24 Hour NRL channel

[franklin2323]

So nothing after 8pm from Monday to Wednesday..

Just replay the shows that just aired

 

[Last Week]

It's pretty lazy from Fox Sports. They could fill up so much more content.

I could tolerate controversy corner at times. Sometimes they brought up some really good points and challenged Slothmerkin on the medias' acts (like filming the Dogs' Xmas party), but most of the time, it was like listening to a bunch of old farts straight out of the Facebook comments section

Things I'd like to see in no particular order.

A morning show Monday - Thursday.

League Life was the best quality thing they had and they've axed it. Pretty typical.

It's times like this when there should be more effort put in by the NRL to produce content. Things like 'The Professionals' should be common.

A 'hard knocks' style documentary series would be great to watch. (for those unaware, in the NFL, a struggling team is essentially filmed to see how they're progressing, improving, etc etc.) Imagine if it was the Titans this year? The talk around Jai Arrow would be interesting.

The NRL Physio could fill in half an hour each week. Following up on players injuries/rehab and giving updates/insights to injuries like he does online.

 

[Timbo]

Matt Shirvington get the arse?

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Matt Shirvington get the arse?

Dunno but I checked the website... still got him but Gaz is still there too so they seem to be slack on keeping up to date..

https://www.foxsports.com.au/media-centre/bios/nrl

 

[Perth Tiger]

Watching some of the games from last year yesterday and it reminded me that Brett Finch isn't mentioned anywhere as well. Has he left/got the arse? Hope he is going ok

 

[Xcalibre]

League Life was good and fresh when it began but quickly reminded me of all women talk shows, hence vomit-worthy.

A morning show would be good, seeing as most morning tv sucks.

Cronk will be appreciated. He has the personality of a spud, but at least he doesn’t have the IQ of one, like most of the others.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Shirvo is still with Fox Sports but probably doing less with League. Given its an Olympic year Id say he'd be more focused on the Olympics. Others that weren't mentioned Matt Russell and Andy Raymond may still have minor roles with Fox League, eg. sideline gigs, Canterbury Cup, Womens Origin

I agree with putting more shows on but a morning show wouldn't work. Who'd be watching it, a lot of people are at work?

 

[mozza91]

Speed and Ginnane among the best commentators in the game? The f**k?

 

[The Marshall]

Speed and Ginnane among the best commentators in the game? The f**k?

I think Ginnane has potential to be a decent TV commentator but he does scream way too much. While Speed is just useless he has very basic understanding and feel for the game and spews out irrelevant stats and information instead of calling the game.

 

[Perth Tiger]

I don't feel Speed is too bad, he is a hell of a lot better than a 1000 year of Rabs or Hadley. He makes sense from a Fox point of view in that they can use him for multiple sports across the entire year.

In saying that he should be considered base line competent, if they had better options they should use them.

Still wish Joel Caine got more of a go, I thought he had way more talent than just being a gambling talking head. I never watch 9 unless I have to but does he get a run there at all?

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I think Ginnane has potential to be a decent TV commentator but he does scream way too much. While Speed is just useless he has very basic understanding and feel for the game and spews out irrelevant stats and information instead of calling the game.

I dont mind Ginnane, you're right about his screaming but I think he calmed it down a bit towards the end of last year. Some radio commentators dont have it straight away but he'll get there. I feel Maroon could be the same if he's employed with a TV network.

I feel the same with Speed. Very good sports commentator but can really state the obvious when calling NRL which is similar to what Andy Raymond used to do.

Still wish Joel Caine got more of a go, I thought he had way more talent than just being a gambling talking head. I never watch 9 unless I have to but does he get a run there at all?

I dont think Caine called any games, Canterbury Cup or Saturday night games.

I know he did both in 2018, perhaps theyve given him the flick from calling games.

It was Peter Psaltis that was calling the Canterbury Cup games, and some of other bloke, Matt I think.

Caine wasnt too bad of a caller, for someone who used to play the game. We dont really have anyone that used to play the game. Years gone by it was Hughes, Boland, Mossop, Hyde.

 

[T-Boon]

What a great game it use to be.
Look at this game on Fox now between Broncos and Cronulla in 1989. Langer has grubbered from inside his own 40 at least twice that I have seen. Line breaks from fullback. Totally unpredictable game play.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

What a great game it use to be.
Look at this game on Fox now between Broncos and Cronulla in 1989. Langer has grubbered from inside his own 40 at least twice that I have seen. Line breaks from fullback. Totally unpredictable game play.

The 90’s were/are my favourite decade to watch football. Apart from Super League. I’d happily watch old replays of any teams playing back then. But 89 was also a great year.

 

[Vee]

I've never understood the love-in on here for League Life. I was hugely suspicious before it began, along the lines of "it's not what you know, it's who you blow..." giving a platform to brainless supermodels. I watched about two minutes of their ambush of Matt Lodge (and heard it lauded by Fux sycophants like Matt Johns as tough journalism when it was just a scrum packed on a soft target) before I gave up. I tried on two or three other occasions during the season to watch but it left me cold, girls getting jobs for their looks etc. Then you start to notice the promotions for them with long hair swirling in slow motion and so on, please...

