Franko, absolutely correct. Paramount+ production values are very poor. Frame Rate ridiculous.
Replays took ages to appear.
The average YouTuber does better. Certainly makes FoxSports look brilliant.
It looks very much like the A-League clubs saw the money and did no due diligence on the quality of how the games would be presented. I hope they understand that Paramount+ does not care about the A-League at all, its a schedule filler.

The A-League has a bigger issue than commentators – and that is Paramount+. Paramount+ where football is supposed to be streamed, does not appear to provide an app for any Samsung or LG TVs – so good luck watching if you own either of these popular brands.

Research has indicated – Paramount Plus is not currently available natively on smart TVs, you won’t find a Paramount Plus app on your Samsung or LG model. Paramount+ is technically behind. So at best you get to pay for another box and more cables.

Paramount+ does not have long to fix the problem.

The A-League gave broad TV accessibility to all A-League games no thought when they snatched the cash. Well thought out boys. Optus have made watching the EPL easy.

Get set for 11 years of mistruths, fudged budgets, political self interest and STATE DEBT. Just can’t wait for the announcement of the cuddly critter that will signal the deluge of merchandise.

The concept of winning the Olympics was bull, there was no competition, Brisbane was bequeathed them and the debt.

Watching the jump for joy was the ultimate contrived media moment.

It used to be about sport… a long time ago.

SB,
I am not sure whether the answer is club level or league level production, but better control of the programming seems to be important.

The loss of Simon Hill is very much a symptom of the issues with Football and particularly the FoxSports partnership.

Whist many comments in The Roar seem to want to criticise other commentators, they need to focus on the real issue which is FoxSports. FoxSports is part of a business whose business model is dying. The problem is that they seemed determined to take sports with them. FoxSports have retreated to AFL and NRL in the hope that this will bring them success, in the process destroying other sports that no longer suit them.

If I was running cricket in Australia I would be very worried, ’cause baby your next in line for the FoxSports trashing. If you want to know what it feels like, and what you are about to experience look at Rugby and Football.

Whether you enjoy Simon Hill’s commentary or not, he knows and cares about football in Australia and brings knowledge without the yelling and babbling. Brenton Speed has his own style but I don’t find it offensive. Adam Peacock is growing into the job and would benefit from time at the Richie Benaud school of commentary (less is more), but he will get there. Tara Rushton effectively channels the energies of the experts and does it with some style and clarity.

Commentators are not there to tow the FoxSports line, they should be there to present and add to the game and the game watching experience.

I would not fancy attempting to operate as a commentator or compere on the FoxSports’ budget football productions that have so few cameras making the replays pointless. RIP cameras at end of the pitch.

The sooner sports realise they need to control their sports presentation the better. Liverpool FC TV exists for a reason.

The loss of Simon Hill from Foxsports’ football coverage is a significant immediate loss to football in Australia. Glad to hear he is engaged elsewhere. I miss the clarity of his call, his knowledge and insights. Hurry back Simon!!

If the staff dumped by Foxsports in the last 6 months (not just football) decide to have a social get together they will need a large venue.

I would like to think that those who run football, and rugby for that matter, will have a long think about the experiences they have had with Foxsports/Foxtel in the last 12 months and then define a strategy that does not allow one poorly performing broadcaster/cable company to determine a game’s survival.

Football is timeless. Cable based sports broadcasting not so much.

So very disappointing. Really sad to see his departure.
Fowler had driven the solid green shoots of club recovery on the pitch.
It leaves one wondering whether it is possible to hold quality coaches from overseas in the A-League.
How many players will follow him out the door?

I am just wondering which aspects of FIFA’s decision making over the last few years would possibly lead anyone to think that FIFA would understand, or could act, “Fair Dinkum”?

The definition of “best bid” needs to be calibrated in terms of FIFA’s previous world cup location decisions. Which indicates winning a hosting job is all about FIFA’s best interests and nothing else.

Daniel Garb is especially a great loss. I feel for Daniel and all his colleague, but we should remember this is just the latest in 12 months of staff shedding from Foxtel and Fox Sports. They appear to be dying on the vine, or should I say dying online.

Foxtel have mis-judged the sporting marketplace(s) they should be expert in, and I suspect also mis-judged the impacts of technology changes. Which is fine (companies do sometimes fail) except for the fact that they are permanently damaging a range of sports as they go out backwards.

Foxtel via Fox Sports have taken Rugby to the brink (and beyond) and will do the same to the A-League – nothing surer.

How many of the current Fox Sports broadcast team for the A-League will survive the first week after the competition (see SportsBet for the odds).

Fox Sports do not care about any sport other than AFL, NRL and Cricket (in the short form). And cricket should be looking over their shoulder as their Test number are not great. This is not totally accurate they do care about College basketball from Louisiana.

A-League Clubs and the FFA need to take greater control of how the game is made available via TV and Streaming. Get off your butts and table a plan ASAP.

Yes OK, I would never want to impugn the reputation of such a wonderful product.

Rugby Australia did not create the Corona Virus problem, and as such are caught in an extremely difficult situation where community health concerns and those of players and supporters must be paramount.

