Rugby fans anxious to hear who’ll be calling the action under the new Australian broadcast deal now know who they’ll be listening to, after Channel Nine and Stan Sport announced their commentary line-up for the Super Rugby season.
As expected, former Fox Sports host Nick McArdle will head up the coverage, joined by fellow host Roz Kelly. Sean Maloney and Andrew Swain will handle play-by-play calling duties for each match between them.
Ex-Wallabies Tim Horan, Drew Mitchell and Justin Harrison, all of whom spent time on Fox’s commentary panel, are on Nine’s team as well, along with former dual-code international Alanna Ferguson, ex-All Black Andrew Mehrtens and retired Wallaby Morgan Turinui. Turinui had been a regular on Channel Ten’s coverage last year.
One notable name missing from the announcement is Sonny Bill Williams. The code-hopping star had been touted as a likely inclusion in Nine’s team to cover both rugby and the NRL, but will not be part of the coverage this year.
The new Super Rugby season kicks off on February 19, when the Reds take on the Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium. One game per round will be shown on free-to-air TV on Channel Nine under the new broadcast deal, with the entire competition, as well as all of Super Rugby Aotearoa, Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, Rugby Championship and Shute Shield and Hospital Cup, available on Stan Sport. Wallabies Tests will, however, still remain on free-to-air TV.
Glenn Hart
Guest
Who's the commentator that has to put the annoying..Kooorobettte...slant Is it to hard to just say Korabeti.????
greg
Guest
Commentate the game please, don't just call out their names, we know who they are !
Michael
Guest
Nick Mcardle speaks dribble and has no idea . Replace him with Allana Ferguson . She is bright , really understands the game better than any of the males. Is positive . That McArdle had no idea,on Saturday down playing the wallabies performance and almost fell of his seat when Alana was ebullient and saw all all the up signs about the game . And those dumb questions!!
Bronwyn Seiden
Guest
Commentary of 1st test Wallabies v France was terrible. Virtually no favourable comments about the any of the Wallabies. Continually rabbiting on about the French. No mention of some shocking refereeing & then to carry on after the game about how good the wallabies were in fighting back. Are you lot serious. It’s like we’ve been down for so many years & you’re scared to give the Aussies any credit. For god sake, give them credit & back them or shut up the dribble. So disappointing for the Wallabies.
Rugbyrah
Roar Rookie
Darrell Eastlake did not have that much insight into rugby league, but he is the man who made orign games more exciting. A good caller has passion. As the other big man used to say, Go you good thing!"
Peter
Roar Rookie
What about Whispering Ted Lowe. He always brought a different dimension to the game of Snooker. "For those watching in black and white. The pink is next to the green." Vintage stuff....... They don't make em' like they used to.
Peter
Roar Rookie
The team at face value seems like a decent enough selection. Swain’s all right but Maloney is frankly an embarrassment. He commentates with the same kind of immaturity that James Brayshaw has inflicted upon cricket audiences in recent summer’s. They both talk as though they are street kids and it is a BIG BIG turn off for me.
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
From two experiences working in companies bought out by private equity, I've concluded that no matter how incompetent the original management team, the private equity legacy was worse. Your vaunted "how it's supposed to be done" parses to "transfer costs, postpone essentials, feather nests, walk away richer". The really good deals are where they assign all debt back to the organisation they "rescue", and the sell-back deal locks in cash payments to them for years to come.
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
The game, or the sound?
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Romantic? Of course! :laughing:
stillmissit
Roar Guru
BF: True, but if the piano gets dropped or they can't get it up the stairs then you bunch have nothing to play your 'doe-eyed' romantic lullabies on!
Highlander
Roar Guru
you are correct though , never current referees
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
Happy to stand corrected
Harry Jones
Expert
I find Maloney funny.
Racing Chicken Trainer
Roar Rookie
I emailed them got nothing, got a quick response form them on Facebook but
Rugger
Guest
Agreed on Kearns. He’s so tiring and unoriginal. I couldn’t help but notice Drew Mitchell desperately trying to get his name out there this week. I think he is easily the worst of the lot. The one redundancy Fox got right :thumbup:
chucked
Guest
Kafer, Kearns, Gregan and Marto gone is heaven for me. kearns and Marto One eyed, Gregan the most boring commentator born and Kafer thinks he is funny - he is not
Micko
Roar Rookie
With so many kiwis living in Australia now, one would assume Nine/Stan have taken that into account. They need a token kiwi or two to pander to the kiwi demographic. It's really irrelevant who it is to be honest, just that it's done, and that kiwis know about it.
Micko
Roar Rookie
You want Izzy Folau in commentary? :silly:
Kiwiburger
Guest
I think the kiwi guy ex 1014 rugby is a huge miss although might have sky obligations. Technically on top of all things rugby, excellent communicator, pleasant voice and isn't prone to the silly stuff like nisbo and Marshall.