I make a mean potato bake. This doesn’t mean I should host a cooking show. The same goes for ex-players and coaches who become footy commentators.
I appreciate that they understand the game better than most. They have lived it, breathed it, and know it inside out. But that doesn’t mean that they are the right person to publicly analyse it.
It’s not enough that you were a fantastic player, legendary coach, or even just one of the nice guys of the game. To have a job in the media where your main role is speaking, you should be articulate, engaging, possess a wide vocabulary and not be biased.
I’ll give you a minute while you go through the current crop to see who fit the criteria.
Yep. Not many.
(Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Let’s go through some of the ‘talent’.
You have Greg Alexander, who should never be allowed to call or speak about a Penrith game ever again. The one-sided comments he makes about his Panthers are just laughable. And you just know you are in for 80 minutes of unfair commentary if he is calling the game for a team he doesn’t like.
Then there is Braith Anasta, who has given us some pearls of wisdom such as:
“It was up to them to win or lose.”
“They play every single play.”
“It was an air swing. He obviously touches it, but only just.”
“I haven’t seen one smile. Not one.” (Everyone in the coach’s box was wearing a mask.)
“His kick wasn’t deep enough. Or it was too deep.”
And my personal favourite: “They need to play footy here. There’s no other choice.”
We have Shane Flanagan, who seems to turn every segment into a job interview for a coaching role.
There is obviously an issue with Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach commentating, because fans are always asking on social media for a translator.
If I hear Mark Geyer say “A-k-s-ed” instead of “A-s-k-ed” one more time I’m going to scream.
And despite how much we all love Johnathan Thurston and know he has a lot to say about the game, there are only so many times he can go “um, ahh, um” before you question why they gave someone who seems petrified of public speaking a microphone.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Then we have those who don’t lack any confidence: Phil Gould, Andrew Johns and Paul Gallen.
This group of league legends could have us hanging on their every word with their insight and knowledge. But many fans find that their bias, arrogance and constant use of cliches make them want to switch off instead of tune in.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some that have transitioned well from being in the game to talking about it. Corey Parker, Laurie Daley, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Girdler, Michael Ennis and James Graham come close to ticking all the boxes.
They know what they are talking about, express their points of views clearly and intelligently, and despite their obvious love for their affiliated clubs, are able to push it to the side when discussing a game.
You may not agree with them, but they usually bring clever, fair and valid points to the conversation, and they deliver them well.
(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
There needs to be a bit of light-heartedness and humour, and those like Matty Johns, Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, Paul Vautin and Darryl Brohman bring the laughter.
But when you just want to hear an insightful discussion about the footy or listen to a great call, you don’t want to have to put up with the likes of Geoff Toovey screaming and carrying on because that is the only way he seems to be able to communicate.
There is a reason that Ray Warren and Andrew Voss are at the top of the commentators’ list. It’s because they are commentators.
I’m not saying that ex-footy players or coaches cannot be commentators. As I have mentioned there are some that have successfully made the switch.
The correct ones for the role need to be carefully selected and trained. Not just be the next retiree off the rack.
With so much knowledge and wisdom to share, we have a lot of legends of the game that have the potential to make great commentators.
But they may need some fine tuning first. They should complete some form of media training after their footy careers have finished – and before they are given the green light to move into broadcasting.
A great player doesn’t necessarily make a great coach. The same rule needs to apply to commentators.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
He learned from the best, Richie Benaud! Oh, wait, wrong sport. Still a great caller, though.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Andrew Voss and Ray Warren are at the top of your comms list??? You were going well until this. There is not one RL commentator on the air that I enjoy. It's almost as if the RU types who control Oz media deliberately employ boofheads as RL comms so as to keep the class divide as wide as possible. I never watch Nein so have no opinion there, but I will opine that there have been two highly irritating, planned trends in the Fox comms this year. One is the flood of hyperbole, at last count, there were 118 "superstars of our game" running around. And all the rest have all had an exceptional season. And the other trend is the transparent bias of *all* the Fox comms. If one side score a try the volume of the shouting/cheering exceeds that of an Acca Dacca concert, but if it's the other team scoring, sayyyy The Storm, it's like the comms favourite old dog just died. And speaking of "shouting"... I wish someone would tell them that having a comms bellowing does not mean that the game is exciting. Why this all is so hard for our Lords of TV to realise is a mystery. All they need to do is continue that fine old Oz tv tradition of copying the Yanks. Their baseball and NFL comms are superb. Until that blessed day arrives though I'll continue to start watching Fox RL an hour or so after the kick-off so that I can watch at >= 2x and avoid having to listen to their near-identical array of biased and inarticulate array of bellowers.
