Dear Sky Sports... Tezza and Bazza

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Martin Offiah and Jon Wilkin as guests recently were a breath of fresh air. I think we should mix up who we have on as a guest far more. Use a greater range of players and ex players, but also other sportsmen and women with interests in Rugby League.
 

Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney,  Stuart Pearce, Alex Ferguson, Bradley Wiggins, Brownlee Brothers, Ryan Sidebottom, even Jonny Vegas or Neville Longbottom. Not as the main commentator but as a guest alongside to add a different voice and perspective on things. 

[MrPosh]

The NRL isn't perfect at this. Don't forget they have Braith Anasta, who would lose a battle of wits with my labrador. 

[Harry Stottle]

19 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

3 x Yorkshire and 1 x Lancashire.

You're definitely on to something there, Harry.

You are not lost to being predictable Wolly

[DavidM]

14 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Wayne Rooney

Erm this erm rugby erm league erm game is erm good erm I erm like erm it

[cookey]

Decent,decent,decent and decent. For the love of God,someone teach him another word.

[Big Ask]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Recent players who have been very good include Luke Robinson, JJB, Kevin Brown and Danny McGuire

JJB, you’ve got to be having a laugh

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

JJB is great 

[Hammerless Nail]

15 hours ago, Rioman said:

Sky happy with what they've got. Reinforces the northern stereotype.

To be fair, a lot of sports commentary reinforces stereotypes. For example, Rugby Union is seen as the sport for smug, privately educated, stonewashed denim wearing bigots, and the BBC gave them John Inverdale.

[Rupert Prince]

I'm not from the Ant and Dec generation.  Which one is Tez and which one is Baz?  And does it matter?

[redjonn]

11 hours ago, Dunbar said:

I must be the only person who doesn't rate Offiah as a pundit... i find him quite awkward when he speaks and not particularly insightful.  

I think Wilkin is good though.

have to agree, I thought Offiah he was very poor. 

I like Wilkin as he isn't afraid to disagree with another's comment... he can be quietly controversial and doesn't pull punches with his alternative perception/view.

[Tommygilf]

We need more some more articulate commentators. Thats nothing to do with being northern or working class or anything like that.

I think the main aim should be a broad range of voices. 

[cookey]

It really is embarrassing listening to the two clowns stuttering and stumbling their way through 'commentary'. When they attempt to explain something their complete lack of education and use of english,really shows itself. Anyone who wants to see the sport progress,must agree that SL should insist to Sky that they go.

[gingerjon]

10 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

We need more some more articulate commentators. Thats nothing to do with being northern or working class or anything like that.

I think the main aim should be a broad range of voices. 

I'd also be happy with someone - anyone - who accurately knows the rules, is able to explain them succinctly, and then move on because the game isn't about replaying micro moments just to spot if an official made a possible error. Leave that to folk like Gledhill.

[Tommygilf]

37 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I'd also be happy with someone - anyone - who accurately knows the rules, is able to explain them succinctly, and then move on because the game isn't about replaying micro moments just to spot if an official made a possible error. Leave that to folk like Gledhill.

True. For example yesterday with the first Leeds try they spent ages on whether Briscoes heel was in touch (ignoring the wigan player going in elbow first) and totally missing the frankly unbelievable offload from prior out the back no look whilst fending off 3 opponents.

[DavidM]

17 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

True. For example yesterday with the first Leeds try they spent ages on whether Briscoes heel was in touch (ignoring the wigan player going in elbow first) and totally missing the frankly unbelievable offload from prior out the back no look whilst fending off 3 opponents.

That was great skill . On the heel in touch , said before I won’t bag officials who make those calls . That’s what most of us still watch . He made a decision . Rather that than the opposite for me

[hunsletgreenandgold]

I remember when we all got excited at the potential idea of Andrew Voss coming over after Eddie called time...sigh. Stuart Pyke is woeful and Ben Proe slightly less awful - bring in Dave Woods. Also Jenna Brooks should take over half time at least so it's not all Carney presenter wise. 

As far as pundits go, Wilkin is pretty good but the rest I've seen in recent years are pretty dire - i'd be surprised if they get any training at all before they're whacked in front of the cameras. Also, pretty much all the ex players NRL broadcasters use are legends.....might be an idea if we try and do the same. As somebody else mentioned, I want to be hearing from the likes of Sculthorpe, Long, Sinfield etc

[OL14.yeds]

Terry and Barry don’t bother me too much, but I thought the play-by-play commentary in the Wigan vs Leeds game yesterday was terrible. Too many awkward pauses and struggled to portray excitement in crucial moments, although the lack of a crowd in stadium may have contributed towards that. 