I'm not against women in the media, Debbie Spillane was excellent in her day, Alison Mitchell is the pick of the cricket lot. I just prefer competence first. If they're attractive as well, that's great, but give me competent or leave me out.

 

[T-Boon]

I've never understood the love-in on here for League Life. I was hugely suspicious before it began, along the lines of "it's not what you know, it's who you blow..." giving a platform to brainless supermodels. I watched about two minutes of their ambush of Matt Lodge (and heard it lauded by Fux sycophants like Matt Johns as tough journalism when it was just a scrum packed on a soft target) before I gave up. I tried on two or three other occasions during the season to watch but it left me cold, girls getting jobs for their looks etc. Then you start to notice the promotions for them with long hair swirling in slow motion and so on, please...

I'm not against women in the media, Debbie Spillane was excellent in her day, Alison Mitchell is the pick of the cricket lot. I just prefer competence first. If they're attractive as well, that's great, but give me competent or leave me out.

Peoples just feel obliged to support this movement. I totally would support the show if it was WNRL players.

 

[Vee]

Peoples just feel obliged to support this movement. I totally would support the show if it was WNRL players.

Good point in the first instance.

Your second point was of interest. I met a former female Kangaroo a couple of years ago and asked if she was enjoying the likes of Ruan Sims and the other Nein girl joining the commentary as I was initially impressed that at least they had players on board.

Very uminpressed, claiming Ruan was a johnny-come-lately who had climbed on the backs of the girls who had gone before paying to represent their country and the other one was brought in by Steve Folkes when he was national Women's coach when he was picking elite athletes from other sports and trying to make them footy players and throwing the longtermers under a bus as he did so. Then she played the WC always with a view to getting into the media, constantly ringing Vonny as her idol and asking how she could get to the same point.

 

[The Marshall]

Cronk and Finch on the outer as Fox slash costs

For years Cooper Cronk has been positioned as the serious face of Fox Sports, but with the season about to kick off, there is no deal in place for one of the most articulate players in the game.

Cronk was a genuinely smart player and that comes across in his analysis. While he doesn’t have the outspoken views of a Paul Gallen, he certainly can be smooth in any situation. Within the corridors of Fox Sports, there were plenty who saw Cronk as a natural host, but they have opted for an all-female approach this year.

With negotiations ongoing for months without success, it will be interesting to see if Channel Nine, publishers of this masthead, are interested in Cronk. He could be sold as a TV talent who could work across a number of platforms and even outside sport. Channel Nine has programs such as 100% Footy and the Sunday Footy Show which might work for Cronk.

Cronk’s wife, Tara Rushton, heads the Fox football coverage, where network executives have in the past indicated they may also be looking to make cuts.

There is more news coming out of the Fox Sports bunker. Troubled star Brett Finch was a notable absentee from the Fox launch during the week. It wasn’t hard to discover why: his contract has not been renewed.

Fox had stuck by Finch through some difficult times. In particular, head of television Steve Crawley showed compassion towards him. In the end, the company decided they had to part ways.

There were incorrect reports last year that Finch had returned to rehab. He was being urged by friends to do so, but it didn’t happen. He was telling everyone at Fox he was fine. But it was an unusual performance on a Matty Johns podcast that raised concerns. The podcast is usually replayed many times, but that episode has been taken off the air.

Finch is widely loved and plenty are keen to offer their support. Crawley was one of Finch’s biggest supporters in his time at Fox, but told those close to him he had no choice but to let him go.


It has been a tough time for Fox Sports, which has been slashing costs after parent company Foxtel posted a loss of $417 million. Rugby host Nick McArdle and former Wallaby Drew Mitchell were let go in January, while the league, AFL, cricket and football departments are bracing for even more cuts.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/cr...outer-as-fox-slash-costs-20200229-p545mx.html

 

[dogz08]

I've never understood the love-in on here for League Life. I was hugely suspicious before it began, along the lines of "it's not what you know, it's who you blow..." giving a platform to brainless supermodels. I watched about two minutes of their ambush of Matt Lodge (and heard it lauded by Fux sycophants like Matt Johns as tough journalism when it was just a scrum packed on a soft target) before I gave up. I tried on two or three other occasions during the season to watch but it left me cold, girls getting jobs for their looks etc. Then you start to notice the promotions for them with long hair swirling in slow motion and so on, please...

I'm not against women in the media, Debbie Spillane was excellent in her day, Alison Mitchell is the pick of the cricket lot. I just prefer competence first. If they're attractive as well, that's great, but give me competent or leave me out.

OK boomer

 

[mozza91]

I think the League Live girls do a good job particularly Pitt and Hollis.

I don’t agree with giving someone a job just because they’re a woman (or a former player for that matter) but I think the women on Fox League hold their own bar Emma Freedman who is a total punish.

 

[no name]

Leading in to round 1 and these merkins on 360 have spent more time speculating whether Todd Greenburg keeps his job or not, than about any actual footy.

This will keep the fans tuned in.