It was somewhat ironic that on the day Australia collectively mourned the loss of the voice of summer, the voice of two states’ winters showed telltale signs that age was also catching up with him.
Not as iconic as the great, irreplaceable Richie Benaud, nor as universally adored, Ray Warren’s dulcet tones have nonetheless soundtracked many of rugby league’s greatest moments.
And by greatest moments, I of course refer primarily to the moment where most of Queensland had a hand in a try which seemed to work its way down from Cooktown, across the Tropic of Capricorn and Tweed River, veer west to Broken Hill then land itself in the north-east corner of the Sydney Football Stadium.
Champagne rugby league, with a top-shelf whisky chaser provided by the man on the mic and his two irrepressible sidekicks.
Things were well and truly bubbling in the Lang Park cauldron last Friday as well, and that’s before we talk about the foam gushing out of the gobs of rival props Sam Thaiday and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as they impersonated two bison in a David Attenborough doco.
The Broncos and Roosters went end-to-end for 80-and-a-bit minutes. Blokes were shanking field goals like the Steeden was made of flubber. Lachlan Maranta thought he was LeBron James. Ben Hunt eventually remembered that tries are permissible in extra time. Rugby league was the winner.
It was frenetic stuff, and the man known as Rabs struggled to keep up.
On at least three occasions he called last tackle when there was still one to go in the set, then carried on calling as if nothing was amiss while the elephant casually strolled around several-hundred thousand lounge rooms.
By the end of play, his voice was nearly shot. On his regular Saturday morning slot on Triple M Radio, he was neck deep in throat lozenges to help get through the allotted three hours.
These things are understandable. Being a play-by-play caller is no doubt a high-intensity gig. After the classic first Origin game of 2014, even Rabs himself admitted he didn’t know how many of those he had left in him.
What isn’t understandable is what now seems a running joke between some members of the Nine commentary team – the mispronunciation of player names of Polynesian or Melanesian descent.
This week it was boom Roosters rookie Sio Siua Taukeiaho’s turn to have his name minced up on national television.
In previous weeks, Tigers young gun Ava Seumanufagai has had the comic “SEE-YOU-MA-NOO-FUN-GUY” treatment.
On this and other occasions, grown men with microphones tittered like they’d just laid a zinger on the new kid at kindergarten, and acted like they didn’t know any better.
Full disclosure: I cannot pronounce either of those names, nor Warriors rookies who are currently tearing it up in my fantasy football squad. But it is part of my job description to ensure both of the above, plus Solomone Kata and Tuimoala Lolohea, are correctly spelt before The Roar’s subs ensure this piece is otherwise readable.
The NRL trumpeted the fact that in 2012 the official media guide distributed to all full-time broadcasters and scribes would come with ‘islander’ names spelt phonetically. The guide that year went a step further, with Danny Weidler pointing out that whoever from the Warriors thought Lewis Brown needed to be broken down into syllables was clearly ‘avin a laugh.
This year, one made it as far as ABC Grandstand’s Perth studio…
… so we can assume the home of rugby league’s post office box would’ve been overflowing with the things well before season kickoff.
Which makes the continual mangling of admittedly tricky names, then making the mangling a discussion point – ‘deliberate idiocy’, as fellow Roarer Geoff Lemon referred to it in that takedown piece of Nine’s cricket commentary team in February. It is not only unforgiveable, but disrespectful to young men who have dedicated their lives up to this point to the goal of performing on the Friday Night Football stage.
You’ve got one job, Rabs, and you can be bloody good at it. If you can no longer do it properly it might be time to hang up the microphone.
Everyone has to eventually. Just ask John Farnham.
LesNorton
Guest
Different languages do use the tongue and mouth differently to pronounce words. There are so many distinct examples of this but perhaps none so poignant in regards to this topic of pronouncing Polynesians or Maori names is the fact that the pronunciation of the word Maori itself is nigh on impossible if it is not your native tongue. Maori people do not make a big deal out of it and neither do I think should anyone be criticising Ray's attempts at obviously difficult names to pronounce. Why do people have a problem with someone laughing at themselves. Sometimes it feels as though political correctness is taking away the world's sense of humour.
