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.
Jeffo
Guest
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!
Bigjohn
Guest
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 )
Bigjohn
Guest
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.
Dobber
Guest
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.
GD
Guest
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.
B.A Sports
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.
kid
Guest
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.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
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.
Tater69
Guest
ABC Grandstand first, daylight second. Especially for those of us living outside the major metropolitan areas. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
clipper
Guest
Triple M will be a good fit for league.
marayong tiger
Guest
Bring back Won Casey!
Doghouse
Guest
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)...
Johnno
Guest
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 .
Kris Swales
Expert
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.
sledgeross
Guest
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.
planko
Guest
Liquor box could not agree more and I get surprised every week that Warren does not work part time with at least one team.
liquor box
Guest
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
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
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?
Anna
Guest
A bit harsh on the ABC, at least they provide some analysis of the game
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
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.