Manly’s win over the Panthers was brilliant game full of attacking footy, with a nail-biting finish in front of a big crowd on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
The coverage was great, the commentating spot on, and the atmosphere was well captured.
But the excitement came over an hour after the frantic and brilliant finish. Most of the footballing community knew the result, which sucked the energy out of the moment.
Surely, in 2014, this is no longer acceptable.
My friend in Auckland watched the game live from over 2000 kilometres away. Those watching from Jakarta were lucky enough to see the last-minute win in real time.
Meanwhile, those of us in Australia are forced to watch delayed, standard definition, ad-filled coverage.
As a fan, I don’t dare get dare get caught up in post-match excitement, as we are whisked away just moments after the final whistle to the news. Forget the celebrations by fans, players and officials.
We, as fans, have also had to get use to being taken to an ad break after tries across Nine’s weekend coverage.
Instead of showing the emotion of a four-pointer, we are treated to an ad, or reminded that Big Brother is once again going to pollute our television screens.
All this would be fine if Ray Warren, the best league commentator of the modern era, was not forced to talk over live play, to plug the romance between Sheldon and Amy on the upcoming Big Bang Theory.
I’m still yet to see actors from the Big Bang break from script to plug the Thursday Night blockbuster between the Roosters and the Bunnies.
Meanwhile, over on 7mate, AFL fans are treated to a full pre-show, live coverage, and a wrap-up show. The Saturday night program kicks off at 6:30, an hour before bounce, and wraps up more than half an hour after the game concludes.
We league fans sit and wait after turning off all contact with the outside world to avoid hearing the result, to watch a delayed game, full of plugs for reality television during live play, before being taken to the news less than a minute after the final whistle.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of the coverage. I love listening to Rabs and co. call big games in the bright sunshine on a Sunday afternoon. But I am not a fan of the sun being down before the game has concluded on my set.
It is time the Sunday afternoon game is shown live from 3pm, or the fixture kick-off time is moved to 4pm to suit coverage. Please note that I said 4pm, not five past four, not quarter to five, 4pm on the dot. If this is a problem, I’m sure starting the coverage at three minutes to will not be a huge problem.
I fully understand Nine paid big money to secure the rights, and should reap the benefits. What I don’t understand is the fact they are shooting themselves in the foot by delaying coverage when literally anyone in the world can watch the game live online, or hear it called live on the radio.
Fans would be more than happy to endure a further five minutes of ads during an extended halftime to compensate for lost ad-time by showing the game live.
You’d be surprised what people are willing to endure to avoid delayed-coverage games while people on the other side of the world watch live.
duecer
Guest
Don't know if that will have the result you would want. Could be that if people start boycotting, the NRL coverage will be deemed to be not as valuable and the price will go down when the next deal is done - or is that Ch 9's plan?
Edward Kelly
Guest
Also watched it live on the internet and at a better quality than the pixelated SD that was on GEM. I dread the finals because Foxsports loses its excellent live HD ad-free coverage. The NRL is is the stone age with it agreement with Nine.
Matthew Edwards
Roar Pro
I think that now that we have already sold our souls to channel 9 we need to make a move for the fans. The channel 9 game kicks off at 4:30. Simple.
Manly Man
Guest
Yea but the quality is poor and lags sometimes. The point is we shouldnt have to suffer standard definition in 2014. The age of hd sports movies video games and blu rays this is ridiculous. And as for the delayed coverage please. Put it on gem then put whatever they want on ch9
James
Roar Guru
Totally agree, you are summarising an age-old argument but you have done very well in summarising every issue that makes it untolerable. Yeah it was a bummer yesterday, I watched the game in Singapore at my mate's house, a Manly fan, and he copped a lot of slack from his buds in Aus because he Instagrammed the result. CH9 aren't just affecting Australians, the whole world! They need to wake up, they can reach the next step in coverage, they are very one-minded. Come on Ging!
Jackson Henry
Roar Guru
Already started. Switch over the Seven deliberately, so they don't my rating. However will they sleep tonight, but still.
Haradasun
Guest
I agree 100% will all of this. I just feel like sticking nails in my head would be more productive though than constantly complaining about how rubbish rugby league coverage is these days. league has sold its soul to $$$ and its never coming back.