Yardman62
Roar Rookie
Most people have chosen to comment in a humorous way and some of the combinations put forward would be sensational and “must see” viewing. Your assessment of most of the commentators is spot on in regards to bias, inabilities to string a few words together, or they still think the games the same as when they played but Warren and Voss at the top…… really. If that’s true then the commentary teams are in worse shape than the West Tigers! Warren “was” the best caller in league but I find myself wondering if Ray and I are watching the same game sometimes. Calling the wrong players or not getting the reason behind refereeing decisions correct. Maybe like many sports stars a case of one season to many. No quality back up callers at Nine maybe the reason he went around again. For the good of the team Ray retire while you still have your reputation as a “great rugby league commentator. As for Voss how many anecdotes can a person listen to in a game of league when all we want is comments on what is happening at the time in the game. Never seems to stop talking about things that aren’t relative and could learn from the great cricket commentator Richie Benaud who said about commentary “ if what you are saying does NOT add to what is happening on the field don’t say anything” Something that Voss would benefit from immensely. Nothing worse than sitting down to watch a great contest and having to listen to him dribble on continually till you reach the point where you turn the sound down turn the radio on and listen to them.(pausing the tv till you get in sync with the radio the trick here) There are many good commentators around in the media, a few that could be put up with the above mentioned….. Dan Ginnane, Warren Smith, Andrew Moore. Maybe the bosses at Fox or Nine need to be held accountable for the poor form shown by many in their team and drop some of the so called stars to the bench. Liked your article but can’t agree with all your comments and we don’t want to start on shows like NRL 360 where their people change their opinions more often than most people wash their hands!
Bluester
Guest
You guys must have crap TVs not to have a mute button.
Poss
Roar Rookie
Come on,the poor bloke has only just started,give him a chance..It would be pretty daunting if your on the other side of the camera!!! It'll take time to find his feet..
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
David Morrow
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
NRL 360 still alive but pulse is week, won't be around next season
Peter Ellis
Guest
OK opinions from a University educated human . Rrr Warren was a player and a Greyhound caller , does this make him Mr NRL . Will you be dloing a breakdown of radio callers . People I know people who 0CANNOT listen to Mr P Gould . Are getting RSI
Paul Monaro
Roar Rookie
How about Benny Elias - 360?
Cadfael
Roar Guru
None of the modern commentators does it for me. I thought Rex was the best, Graeme Hughes was quite OK. Warren Boland was right up there too.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Well said Mick, love your story :happy:
Danielle Smith
Editor
Thanks Tim :happy:
chris
Guest
Definitely Frank. I remember him once calling out to the touch judge to move lol
chris
Guest
DD the community owes you a debt of gratitude : )
Tim Gore
Expert
Awesome piece. Andrew Voss for mine on the telly. However, on the radio my boss Andrew Moore is the best.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
He surely was all of that Big Mig, all credibility and integrity – much favoured by my father on his little transistor whilst gardening (as was Des Hoysted) and especially towards the end when he was bedridden. I’d arrive home, my mother would take my kit and send me off straight away, with “I’ll bring you a cup of tea with Dad, he’s been waiting for you”, I would sit and tell him how I had gone in my game; and he would recount Frank’s assessment of the Match of the Day. :happy: Frank Hyde was an important part of those times for him and for me. It is much more than just a game, eh? :happy:
chris
Guest
haha!
chris
Guest
I do like Cooper Cronk. He delivers his message and analysis in a calm and understated way. Some of his colleagues should learn from him.
Brepen
Roar Rookie
I would prefer 1 caller 1 co commentator, I don’t need a caller 2 co commentators a sideline eye and 4 half time commentators, Save the costs and give us a discount off our Foxtel.
Brepen
Roar Rookie
I read somewhere it was because he was from a Covid hotspot LGA and couldn’t get to studio.