Commentators are leading the anti ref sentiment.

[Captain Apollo]

If you think the problems regarding referees is a "modern" phenomena, think again. I've been following rugby league since 1980 and in all that time I have yet to see a season where the "referees in crisis" or "low standard of refereeing ever" were not trotted out at some stage. I mean, do people not remember Greg Hartley and the multiple "7 tackle try" finals games he adjudicated in (as an example)?

The media do have a role in this, and our TV commentators do contribute to it. They harp on about it for long after the issue has gone in the game. It is, despite acknowledging the referees are "human", they expect them to be perfect and then have a go at them when they aren't. A number of our commentators have no idea when it comes to the rules and are talking out of their hats in my book.

I watch a lot of overseas sports, and the EPL, NFL even the NBA commentators don't carry on as long and as loudly as NRL commentators do about mistakes made by their match officials, even when they are howlers.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Honestly, you're exaggerating on the 'next hour' thing.
Not sure if you watch on Fox or 9 but on Fox the carry on may be in the follow up shows but not during the coverage.

Nah, Fox is fine for me. Its 9 that ruins games.

It doesnt even matter how is in the box, they are all terrible whingers

 

[Life's Good]

Nah, Fox is fine for me. Its 9 that ruins games.

It doesnt even matter how is in the box, they are all terrible whingers

Agreed. Fortunately I haven't had to endure 9 but from posters on here it is ordinary.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Agreed. Fortunately I haven't had to endure 9 but from posters on here it is ordinary.

Thats fine for a regular fan, but for someone being introduced to the game or someone who casually flicks it on to watch, 9 is always the first point of contact.

I genuiney believe 9 is the reason RL is struggling atm. not just the commentary, but the whole low-budget production. It all just looks cheap and depressing and that reflects on the game.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

I genuiney believe 9 is the reason RL is struggling atm. not just the commentary, but the whole low-budget production. It all just looks cheap and depressing and that reflects on the game.

League is struggling because of poor scheduling, Wests Tigers on FTA most weeks, Brisbane on every Thursday or Friday. Regularly having the best games on the week not shown on FTA and crappy timeslots like 6pm on Friday (i know this is a Fox game) but people struggle to get to that game or watch all or any of it.

 

[Stormwarrior82]

Maybe it’s too late for this broadcast deal but when the new broadcast deals get negotiated should the Nrl include conditions about the commentators?

Force all commentators to notify Nrl of conflict of interests. Can’t commentate on teams with the contflict (Gould/panthers/roosters/nsw)

Commentate the game not the decisions of the game.

For those media people who are opinionated- could create a show that talks about the controversial plays for each game. (Called- Big plays etc). But they void there chance to commentate.

A clear definition of what a commentator is compared to media personality.

Nrl has input in who the commentators are for tv broadcasts companies and are involved in the training of these commentators.

There could be more conditions but this allows the game to be commentated by commentators not people that feel they are referees and know better. It also creates a level of professionalism that is non existent currently. IMO The broadcasters should be broadcasting the game not influencing it and the Nrl has been too lenient on that front. Also like bill Harrigan does on triple m there should be a referee commentator to pull the others blokes head in when they complain about a correct decision.

End of rant

 

[siv]

Bad news sells - part of the perception
Everyone is talking about the Napa tackle or the Manly-Melbourne biffo

Not much other talk this week

 

[Lambretta]

Bad news sells - part of the perception
Everyone is talking about the Napa tackle or the Manly-Melbourne biffo

Not much other talk this week

Manly - Melbourne biffo is great news not bad news

 

[Stormwarrior82]

Bad news sells - part of the perception
Everyone is talking about the Napa tackle or the Manly-Melbourne biffo

Not much other talk this week

And that’s all fine. But the narrative is always the Nrl or refs fault, which shouldn’t be the case. In the end Napa deserved to be binned and the manly/storm players deserved to be binned and sent. Commentators, reporters and the clubs have always sloped the shoulder and blamed the Nrl.

