65 replies to this topic

[l'angelo mysterioso]

It's on page 18 of the sport section. Full page with 4 pictures.

on page 18 of my IOS there's a full page feature about Andy Murray

[shrek]

Why would it when even the Independent's own RL correspondent is often heard talking the game down?

Do they still have a correspondent on the books? I thought Dave Hadfield had been freelance since the back end of 2011.

[bearman]

Jonathan McEvoy in today's Daily Mail has written a big article that praises Kevin Sinfield.
He grudgingly praises the game as a whole but there is an underlying condescension in the article.
Why when we get any publicity do they always seem to have a negative slant? Read the articles on union and they emphasise the positives.

[Futtocks]

Read the articles on union and they emphasise the positives.

They don't always emphasise them... sometimes they invent them!

[John Drake]

I'm not happy about people knocking Dave Hadfield.

Me neither.

If ever there was a case of picking on the completely wrong target, this is it.

Anyone who thinks Dave has a 'down' on Rugby League needs to read his piece on the Grand Final in the new issue of Rugby League World to recognise how far off beam they are. There are precious few who understand and appreciate the game better.

The Indy, on the other hand, really has gone right down the pan as far as Rugby League is concerned since they dispensed with Dave as a staff writer. Hardly surprising as the only reason it was any good in the first place was down to him.

[Johnoco]

I wouldn't for one second claim I knew a quarter as much about RL as Dave and it's daft to suggest he doesn't love the game. BUT we all get frustrated with the game sometimes and so does he. He has definitely come across as such lately IMO.

[John Drake]

I wouldn't for one second claim I knew a quarter as much about RL as Dave and it's daft to suggest he doesn't love the game. BUT we all get frustrated with the game sometimes and so does he. He has definitely come across as such lately IMO.

Blaming Dave for the lack of a match report in The Indy, as some are doing in this thread, is just ridiculous, as is more generally sticking the boot into a bloke who lives and breathes the game. I'm not saying you've done that, John, but others have. He was described elsewhere on this forum recently as 'a blight' on the game. To me, as a long time reader of his work, and now as someone in a position to commission work from him for RLW, that's not only plain wrong, it's downright offensive.

[gingerjon]

Blaming Dave for the lack of a match report in The Indy, as some are doing in this thread, is just ridiculous, as is more generally sticking the boot into a bloke who lives and breathes the game. I'm not saying you've done that, John, but others have. He was described elsewhere on this forum recently as 'a blight' on the game. To me, as a long time reader of his work, and now as someone in a position to commission work from him for RLW, that's not only plain wrong, it's downright offensive.

Listen to him and his fellow dreary whingers moaning on about everything on the Forty Twenty podcast, read his "rugby league is in crisis" Uncle-Tom-job for the Indy ... I've a great deal of respect for what he's done in the past and I hope his article for RLW is as good as you say. But we don't have many friends in the media so when one uses what little opportunity he gets to write articles Stephen Jones would be proud of fans of the game are well within their rights to cry foul.

I'm well aware the lack of reports is not his fault. The sportsdesks of the Indy and the Standard merged a while back - getting anything in that isn't generic soccer is hard.

[Saintslass]

Blaming Dave for the lack of a match report in The Indy, as some are doing in this thread, is just ridiculous, as is more generally sticking the boot into a bloke who lives and breathes the game.

John, calling anyone who cares about the game a 'blight' is very offensive and certainly wouldn't be in my thoughts. However, he has come across as quite negative recently - and he isn't alone in that (Stevo in The Times at the weekend was equally negative, for example) - and that is both disappointing and discouraging as we just don't have enough air/print space allocated to us to 'waste' what we do have on being negative about our sport in my view. We need to be able to comment upon someone's writing, whether we like it or not, think it is negative or whatever, no matter how much they love the game or know the game, surely?

[terrywebbisgod]

John, calling anyone who cares about the game a 'blight' is very offensive and certainly wouldn't be in my thoughts. However, he has come across as quite negative recently - and he isn't alone in that (Stevo in The Times at the weekend was equally negative, for example) - and that is both disappointing and discouraging as we just don't have enough air/print space allocated to us to 'waste' what we do have on being negative about our sport in my view. We need to be able to comment upon someone's writing, whether we like it or not, think it is negative or whatever, no matter how much they love the game or know the game, surely?

Given your recent diatribes are you really in a position to comment on negatvity.

[Amber Avenger]

Chris Irvine has become whinger number one in the past year or so. I used to think he bigged up the game quite well, but on SL Extra Time and especially Twitter every other RL tweet seems to be doing the game down.

I remember people used to have a go at Andy Wilson for being a bit negative, but he has been one of the more level headed journos in the past year - maybe because The Guardian prevents him from watching RL most weeks...! Has there been some sort of personality transplant?

[ArmchairRhino]

Listen to him and his fellow dreary whingers moaning on about everything on the Forty Twenty podcast, read his "rugby league is in crisis" Uncle-Tom-job for the Indy ... I've a great deal of respect for what he's done in the past and I hope his article for RLW is as good as you say. But we don't have many friends in the media so when one uses what little opportunity he gets to write articles Stephen Jones would be proud of fans of the game are well within their rights to cry foul.

I'm well aware the lack of reports is not his fault. The sportsdesks of the Indy and the Standard merged a while back - getting anything in that isn't generic soccer is hard.

Uncle Tom job?! Get a grip son.

[gingerjon]

Uncle Tom job?! Get a grip son.

Dancing for his paymasters.

[Blind side johnny]

Anyone who wants to learn lessons about how to be positive and upbeat on our game only needs to read these forums.




Pot, kettle, black??

[Johnoco]

Anyone who wants to learn lessons about how to be positive and upbeat on our game only needs to read these forums.




Pot, kettle, black??

There is a world of difference between someone expressing an opinion on here and an article printed in a national paper though.

[Amber Avenger]

True enough. But we are neither paid for our opinions, nor are our opinions the only ones available in the national press as a ever decreasing window into a sport a lot of the general public know little about.

[Blind side johnny]

delete.

Edited by Blind side johnny, 08 October 2012 - 01:22 PM.

[Amber Avenger]

Amazing point.

Or we could actually have a proper discussion...?

[Johnoco]

Amazing point.

Or we could actually have a proper discussion...?

?

[Amber Avenger]

Blind Side johnny had posted a thinly veiled jibe that was edited in the time I was posting a similarly grownup response.