[daz39]

I actually don't mind Barrie i find him amusing as well as quite knowledgeable about players/clubs etc and makes good comparisons and points, Terry on the other hand, well i cringe everytime i hear his voice and his deep 'pretend to be excited' tones, the stuff he says is repetetive, predictable and offers absolutely 0 insight into what has just happened or is happening, 80 mins of his gruff sounding cliche's and exaggeration ie calling every player who makes a good pass a 'quality player' and every team as a 'quality side' every time they score a try not to mention the 'brilliant coach' whos just steered his team to 10 straight defeats makes me want to turn off, along with the awful production of showing endless replays, endless shots of coaches sat doing nothing, i counted 13 shots of Chester in a 7 minute spell, what are they trying to achieve by doing that?

I am seriously beginning to wonder if i actually want to keep Sky at the end of this season, i have sports for basically the rugby league and i am finding myself getting more and more dis-interested with their coverage.

People complained about Eddie and Stevo but good grief give me them 2 over what we've got now anyday - Ben pwo and that Stuart guy sound awful but i guess it's them or Rod Studd's constant 200 words a minute or Bilartha i don't really suppose we have much choice

The whole Sky presentation of Rugby League is horrible and apart from Brian Carney and Jon Wells, who i think are VERY good and should host some kind of weekly magazine show, it just comes across as amateur and a cheap lets get it done and get it over with programme, definitely not the enjoyable experience it used to be with 2 top professionals in Eddie and Stevo - but that's just my opinion.

Something needs to change or i will be another that cancels my subscription.

[That Bloke Over there]

19 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

whilst they are at it can they also remove the bloke with the badly fitting false teeth and scouse twang

Yes, what is going on with Stuart Pyke's teeth? He sounded like he had a mouth fill of marbles.

[Clogiron]

5 hours ago, MrPosh said:

The NRL isn't perfect at this. Don't forget they have Braith Anasta, who would lose a battle of wits with my labrador. 

But I bet Braith has a far shiner coat than your Lab, probably dribbles more as well

[Jim Prendle]

5 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

JJB is great 

Yes, he is, but as a person, not as a TV commentator.

 

[unapologetic pedant]

If there were a cohort of privately educated RL players, there`s little doubt they would be the ones moving into the media after their playing careers. The absence of articulate RL pundits is ultimately a comment on the State education system in the North of England.

Anyone on this forum who accepts that RL is a "simple game" (not like that there complex RU) can`t legitimately complain about Baz and Tez. If Sky absorb the message from respective fans of the two games that League is "simple Rugby" and Union is "complex Rugby", no surprise that they seek uncomplicated people using uncomplicated language to cover the former, whilst reserving intelligence and articulacy for the latter.

[Chris22]

I don't have a problem with pundits having quite broad northern accents. The game is primarily northern and that's where its players and pundits will be drawn from. A strong accent isn't something we should be ashamed of. Rather than than a toned-down forced 'tv' accent.

What I have found on Sky is that it is almost a radio style commentary. There seems to be a need to fill every second with some comment. Of course, that is needed on the radio as there are no pictures. But on TV, if you don't have something to add, then just be silent for a while, the pictures tell you what is going on.

Like when Matty English was down injured for 10 minutes on Saturday. There was a desperation to fill every second with some comment, no matter how inane. If there isn't anything to say for 30 second or so, then fine. Everyday conversations have a natural silence now and again.

Pleased that Sky have started using people like Leon Pryce, Jon Wilkin etc, if for no other reason than having a variety of voices. Really, all pundits have a shelf life of 10 years before they become stale and repetitive. And that's the better ones.

[RoyBoy295]

8 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Martin Offiah and Jon Wilkin as guests recently were a breath of fresh air. I think we should mix up who we have on as a guest far more. Use a greater range of players and ex players, but also other sportsmen and women with interests in Rugby League.
 

Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney,  Stuart Pearce, Alex Ferguson, Bradley Wiggins, Brownlee Brothers, Ryan Sidebottom, even Jonny Vegas or Neville Longbottom. Not as the main commentator but as a guest alongside to add a different voice and perspective on things. 

Giggs would be sniffing round anything with pert boobs.

Rooney would be sniffing round anything with saggy boobs.

Vegas, the sober version or the usual version.

[silverback]

7 hours ago, Big Ask said:

JJB, you’ve got to be having a laugh

viss n vatt..