecture.
The origin of this possibly traces back last year when Andrew Voss on the Sunday Roast quipped that the Ray Warren statue (which Hadley’s station 2GB and Channel Nine boss David Gyngell were heavily involved in putting together) looked nothing like him.
Gyngell wasn’t impressed, while Hadley led a tirade on the radio against Voss to the extent where Voss was sueing Hadley for defamation.
That case was recently settled out of court with Hadley apologising and Voss receiving a six-figure settlement.
With Hadley doing the second Friday night games, Voss has been demoted to calling the Queensland Cup.
He has also been sacked from hosting the Sunday Roast, a show in which he played a major part in making it the best rugby league show on television in my opinion.
Voss’ future at the network is clouded, and bringing a defamation suit against a Nine employer may have hurt his chances of renewing his contract at Nine.
Anyway as far as calling is concerned, who is the better commentator out of Hadley and Voss?
At the start of the year, Hadley’s commentary resembled that of someone who was calling horse racing. He was so quick he made the players out on the field look slow. He also didn’t allow his co-commentators much of a word in either, and I found that his voice was very low at times you could barely hear him.
But as the year has gone on he has slown down, and is starting to look comfortable. He is allowing the pictures to tell the story and is flowing along with it.
Another weakness Hadley has shown is his lack of research on players who are new coming into the top grade. In his defence, it is hard to combine football calling, with radio program Monday to Friday.
So is Hadley’s work on Nine quality or quantity?
Sometimes when people in general have multiple jobs, sometimes the quality suffers, thanks mainly to fatigue or not enough time. It’s probably the case with Hadley.
When I listened to Hadley 15 years ago on radio, I thought at the time, he would make it as a television commentator.
Now whether the years have gone by, or I was mistaken in my judgement, I’m not so sure. It depends how he calls the NRL next year. I give him the benefit of the doubt. Hadley’s a wonderful caller on radio, but as it showed this year, he does lack experience with television commentary.
It does show that radio and television commentary are required to have two different types of skills. On radio you have to describe where the team with ball is on the field, example “Broncos 30 metres out from their own line”. But on television you don’t need to – the pictures tell the story.
Andrew Voss has been with Channel Nine since 1994. When he first started he was raw with a high pitched voice, and sounded like a work experience kid. In the early years, he would fill in for Warren when he wasn’t available, or would occasionally be on the sidelines.
But from 2007, with Nine televising two Friday night games, it gave Andrew Voss the opportunity to be a regular caller. In the period of 2007 to 2011, Voss has improved quite a fair bit.
In some ways for Voss this year it is a shame that he is demoted down to the Queensland Cup. Voss has been demoted because of an off-the-cuff comment about a statue, not his commentating.
When Hadley has been missing calling the games, from other commitments, like the 2012 London Olympics, Voss did fill in on those few occasions and gave me the impression that Voss is a far superior commentator to Hadley.
Voss does his research on all the players, he seems genuinely excited in calling the football, and his commentary runs smoothly and compliments his co-comentators. The years of experience as a commentator for Voss is becoming more evident at this point in time.
In fact, not only is Voss a better television commentatror to Hadley, I also think he has gone past the network’s number one caller in Ray Warren. Warren these days is slowing down a bit and is making more mistakes, such as incorrectly calling the wrong players names.
Warren also appears too busy arguing with Phil Gould during the game about things that are not associated with the game. Earlier in the year in a City vs Country game, Warren and Gould were too busy talking about Tommy Lee Jones movies.
In my opinion, Voss is the best commentator on Nine’s rugby league coverage. It’s a big turnaround for, due to the fact that earlier in the year in one of my articles, I did state that perhaps he wasn’t capable to have the mantle of the number one caller.
But thanks to ego and personality, there is a chance Voss may not be at the network next year. I do think he was hoping that Channel Ten got the rights, but alas, Nine has it for five more years.
Voss may end up on either radio, or Fox sports. Than again, with an industry as small as this, Voss may be lucky to get a gig next year. That is unfortunate.
Rugby league would miss out, all because of a trivial matter over a statue!
Oh, Andrew Voss is a far superior Sunday Roast host to Tim Gilbert.
Neil B
Guest
I came across this 7 years after the start of the conversation. Voss is unfortunately still commentating, now with Sky. His work these days sounds like a parody of commentary. Next time he’s on note how many plays pass by while he is talking about something he is reminded about from last season, or last round, or something that happened at the press conference, or just about anything but who is running with the ball, or making the tackle. Listening to Voss is like having that loud, irritating bloke in the seat behind who isn’t that interested in the game but can’t shut up about everything else. He seems to have no self edit button, giving metaphor after tortured metaphor unrelated to the pictures on our screen. Can Sky not find a commentator who can describe the game as it happens, rather than Voss whose commentary sounds more like a post-match panel show member.
Rob
Guest
You are kidding! Andrew Voss is without doubt or argument the worst commentator I have ever seen on any broadcast any where ever full stop end of conversation!
Jim
Guest
Just watched parramatta tigers game and Andrew voss did nothing but whine and winge about the lack of scoring instead of just commentating on the game .we are not interested in his opinions and stupid smart Alec comments .I do not support either team but he spoilt the whole experience for me
Roger
Guest
Costigan can go to aus...he was one eyed always talking the warriors down.