CW
Guest
Time Rabs gave it away, Please. He was once a horse race caller. Imo that is how he sounds when he calls league. Voss was the same an d Warren Sim on Fox.Have watched league with sound turned down for some time. So I do not know just how bad he sounds now. Who will take over the Nine mic when he is sent out to pasture? The only bloke I like Fox's Ray Braybrook. Is that his name?. He was rough around the edges, but I used to enjoy the commentary of Darrell Eastlake. Going back even further I also liked Englishman Eddie Waring.
HarryT
Guest
google.
George W
Guest
I haven't read any of this thread, but Rabbits sure has a problem with recognising Raiders players; they have to play 200 games before he can get their names 100% correct. I suppose it's a result of only seeing the Raiders on his channel about 10 times in that period. Narks will say that's all they deserved, but surely it's a self-fulfilling prophecy that if you get more TV coverage, you get more publicity, you get more TPA's, you can buy the best players for 70% of what they're worth (cause they get paid in "other" ways"), and hey-presto, you get more FTA games. Simple. Just look at today's Telegraph (which I don't usually buy but had to in order to get the ANZAC coin) - you'll see fluff pieces on Ferguson getting his girl pregnant (no the photo doesn't show how he did that, he's only got his hand on her "chest"), and the great Dugan being the 800th Aussie player, probably. The last time they were in the paper as Raiders they were on a roof, doing an ad for pineapple cruisers.
Birdy
Guest
I know he is past it but what ever happened to Ian Maurice ? He called a good game.
Jackson Henry
Roar Guru
Probably because he has a head like the Japanese flag. (Stole that one from Sterlo).
Jackson Henry
Roar Guru
Really. That I did not know. Any specifics?
Birdy
Guest
Ahhh poor Rex. He was good for the day. Rex is where it all started,
Carlos
Guest
Excellent idea
turbodewd
Guest
Ray Warren...the commentator who never shows his face during a telecast. Why is this the case - its bizarre! I dont rate him as a commentator at all, sorry.
lmm040183
Guest
True that, the Warriors score a simple through the hands try and its BROOLLIANT!! MUGNIFICENT!!
Gazzatron
Guest
Last nights game was just horrible all round really. But I will give Ray Hadley some props for finding out how to pronounce one of the players last names. He went to the parents beforehand and asked them, which is what should always happen. So many wrong names last night though. I lost count at about 25 mix ups. I'm starting to think they are watching channel nines fuzzy tv coverage.
HarryT
Guest
I think Andrew Moore, now on the ABC radio, is by far the best commentator. Sadly, his conflict with Hadley means that he won't be heading for Ch9. I'm seeing a pattern here.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's a really good point. Subtle ideas like that can make a world of difference.
djcooper
Roar Guru
Ch9's coverage needs a complete overhaul including commentary. Last nights game between broncos and saints was a prime example of atmosphere not being reflected through the box. How hard would it be to put the mics a little closer to the crowd and turn the commentators mics down a bit so you can hear the atmosphere coming through. I think the commentators (Hadley excluded because personally I think he is a lost cause) might raise their excitement levels a bit when they can hear the crowd and the viewers might pick up on the excitement of the game. A simple touch that I think would make a world of difference.
db
Guest
Jackson Henry, my comment was directed at the person who thinks Hadley is smart and brilliant. I find the comment amusing because Hadley is an utter moron.
GPR
Guest
Rabs is a champion, we'll miss his calling when he hangs up the mic. Never thought I'd miss Bill & Tony, but I did. I don't think he is too bad with pronunciations of names, some of his co-commentators struggle though.
The Barry
Roar Guru
But that doesn't mean your tongue works in a different way...!?!? And what sounds do Pacific Islander names have that aren't in the English language? The challenge is the names are long with many syllables not that they have different sounds. Anyway there's no problem with mispronunciation, it's the giggling and mocking afterwards that's the embarrassment.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
日本語の文法を従ったから問題ないです。それにしても、太平洋諸島の言語には、英語の無理な発音がないらしい。 Translation: They follow the rules of Japanese grammar and so that isn't problem. In anycase, Pacific Island languages seem to have pronunciations that are not impossible for English. Just sayin.... :)
Brian M
Guest
In many languages, ALL words are pronounced according to the pronunciation rules of that language. This is true even for personal names. Spanish, for example, foreign names are given Spanish pronunciation. French, its generally true as well, though I think there may be some exceptions (and seems a little more flexible among Canadian French speakers). English, with its usual strangeness, has few pronunciation rules at all. Perhaps English should more like other languages and have set pronunciation for all words, even those of foreign origin.