Eddie is very popular, the few noisy whingers who are bagging him are in a small minority. before they whinge at me, you have every right to state your view, just don't delude yourselves that you speak for anybody else.

I think Eddie is fine, a seasoned and professional performer, who loves the game and talks it up. ANY commentator has foibles that grate or annoy differnt people in different ways, but in the round he is a good commentator I think to the majority, certainly practically of everyone I have spoken to whenever the subject has come up over the past many seasons I would guesstimate about 90% have no substantial problem with Eddie.

I agree it is nice to have occasional different commentators for variety, and they are OK too.

Stevo OTOH is very annoying now, to me. I think from my own experience the majority of people find him annoying. But then I think he plays up to a role to be opinionated and a bit controversial, and he is not the same as that in real life. Maybe he is just playing the role Sky want him to play, and maybe they judge that for their purposes it serves them well; the constant repetitions about outfits, stanzas, messages, chips over the top, utilising etc. clearly don't go unnoticed by the producer so I have to conclude it does, else they'd have had a word in his shell-like long before now.

Stevo has stated that he's retiring at the end of his current contract which will be at the end of the current Sky TV contract and that Eddie may go at the same time. He's said that he'll be seventy then. So we're stuck with them until the end of season 2016 whether we like it or not. If not, try turning the volume down.

They're both very passionate about the game and it shows, yes they've got there peculiarities and can be annoying especially when commentating on 'Your' team as they will pass of a bad call if the move was good or something of the like. But they are pretty synonymous with RL and as whole promote the game.

As for being professional and serious just look at probably the best sports commentator there has ever been, the late Sid Waddell, he was over the top, could have been deemed unprofessional but raised the profie of the sport more than any single player ever could have.

I like them. There I've said it!

Have you read what the players say about them on Twitter when there's a game on? Lol. They're openly ridiculed from what I've seen. So a bit unfair to characterise critics as a particular type of bitter fan, it seems to be an opinion held by many involved in the game at the highest level.

Personally they don't really effect my enjoyment of watching a game one way or the other because I tend to turn the volume down. I will say though that when you do talk to either friends or people at the games about them, there is an increasing amount that don't particularly like them and what a change, it seems to get more every season as well.

Eddie especially is a poor commentator imo, tends to go on forever about referee calls during the game instead of moving on with play and tbh should be left in the studio to do the pre game and post game bit.

where to start.
patronising, inaccurate (One example is in that they fail to identify what is clearly obvious), can't actually commentate (either of them). Limted ability to use descriptives.
Eddie can present to camera but that is about it, Stevo is a luddite of epic proportions and is so bad it's scary.
Both of them spout sycophantic e and with Clarky too it's a proper w@nk fest when either the goons or whinos are on (add Wanky to that of late)
Neither are 'characterful', just two old farts with next to zero talent with viewpoints/phrases that are so repititious and bizarre that it annoys the viewer and cannot help any newcomers to the sport.
We need a keith Macklin, now he could commentate...

And apart from that, you love them?

I like 'em....and there is no one better waiting in the wings

That's the problem mate.

How do you know ther's no one better.
When they come to be replaced IMO they should try and recruit some of the local radio commentators. Take away their bias and some are really good.
I'm quite sure that if SKY looked around they'd find some very good replacements.
Once listened to a BBC Radio London commentary on a Quins/Broncos game, that was excellent.

Eddie should stick to commentating and not analyzing. Stevo has been regularly showdown up this year by Cummings when all can see he has clearly got things wrong. The sooner Stevo goes the better, despite his passion for the game, which cannot be questioned. Clarkey, give it a rest, even us Wiganers get tired of it.

Yep, if Eddie would stick to commentating he's not bad, but he keeps on going into analysis rather than commentary, and he's rubbish at it.
Have Eddie commentating with a max of 2 others analyzing (Carney, Wells, McRae & McDermott are usually pretty good) then just have Stevo's input pre game, half-time and post game.

