In Australia, the media has always had this fixation that someone who was great in their sport automatically makes them a great commentator or media personality. WRONG! A great athlete doesn't make one a great commentator or a great communicator of knowledge.
Just take a look at the tv coverage of a MLB/NFL/NHL/NBA match in the U.S. Their broadcasts are so much more professional than the NRL's coverage. And at least the ex-players that do feature in commentary are fluent in speech and know how to talk properly rather than people like Scott Prince who speak like a 6 year old (in fact, most 6 year old's could probably speak better). In the AFL, I heard it is mandatory for the players to undergo media training, which probably explains why the players that do feature prominently on their Footy Shows don't ummmmmm and ahhhhh their way through sentences all the time. The NRL should introduce something similar, rather than continue to embarrass themselves picking random people who have no idea how to talk properly in front of camera.
Regarding your point on Fittler and Johns, they are undoubtedly in the top 5 players from the past 20 years (alongside Daley, Langer and Lockyer), but I agree, a big mistake having them both together in the same commentary team. To his credit (and I may appear biased as a Knights supporter), Johns has improved a lot since he started featuring regularly on Ch9's game-day broadcasts in 2008. I remember he was terrible on camera in his early days as a commentator and was not naturally gifted on camera compared to his brother, but yeah, partner him alongside Freddy and.....I see what you're saying.
As for Rabs, I agree that he is past it and has had a dramatic decline since the start of the last tv rights deal (2007) when the two Friday night game format was introduced, but I'd much prefer him on air if Raaaaaaaaaaay Hadley is his replacement. I guess it's a case of 'the better of the two devils' so to speak. Despite my dislike for him as a person, Raaaaaaaaaaaay is a good radio caller. However, he is a terrible tv caller. In terms of tv commentary, Vossy craps all over Raaaaaaay.
Gus was good when he was partnered alongside Vossy to call games before Raaaaaay took Vossy's spot in 2012. There was none of this contrived "two old men in a nursing home" routine that he has engaged in with Rabs over the last few years. Gus was more focused on the game when alongside Vossy. Gus's downfall is when he goes off on a tangent and gets hung up on all these agendas and petty issues.
Lockyer and Lewis = both great players for QLD. Lockyer needs to have something done to his voice. Lewis still commentates like he's reading the news bulletin. I remember watching a live stream on the internet last year of the Parramatta vs Gold Coast game in Mudgee, where the camera still kept rolling through all the commercial breaks. Lewis only had to do the half-time report, which went for about 30-45 seconds and took him so many takes. Also, his hands were shaking all the time as well. Needs to relax more. However, if you thought Fatty Vautin's commentary during Origin was bad all those years ago, Lewis' performance last year takes the cake with his constant yelling and cheering in the box. If you want to support your team, go ahead and doing it in a seat alongside all the other supporters in the ground, but commentary was not the place to do it, and it made Ch9's broadcast of one of the most watched tv programs in Australia look very amateur with all that crap. Lockyer and Lewis are only employed at Ch9 on the basis that they were both great players during their RL careers and get along very well with the other Ch9 RL personnel, and nothing more than that. In other words, jobs for the boys. They definitely would not get a start on any U.S. sports broadcast.
Finch is crap (his segment on The Footy Show is also crap. They should've given it to someone like Yvonne Sampson, who did a fantastic job on her interview with Will Hopoate) and his days in the media are numbered, so I'm not too worried about him.
