SKY Robots

[kiwis 13 6]

With Rugby League in the UK experiencing the Issue of current stars of game being unknown by the wider public. When in the past leading players were more widely known. It is time to ditch Sky Super League Robot Intro... to show actual footage of the stars of the game performing with amazing skill . No wonder the general UK public have difficulty naming Rugby League stars when Sky Sports Super League intro is faceless animated robots playing the sport to ###### music.

[Damien]

I totally agree. I've always thought that the Robot intro was poor and looks very cheap.

[Desert Skipper]

I’m disappointed.   Thought it would be a thread about Phil Clarke’s monotonous repetition of the word ‘Wigan’ in every sentence, like an android stuck in a loop...

But yes, intro could do with a less cringeworthy update.

[Just Browny]

1 minute ago, Desert Skipper said:

I’m disappointed.   Thought it would be a thread about Phil Clarke’s monotonous repetition of the word ‘Wigan’ in every sentence, like an android stuck in a loop...

 

Amid my irritation after Richardson's last-minute penalty the other night, still couldn't stop myself from laughing when they went to Phil for comment and he promptly starting banging on about Joe Lydon.

[kiwis 13 6]

Sky Super League intro be a good chance to show a highlights reel of recent amazing tries and tackles. With a few sound bites of commentators (maybe not Phil Clark) mentioning names like Mcgillvary, Gigot & even Tomkins now he's finding the mojo he lost at the NZ Warriors.

[Scubby]

The Sky RL intro must have done 10 years now while many of the other sports get a new intro every season or two. 

[DavidM]

It’s outdated . And that robot is blatantly going into touch , then from the other camera is diving in for a try ... poor stuff . Put them out for recycling with baz tez and Stuart ( who enlightened us last night with ‘he must keep possession and get his hand down on the ground ‘ )

[meast]

My mum isn't a big fan, but she's started attending games with us now, and despite this, she knows the music SKY use for tries, having heard it 25 years ago when we were all still living at home and couldn't believe they were still using it!

 

[Damien]

I'd also throw the BBC one in with this too. All Robotic, CGI guff that does nothing for the sport and certainly does not market or promote it.

[iangidds]

The Marketing chief should be looking at every single item that is involved in RL , some of these are very easy fixes but it requires someone with drive and dedication to push these changes through; otherwise we will carry on slipping down the slope we are on

[Moove]

There's a marketing chief? When did they start?

[iangidds]

You need moronic people who sweat the detail , then the product becomes appealing to a greater audience 

[iangidds]

1 minute ago, Moove said:

There's a marketing chief? When did they start?

Yes Rimmers mate

[St Reatham]

I always used to think Sky were quite innovative with their rugby league coverage (I used to like the slow mo of the players coming out of the dressing rooms), but it’s very stale now. The “robot” thing being used for countless years is an example.

[Bolton Leyther]

Sky's coverage has only two redeeming features in my opinion: John Wells' analysis and the masterclass series. The rest of it, from the robots on the opening credits onwards, is either stale and outdated or just downright amateurish.

[Chamey]

20 minutes ago, iangidds said:

Yes Rimmers mate

Was his first success the RFL poster for England RU v NZ RU tickets?

[Man of Kent]

Agreed.

If anything is line for a chop it’s the try music, which was cutting edge circa 1991.

It’s so old hat it’s in danger of being becoming retro chic.

[Mr Plow]

Bring back Frankie Goes to Hollywood

[DavidM]

Bring back the margin meter and phil telling us who’s gonna win after two minutes after crunching the numbers and stats ... on second thoughts 

[Dave T]

Even though margin meter was pants, there was a time where we had far more on screen graphics, when you watch some of the Grand Final highlights on Sky you notice the difference. Now there is a risk some of it would look naff now, but it does seem lower key.

The robots don't make me as angry as many others.

[Futtocks]

As for showing actual players, a lot of sports intros avoid that, so they don't have to re-edit every year as notable players retire or move on elsewhere. Also, in sports where kit designs and/or sponsors change, a montage can look out-of-date very quickly. The BBC had to get rid of an expensive-looking opening sequence for Athletics when Usain Bolt retired, and MotoGP on BT Sport has stylised animations instead of actual riders. I can understand why they do it, even if it isn't my preferred style.

But you do need to refresh your graphics every few years and the robots have long outstayed their welcome. I didn't dislike it when it first appeared, but it has been old hat for a few years now.

[Dave T]

Just now, Futtocks said:

As for showing actual players, a lot of sports intros avoid that, so they don't have to re-edit every year as notable players retire or move on elsewhere. The BBC had to get rid of an expensive-looking opening sequence for Athletics when Usain Bolt retired, and MotoGP on BT Sport has stylised animations instead of actual riders. I can understand why they do it, even if it isn't my preferred style.

But you do need to refresh your graphics every few years and the robots have long outstayed their welcome. I didn't dislike it when it first appeared, but it has been old hat for a few years now.

Good point.

One thing I did used to like was the closing credits which was often a modern decent song with the match highlights.

I suspect they have saved headcount on cutting things like this though.

[Agbrigg]

Think the robots are poor but they are over and gone in a few seconds. I can live with that, it's the following 80 minutes plus of listening to oconnor I can't stand.

Actually I have just thought of something as I post. Do yo think oconnor is actually commentating or is his voice on a constant playback loop ? It's uncanny how he says exactly the same thing every five minutes,game after game and week after week.

[meast]

6 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

Think the robots are poor but they are over and gone in a few seconds. I can live with that, it's the following 80 minutes plus of listening to oconnor I can't stand.

Actually I have just thought of something as I post. Do yo think oconnor is actually commentating or is his voice on a constant playback loop ? It's uncanny how he says exactly the same thing every five minutes,game after game and week after week.

Are you suggesting he doesn't "put his hand up and turn up"

[iffleyox]

4 hours ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

No wonder the general UK public have difficulty naming Rugby League stars when Sky Sports Super League intro is faceless animated robots playing the sport to ###### music.

While I think the credits are a bit tired I'm not sure the general UK public have even seen them... I don't have Sky, do watch RL, and am only vaguely aware what you're talking about for example (and then, ironically, probably only because they've been around for so long that I *have* seen them at some point.

Also, as has been said, montages date quickly if you don't stay on top of them. I don't suppose many on here were connoisseurs of BBC Rugby Special on a Sunday teatime, but well into the 1980s they had mostly clips from the early seventies in their titles.