Mike L
Roar Rookie
I live in NZ so I guess we are lucky that we get all games live with no ads regardless of who is broadcasting it in Australia. We still get the Channel 9/Fox commentry but just no ads and live. The downside is we have to pay for it, If you do not have SKY in NZ (Similar to Foxtel I think) your only option is the radio (for some games), the net or the pub. Overall it is not very expensive, about $30 a month, but for that you get all rugby, AFL, NRL games and also a lot of other content. I would have thought that even though it is the broadcasters paying the $1b for the rights the NRL should still be able to dictate some basic terms. i.e. all games live, all games HD, no more than 2 ad breaks per half etc Everyone seems to be blaming the broadcasters here but I think the fault lies with David Gallop and the NRL for negotiating this crap deal. I think poor old dave was under such pressure to deliver a better/equivalent price than the AFL got, that he had to give away a lot of basic things such as HD content etc If he had had the stones to tell Channel 9 to jam it, and taken an exclusie deal from fox or one of the other channels then not only could he have received more money, but most likley better quality too However I understand that Australian law dictates that there has to be some free to air covereage?
Football United
Guest
It's 2014, if you're still watching the delayed coverage you're a sucker. Get a computer, plug your tele in and watch a live stream from the UK or use one of Google Chromes Geo unblocking apps and watch the NRL's official international stream. There are so many ways to get around this horrendous deal.
Manly Man
Guest
Which site? Isn't the quality poor? That's Wat I find. Watchable but pretty poor unless you have a site?
Manly Man
Guest
No offside buddy goto Nrl.com hit the videos tab and seek the replay then slap yourself
Punter
Guest
it's RIDICULOUS!!! There needs to be an INVESTIGATION!!! Seriously, the continued use of the delayed telecast it a massive slap in the face to the fans and is a disgrace. I find it incredibly insulting. Dave Gyngal says it works well as a lead in for channel 9 news. I implore all NRL fans to join me in BOYCOTTING 9 NEWS! It's simple really, as soon as the footy finishes, flick to ch 7 for the news. If we can reach enough fellow punters eventually it will show in the ratings and ch 9 might finally get the idea that they should be delivering a higher quality to the fans, who essentially fund the game. Yes, 9 payed a billion for the rights, but the fans are the ones who watch the adds, fork out for merchandise, tickets etc - so it is us who are ultimately footing the bill, not 9 at all! They are profiteering! If the rights are worth a billion, surely the NRL should have said "right, we have a valuable product here, if you want it, give the fans what they want!" Sunday arvo footy should be something we fans can enjoy live, the way sport is meant to be watched. When you know the game has finished well before you have been able to watch it, it is incredibly detrimental to the spectacle and ruins the experience in my opinion. Please fellow fans, start BOYCOTTING CH 9 NEWS asap. Perhaps, if we're lucky, people power may enable sanity to prevail.
eagleJack
Guest
I can quite easily avoid the score. And don't have a major problem with it being shown at 4pm. But watching a 2 hour long advertising feed, intermittently broken up to show snippets of a football game, is simply not on.
eagleJack
Guest
Wow you really need your eyes tested if you think the Manly players were offside. Or are you simply tr *lling?
Albo
Guest
And the worst aspect of yesterday's coverage, was that due to the NINE NEWS coming up, we never got time for a replay of the final minute bomb that led to the match winning try, where it would have exposed the two offside Manly players including Lyons, and that the "miracle" try should have been disallowed, if only the incompetent referee had called for the video as per every other try in the game ! So the Panthers being ripped off by incompetent refereeing again, and it not even noticed by the viewers ! But I guess that's Hollywood ! At least Freddy got a couple of gags in !
Nordburg
Guest
Im a Manly supporter so i watched via live streaming through my tv and have had to do this many times this season due to living in Brisbane and having the Broncos on first on friday nights.Whilst the picture isnt very clear it serves a purpose.But yesterday was the highlight.Before kick off and at half time the coverage doesnt stop and you can hear what Rabs and co are saying.Some classics before the start were Rabs trying to get some background on Jason King.But it was topped off by one of the biggest dickheads on the team,Brett Finch,attempting to give his half time assessment that was only two sentences long and having to do five takes to get it partially right -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Johnnyball
Guest
Giggles funny boy Fitler is the biggest turn off ever. Anyone notice how he spoke to Cameron Smith first up yesterday on the footie show? Smith gave an honest appraiser of why they lost to Roosters as asked and Fitlers retort is " pity you just don't say we were outplayed which is alright if not asked to provide an analysis. Fitler has to always be centre of attention, something I think he picked up from Gould.
Daniel Nichols
Roar Guru
In 2014, you shouldn't have to block out the rest of the world to avoid a footy result
oldcodger
Guest
I switch on at 5 past 4 on Sundays. Have a comfort stop at Half time. Turn off at the end of the game. I like Ray Warren as Caller. What annoys me He plugs those Garbage evening shows on Nine Do him and Gus Sterlo really watch these Shows . I cant imagine it!
buster
Guest
Is that a joke? The problem is being told the scores before the game has finished. It might surprise a few of you but as mentioned above, not every person can be controlled and some of those people are ignorant to the fact its a delayed broadcast. YOU might have the situation sorted but as im sure you can comprehend, some people have different circumstances.