Having said that, Rugby Australia had already dug itself such a deep hole, thru poor long-term management and weak finances, that any issues such as Corona Virus has the potential to tip it over the edge.

RA have limited capacity to support the professional game thru such difficult circumstances, decent risk management (an RA Board responsibility) would/should have identified a bad flu season (or equivalent) or disruptions to international travel as reasonable potential risks (the chances of which would be assessed as normally relatively low) and contingencies should have been identified. This situation cannot be an outright surprise.

Sports in far better financial positions (NRL, AFL) are worried about their immediate futures and asking for government funds. RA in a weak position have endangered the future of the game at the professional level in Australia – not thru a poor response to Corona Virus but thru long-term mismanagement.

Seeing the Brumbies have early season success is a great thing, a big well done to the coaching crew.

On the face of it McKellar’s involvement in the Wallabies has some appeal, although like many I suspect Fisher is the man the Wallabies need right now, but why would he leave the Brumbies?

RA may have totally rehabilitated from within, which would be a good thing, but I doubt that the rehab process is more than 15% complete. The result of the TV deal negotiations will substantially impact rugby in Australia into the future. If negotiations go poorly, then the winter test matches are likely to be fought against Romania and the Cooke Islands.

RA’s form in recent times gives me no confidence that McKellar would benefit, more likely he would get creatively shafted.

My point to Dan would be “if you take the job tread warily, form indicates you will get trashed when it suits”.

Maybe the solution is to attend Wallaby trainings and games as an observer only, as part of the development of a coach. This way an aspiring coach would start to understand the nature of the Wallaby environment without getting close enough to be used and abused.

It has to be remembered that there are a lot of RA employees who have to preposition their next excuse.

Sending a highly committed team out on the paddock without a decent kicker of any type is just poor coaching and cruel. I do wonder whether there is any player willing to mention at half time that the lack of a kicker is a killer. Probably not, all independent thinkers were asked to leave some time ago.

Poor line-outs (including poor throwing) where you have trouble consistently winning your own ball is poor coaching.

3 charged down kicks in the first 20 minutes is poor coaching. As the NZ commentators observed one of those included the half back going the wrong way and ploughing into a forward pack. This was a pity as the run on half played pretty well otherwise.

A talented fullback who is not a useful kicker of the ball is poor player development. I thought we would have learnt our lesson regarding fullbacks who cannot kick well.

There is no doubt the REDS will run thru a brick wall for their coach, but sometimes they need to be a little smarter and maybe use the door.

I suspect that REDS supporters are even more frustrated than normal because they can see the potential but at 1-5 are tearing their remaining hair out. Unbelievably, it could be worse – look south.

A great discussion. Really important to all Australian sports other than AFL, NRL, Racing and Cricket.

If the A-League Clubs are relying on Fox for future revenue streams they should take a cold shower and think again. Fox are interested in three sports AFL, NRL and Cricket and nothing else. In fact, cricket needs to monitor its numbers on test matches and one dayers because Fox are really only interested in 20/20 i.e. entertainment not sport.

If the A-League wants to see the future watch what Fox has done, and is doing to, Rugby with the help of the managerially challenged at Rugby Australia.

Optus will likely bid for Football (in the future) and Rugby (currently) but the bid levels are unlikely to provide sustainable funding. A-League Clubs get that thru your heads now and act before it is too late.

Football and Rugby may well be better off doing their own production and making it available via free to air and via paid streaming. In other words have a little faith in your own product. Foxtel will starve your sport, and News Limited will hold you down to ensure the job is done properly.

I do feel sorry for the Football commentators on FoxSports. They do a good job and are at the mercy of this process. Less sympathy for FoxSports Rugby commentators who have been part of the problem.

In the case of Allyse Perry what we have here is appalling team management. The player reportedly had a hip and lower back issues prior to the game and then suddenly does a hamstring – physiotherapy 101 FAIL.

Team management has allowed the player to play when hamstring issues were a reasonably predictable outcomes. Forget the hindsight, this was poor decision making.

AMATEUR Management of a great player. Not good enough.

Stan Pilecki was a true rugby philosopher.

This “keep it positive mantra” drives me nuts. A little more honesty would go a long way. It as if the mindset of the players is so fragile they have to keep high-fiving in their own in goal while they watch conversion kicks. I suspect this is bought about by the lack of life experience outside rugby for so many of the young players.

Counter intuitively it seems that today’s “professional” players have less understanding of the game they play, maybe because its all about “process” rather than a deep understanding. The REDS demonstrated a commitment to process but often a lack of understanding about rugby. When the game goes somewhere outside the known processes players can look very ordinary.

On the point of REDS coaching, whoever thought it was a good idea to put on the replacement loose head prop (Hoopert I think) did the young fellow an immense disservice. He got dished up badly in the scrums and was at risk of severe injury. Poor form REDS coaching staff!

The lineout was a mess – really poor, goal kicking unbelievable, and the backline never came to grips with the rush defence (and offside play of the Sharks). I cannot get away from the feeling that the team lacked intelligent leadership on the field. “Take up the middle, and again” has rarely been an effective strategy against SA forwards.