Forgive me if you are a leading light in sports media, but if this black and white description is the case, why have Sky Sports management stuck with them for 23 years? Maybe, just maybe it is because they recognise the important work they have done in developing the channel since its early days and that they continue in their eyes to justify keeping them on.

Hemmings is poor, but Stevo would be fine - alongside a different commentator. The self-regarding 'banter' they generate between them is just embarrassing. Carney is the best by far.

I'm not sure why but I just can't bring myself to like Carney, I think he sounds miserable at best and his presentation of origin games etc in the past has been wooden. I think Wells is great when in the studio, and Clarkey has the hallmarks of a good pundit but is tasked with presenting pretty dull stats.

Right because all big organisations get things right. How do you know what the goings on with the 'management', do you not think that they know that RL fans will watch/pay subscriptions pretty much no matter what even if they had chimps doing it..hang on that's an insult to chimps.

Please do tell what 'important' work Eddie & Mike do and how does their shocking presentation/match commentary have any bearing on that 'important' work'?

I know a darn sight more about presenting to an audience & am able to commentate on what I'm watching in an accurate & interesting way more than the clowns we presently have as have many past & present commentators. I also have a decent command of the English language, something Stevo is limited in & it shows hugely.
Having to put up with such garbage is IMO detrimental to the actual sport itself in its entirety & not just the match commentary or lack thereof.

For whatever reason,clearly Sky aren't going to change,until they are forced to for some reason but the solution is relatively clear to me and is essentially what Sky do with every other sport.

The studio presenter has to be different to the commentator.
They only need two people in the commentary box,not four.One commentator and one expert/analyst.Others can provide comment before,at half time and after a game.
When more than one game is covered in a week,a different commentator should be used.

Frankly,Sky have more than sufficient people covering the game,they are just not used well.Stevo doesn't know whether he's supposed to be a co commentator or an expert analyst,the others randomly interrupt to justify their presence,Hemmings is well over exposed.Ofcourse,none of this excuses the lack of research by Hemmings and the illiteracy of Stevo.

So basicay you are just jealous because you want their jobs?

Im presuming with your huge natural talent for commentating and presenting live sports we've seen you on TV?

Sky Sports is a huge organisation. When they first started out people said the concept of paying for satellite/cable TV on top of the license fee would never work, yet here we are today with people paying out ludicrous amounts for Sky +/HD/3D/Sports/Movies/multiroom etc etc. When Eddie first started working for Sky RL was one of the only sports they had and over the past 23 years they have popularised the sport and played a big part in bringing about summer RL, play offs etc. We have the second most watched sport on Sky, with 35% of viewers living down south and plenty elsewhere. If Eddie and Stevo made such insulting television would that be the case?

Please do share with us your experience presenting live television? I am intrigued.

I'd love the gig but I went into something else for a career & where did I mention that I'd worked in TV?
Clearly the ability to describe accurately live events and present to an audience (i did live audiences which are far harder FYI) so you're not limited to TV work but crack on with your petty little poke

See the answer above, I have nothing to prove to the likes of you...frankly from your limited response you just wouldn't get it in any case..
So if you've nothing to add in terms of how good or poor they are, you failed to enlighten us how they are as commentators in your own opinion, is that because you're so limited you don't have a position on that but can only jibe at posters who dare to say they are better at something than another human being..
You're just another whom can't put together an arguement one way or the other and have to lower yourself..congratulations
I'd hazard a fair portion of people could do better, Eddie & Stevo are poor & always have been, they've got progressively worse to the point it is a real put off for many fans.

HTH

You are so up your own arris that your brain tells you your own opinion is fact, but guess what, it's not.

If it is a real put off, how come the viewing figures are so good?

I have watched sky since it came out in fact I was watching rugby league on a square dish, and then sky took it over and when you watch it on the BBC their is nothing better then sky, yes Eddie and stevo are getting on but I would sooner put up with them then the beeb plus they will retire soon and then we will have fresh blood

In tonights cas hull game eddie hemmings at around the 17 minute mark:

''and heres jordan tansey. 31 appearences for hull in 12 months. 2001 to 2010.''

Riiiiight. Ok.