Kent
Guest
Bring back the Voss, by far better than Ray and in my opinion as good as if not better than Rabs. Rabs is nearing retirement, the rightful heir to the NRL Commentator Throne is Andrew Voss. Channel 9, what did he do wrong? Get over it and bring back the Voss.
Darryl
Guest
Muppet vs muppet , muppet must win sorry but they can both go as far as I'm concerned too up themselves . Get someone from fox not w smith but brandy or someone who does it for the game and not their own gain !!
Peter Botha
Guest
Channel nine needs to clean out the commentary team, I am fed up hearing about immortals and legends ,while watching the game. I need to know up to date information not history. Bring back Andrew Voss for concise and sometimes humorous commentary.
Steve
Guest
While Voss comes across as a bit of an egomaniac (albeit not in the same egomaniac class as Hadley!) in my opinion he is far and away the best caller with his knowledge of the game and everything that happens in it. I have no problem with Rabs though and if he continues to call that's ok as well. Hadley is not worth listening to...he spoils the experience... He is only happy when he has someone to pick on or hang up on if hey don't agree with him and he doesn't have hat opportunity in the commentary box... I think Voss and Rabs would be happy to be in the crowd watching the game if they weren't calling....I'm not sure Hadley would be...
josh quinn
Guest
Voss not at nine is a loss simple as that
Tim Gordon
Guest
Unlucky for Australia, Vossy has been signed up by Sky Sport NZ to be the voice of the Warriors home games. Absolutely agree is a fantastic commentator, and I will be looking forward to his commentary! Friday Night Footy isn't the same without Vossy. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/8398902/Controversial-Aussie-to-call-Warriors-games
Adrian Reid
Guest
No contest, vossy is by far better. hadley is a mumbler that has the added ability of getting young people to turn the game off.
Tigers man
Guest
What is going on at channel 9? Hadley is a dog caller and it shows when he calls the football, its painful to listen to. If they end up putting this bloke as number 1 caller they will loose viewers in droves. I have not heard a good word said about his calling and has nothing on Voss. iIt must have been a job for the boys, painful and please get rid of him before its too late.
josh
Guest
why did fox stop the nz commentators from covering the warriors games i liked the full pre game show from nz then having dale and daryl cover the game. andy and his co commentator arent even at the game and it just doesent sound right. i really want to know what happend
81paling
Roar Rookie
Sorry to say it and it is nothing personal but, I cannot stand Andrew Voss. Ever since last year an AFL fan pointed out to me how stupid his facts are when he said about the Brisbane Bronco's that this is a young but very experienced team most of this team have now played more 1st grade matches in the NRL than their age. He went on to say that they are really coming of age due to this experience. At the time I did not really pay much attention to the comment but, it was then pointed out to me that this means that for a lot of the players in the side that would mean less than one season and therefore what if it had not have been pointed out would appear to have been a researched fact became just a joke of a statement that really means nothing it was a complete contradiction. This statement was totally meaningless and in fact could be applied to every team in the NRL. His commentary then went on to applaud the great Gus Gould with what Voss termed an impeachable State of Origin record (he lost the UN-lossable Origin series to Vaughton who had very little coaching experience coached a side that were given no chance and had almost no Kangaroo reps) If you actually listen to him it is embarrassing and I am afraid I cannot any longer. After this I tried to give him a go as it was before the statue incident and therefore he was part of the game and so I really tried not to let his facts that once analyzed are either wrong or meaningless (stating Wests had the longest losing streak and worst for and against record of all time in the decade prior to the merger which I know is wrong as Sydney Uni's was longer and Cumberland have the worst for and against record of all time). Never the less I tried to tolerate this but after watching him have an icident where a player had his pants pulled down more than 5 times on the Footy show on the Thursday he then proceeded to replay it at his insistence (not a TV show director they were his instructions) I could no longer tolerate him and to my mind the Roast has never been better with fewer AFL highlights, play backs of their own previous shows which were taking 2 entire segments. I am sorry but, the game is better not to have him and unfortunately QLD has been lumbered with a fool that once you have it pointed out to you it is clear that he only ridicules the game, treats most of those around him lesser people or as gods with no in between. He has no passion or love for the game and I hope that he winds up commentating for the AFL as he was so keen to show highlights from that game (the major competitor to rugby league) in all of his segments.
sledgeross
Guest
From what I have heard (and seen on a limited scale), Voss is a bit of a big head which has led to his ostracism from big games. Having said that, he is one of the best callers of rugby league, and I would rather listen to him than Hadley or even Rabs at this point.
Chop
Guest
It's fantastic news, I can't wait.
lemo
Guest
Everytime i hear a Hadley call its like he is watching a replay and calling the game a day or two after the game is over. No soul /passion - very poor. As other have noted he is a "humourless bigot" and I think that comes across loud and clear in his rugby league call.
SportsFan
Guest
Hadley has improved as a TV caller. I rarely stay up and watch the games he calls but the ones I have seen he has slowly figured out he doesn't need to call the game like its a horse race on radio, a lot of the time he can let the pictures tell the story. Voss was far to opinionated to be the main colour commentator. In saying that I think they are all to opinionated about things and should leave that for the footy show, like I discussed here http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/09/18/time-for-league-callers-to-shut-up-and-call/.
Mark W
Guest
Hadley is only there because of who he knows. Vossy is a mile better, not just the calling but Sunday Roast etc. Unfortunately he is probably screwed at nine now.
joe farrugia
Guest
please get hadley of air and bring back voss A S A P please give us a break