The Crusaders next week in NZ. 1-6

On the night, in front of a home crowd, the Matildas were: out-thought, out-passed, out-run, out-pressed, out-enthused.

It was quite clear who wanted to win the game more, and who ran out the game better, which was impressive given China’s constrained training opportunities.

It was a good thing that China’s could not shoot straight and that the Matilda’s last ditch defence was reasonably effective. Could not help but get the feeling that the Matilda’s heads were not in the game, which was pretty silly given China’s ability.

The performance presents an interesting coaching challenge, other sides will note the Matilda’s inability to break-down China’s defence and a hesitancy with the ball. At times the Matilda’s looked substantially slower than their opponents.

The Matildas appear to be one of those teams that enter a dangerous comfort zone after playing weaker opposition. Post match player comments avoided some of the realities of the performance.

China’s performance deserved the win, their front-line should have put the game away.

Taken in isolation this game does not bode well for the chances at the Olympics of the Matilda’s.

The amount of travel required of some of the players over the next two weeks (to Europe and back again) is a real worry and an invitation for injury and tiredness.

The Good News – The ROAR to beat WUM and make a little more secure their place in the top 6.

The Bad News – The excellent surface at Suncorp (best I have seen it in years) to be destroyed this evening due to another concert on a rain sodden surface. Kiss it good bye fellas. Brisbane is The Home of dull decision making. Looking forward to first compensation case for football/union/league player suing Suncorp Stadium for presenting dangerous surface and causing injury. Prediction – million$ to change hands and rightly so.

Highlander, I feel your pain.

Starting the season so early looks like a typical Rugby Australia move, not an NZ one. Here in Queensland the early season heat, and now the rain, kills the rugby and the players, hence the REDS have yet to play at home and are 0-2 in the draw from hell.

I am troubled by how the NZRU could be party to the early season start date, I have always seen them as far smarter than their Australian counterparts.

I would be less concerned about your team and more about Super rugby as a whole. It is looking shot, partly as a result of some confounding scheduling decisions.

NZ supporters will, I am sure, return as the weather becomes more rugby like. Take heart, your Highlanders will rise!

REDS, WARATAHS and REBELS yet to win a match.

REBELS looked lost. WARATAHS amazingly soft – the drain of players from last season appears to have taken a toll. REDS had good patches with high commitment but lack rugby brains.

Yet again a Thorn coached team looks adequately physical but lacking in strategy.

None of these three sides look like they understand how to win a match. They seem to follow a process rather than understand the game.

Peyper’s refereeing always leaves me with the feeling that you need 15 points start to have any chance. Having him referee in SA is asking for trouble.

These three Australian sides need to win next week or their season’s are terminal.

I would love to think that there would be more money – but I cannot see how that will occur. I cannot see how Optus can pay big bucks as the interest is no longer there. RA have disenfranchised or pissed-off just about every interest group and stakeholder in the Australian rugby arena.

I am fascinated to see how RA will proceed with a lower value contract – will there be any test level players left in this country?

Decisions RA has made over the last 10 years have lead to this situation and I suspect the downward momentum will not be arrested. It will be a long road back, a very long road. At this stage there is not even a map.

The A-League Clubs must be sweating as they must understand that the A-League is next to get the Foxtel treatment.

Interesting times for Rob Simmons. Lost to the REDS, a pickup for Waratahs and now the honour of captaincy. Congratulations on the well earned success!

It goes to show that persistence and a head down approach will occasionally be rewarded.

I have doubts regarding Beale’s suitability (on character grounds) as vice captain, but my views may be too rooted in history – here’s hoping. I would have thought that with a highly experienced player as captain there was a chance to blood a youngster at VC for the future.

The life of a professional football manager is nothing if not challenging. Markus Babbel has come across as a decent man with a deep love of football.

The Boards of football clubs, and for that matter the directors of football, must love the fact that managers are so readily disposed of – Accountability Avoidance for Boards 101.

Coaches are judged on what is the ultimate transparent measure – win/loss performance and the slightly less transparent (totally opaque) Board Happiness Index. If a clear cut performance measure was applied to football club Boards’ it would be is interesting to see which board members, at which clubs, would still be receiving the allocations of excellent free seats each game day.

Measuring the performance of clubs, and in particular their Boards, in terms of: ongoing (multi season) good-to-excellent football results, football department stability, financial strength, junior development, game attendance, community participation and quality of football played, it is interesting to ask which boards should still have their roles?

Professional teams (players and managers) deserve/require professional club leadership, governance and management.

I shall miss Markus.

Will any part of the tournament be televised in Australia??

Wright’s on field performances of recent time have been strong, he is a committed player. He should be wished the best for the upcoming season as REDS captain.

Not picking Rodda, given the way he has contributed at REDS and WB level, is a little surprising.

I trust the captaincy decision is not another of Thorn’s “my way or the freeway” management decisions. The risk is that Wright was seen as the most easily managed captain.

I am also assuming that Thorn will be willing to rotate open-side breakaways to take advantage of the capabilities available.

Given the players that have been collected at the REDS for the upcoming season, the room for excuses is very small, a good first three games will be essential. The potential for a strong season is definitely there.