Where are the articles about the players bringing the game into disrepute. Aren’t the players part of the game now? Hardly a good look. But let’s just blame the nrl

 

[Lambretta]

Sit and watch the Sky Sports broadcasts of the Super League and then watch our game, you'd think our game was a pitiful load of shit and their game was amazing if you actually listen to the calls

In Super League, if there is a knock on that's missed, the guys say "oh surely that was a knock on...... well not according to the referee and he's the one in charge so play on"

Here you get a fifteen minute diatribe about how the error has changed the flow of the game and destroyed a teams chances of winning and how the Worlds coming to an end.

 

[some11]

They should also disclose if they are betting on the game they are commentating.

Maybe ban them from punting on games like they do players.

 

[Stormwarrior82]

Sit and watch the Sky Sports broadcasts of the Super League and then watch our game, you'd think our game was a pitiful load of shit and their game was amazing if you actually listen to the calls

In Super League, if there is a knock on that's missed, the guys say "oh surely that was a knock on...... well not according to the referee and he's the one in charge so play on"

Here you get a fifteen minute diatribe about how the error has changed the flow of the game and destroyed a teams chances of winning and how the Worlds coming to an end.

Exactly.... they just need to commentate the game not give me there bullish!t opinion and complain for the next 15mins

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Bring back Rex Mossop.....

.....from the dead.

 

[Timmah]

Listening to Braith across the Storm-Manly game and then the Sunday Fox panel was utterly painful. Kept ranting about all sorts of things he had no idea about and just generally came across as a whinger.

Until the NRL and its broadcasters understand that their commentators form perceptions of the match and need to be properly educated on the rules of the game then we're going to be subjected to this rubbish.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

Most of the nine guys just love the sound of their own voice and Gould is the worst. He continually bleats on about the "problems that exist in the game" and the minute something is done to address them he's dead against it.

Continual offsides is a good one. Last year he'd crap on whenever an offside was missed and he'd say that all the refs need to do to stop offsides is blow more penalties.

This year, the refs are blowing the pea out of the whistle on offsides and now Gould is complaining that we have too many penalties.

He is also the one that thinks there should be some Grey area in the game where we should play on if something is technically against the rules but leads to a passage of play that's entertaining.

If someone makes a spectacular jump to get over the try line but the ball slips out of the fingertips before it's planted down you'll often hear him say "Oh, just give that as a try because its so brilliant."

Yet, if the refs throw the book out and allow entertaining but illegal play to continue, he'll be the first to bitch about it. Especially if it costs the Panthers.

 

[Sphagnum]

Barely any of them are actually commentators. They're all just f**kwit ex players and coaches who would all be in the dole queue if channel nein or Fox had an iota of respect for their audiences.

Sadly they dont and believe listening to illiterate Neanderthals crapping on about a sport they played for fkn decades, but still dont know the rules to , is what the people want.

 

[Stormwarrior82]

It would be good if someone could put a clip together about commentators complaining last year about the issues that the Nrl have fixed and overlay them now.

 

[big hit!]

People just want consistency. We are getting different ruck speeds and rule interpretations week to week.

the big knock on league is that it's a predictable 5 tackles and a kick....the NRL are now mixing it up!

 

[siv]

Barely any of them are actually commentators. They're all just f**kwit ex players and coaches who would all be in the dole queue if channel nein or Fox had an iota of respect for their audiences.

Sadly they dont and believe listening to illiterate Neanderthals crapping on about a sport they played for fkn decades, but still dont know the rules to , is what the people want.

If you actually look back

Most of those commenators were promised jobs for life during the SL War

Fox is starting to move away from this

 

[Lemon Squash]

Bwaif is insufferable... but the majority of them do it....it’s like they think the more they whinge about the refs the more the general public will like them or something.

Joey looked like a clown a week or two ago, can’t remember the game or the exact incident, but a ref made an onside call of a knock on (as I remember) and Joey coughed up on commentary with a real arrogance saying x player was offside I’m certain of it... then Ch9 replayed it and sure enough the ref had made the correct call, instead of Joey giving the ref his dues they just all went quiet and waited for play to start back up.

So it’s okay for commentators to make mistakes but not refs?