Yep. It's the problem with the whole thing at Sky. The programmes are produced like the presenters are fans of the game, not professional presenters. The only ones who don't are Carney and Wells. They're the saving grace. But it's not enough.

Stevo - is frustrating but gets a bit of a pass because he's a legend. But he needs to be used less and certainly not as a main commentator. He just doesn't add anything except confusion.

Barrie & Terry - unfortunately, as much as I liked them as players and having spoken to both a few times both seem nice enough guys but they just portray a terrible image on the TV. Neither can speak well enough or fluently enough on the TV and Terry in particular never offers anything other than cliches.

Clarke - sometimes decent, at least tries to talk about some aspects of the game that the others neglect. But too often takes the side of 1 team or another and then proceeds to sound like a fan.

Carney and Wells - top stuff. More please.

Cummings - no need. Sometimes gets stuff wrong. But even if he got everything right it's just unnecessary to constantly ask him. It takes away from the game.

Eddie - I'm sure he's a nice guy and there may be a place for him doing parts of other programmes like Boots n All, full time etc that he can present. But for matchdays he's done in my opinion. He doesn't offer any insight, gets obsessed with minor incidents and sounds too much like a fan than a professional lead commentator or presenter. As you say the fact his paid employment is explaining the sport of rugby league to people and he knows sod all about the game, it's rules and how it's played isnt good enough.

My solution:
- Get rid of Eddie
- Carney main presenter & does analysis with Wells
- Stevo, Clarke or a guest in the studio for pre-match, halftime & post-match
- New main commentator, anyone who will actually commentate on the game.
- Carney, Wells, Clarke, guest as second commentator to do a Gary Neville type role.

Job done.

As good as Carney and Wells are I wonder if we would lose that if they moved into the box. What they do at the moment they do very well. I actually think Rod Studd is a pretty competent commentator, not sure what other people think of him.

As for Eddie, apparently he is an aloof prima donna, while Stevo is down to earth and friendly. So I've been told anyway. I'd be quite happy to get rid of one, even both. Stevo does have his moments, but he is entertaining for all the wrong reasons, like Ray French in his decline.

Isn't Stevo retiring at the end of this season anyway?

My choice to replace Eddie would be either Dave Woods or Vossy.

Pretty sure I read an interview with Stevo a few months back in which he stated he'd pack in after another 3 years.

I like dave woods too. eddie could be studio host. that seems to suit him ok

Those who complain about Eddie & Stevo should have watched tonight's game for a glimpse of the alternative.

Bill Arthur, Barrie and Terry. Absolutely cringeworthy. Large swathes of the game talking over the action about something that happened a minute ago. Cliche after cliche. Little attempt at analysis.

Not helped by the appalling camera work of the host broadcaster, who seemed to be unable to decide whether they wanted close up or wide angle shots from one second to the next, and couldn't quite decide what they wanted to show replays of although it wasn't going to be anything important.

They all need to go, simple as! Change across the board ASAP

One thing I applaud Sky for is their camerawork. It's miles ahead of the French and the BBC. Though that appears to be true for most sport that Sky have.

It's cringeworthy how much Cummings hates Leeds. Vossy is a good shout, but why would he leave Aus?

They're not the only alternative though are they?

They are - in Sky's mind at least - the alternative.

They're usually the crew that gets the jobs the main commentary team don't want.

Other than going out and getting outside help, e.g. Voss or someone like Woods or Champion, Bill Arthur is the only alternative for the main commentary role.

Again, unless Sky go after people like Kear, Peacock or Noble the alternative to Clarke, Wells or Carney is the two Chuckle Brothers.

I wouldn't want Kear, Noble, Peacock, McCrae, Cullen, Hunter-Paul, Millward or Voss as good as he is!

I wouldn't want to replace Carney and Wells.

There has to be some up and coming young commentators who are professional at their job, whom we could attract to the Anchor chair of a mainstream sports commentary team and magazine show.

James Deighton of Radio Leeds would be a safe pair of commentary hands. Or Richard Stead who brings some kind of order to the perpetual chaos of the Blunderside coverage.

I don't know Deighton but I quite like Richard Stead. I don't know how long he's been commentating for, I've only noticed him this year, but he's good. Just calls it as it is without complaining about decisions and going off on a tangent every two minutes.

If you just want a no frills commentator to call the game and nothing else then he would do a good job.

I thought Rod Studd also did commentary work for them, or am I confusing him and Bill Arthur?

Jon Wilkin talks a good game: he could be a possible.

If last Friday is anything to go by he is after Sinfield's role as referee

Please God no! Cannot stand the odious little cretin.

Think Eddie is getting some unfair stick. He's no Bill McLaren, Barry Davies or John Motson, but he generally does a decent job. What you have to realise is that part of that job IS to bring in Stuart Cummings for comments at frequent occasions, as Sky have decided they want a ref on the gantry, and so Eddie is obliged to throw regular questions at him and bring him in to the conversation. For the most part he'd probably not bother but doesn't have that option.

Stevo actually talks sense when not on commentary, so why he projects this cliche-ridden know-all trying-to-utilize-clever-words bombast I have no clue. All you can say is that the producer must want him to play that part. It's not like they haven't noticed the Stevo-isms and so I have to assume that they like them. Maybe he even has a script of them that he has to read out every game. Like the bloke on Eggheads who 98% has to parrot out precisely the self-same words and phrases every single show - Eggheads,.who will beat you? - For example I'd bet Stevo's never once used the phrase "second stanza" outside match commentary.

But that"s the problem. The producer(s), in their rude and condescending manner, deliberately 'dumb down' rugby league coverage. Instead, they should 'posh it up' ( just copy BBC's RU coverage style) and they might start to develop the wider and deeper appeal the game deserves as well as retaining all the current viewership.

I'm not sure that copying RU commentators (and many of them aren't all that either) is really what we want either. Personally I'd be very happy with Vossy, or, indeed, Bilko and Joe (is it?) on Wish FM. All three a massive improvement on the Sky crew, and preferable to the BBC too in my book.

Neville Smith is the mastermind as I've said. He has he power to change things.

Lol, the wish fm coverage is utterly appalling.

Indeed. That fella that shouts ALL THE TIME and the other week did an actual impression of a Moose when Mossop came on as a sub... wtf.

I second this. As a "caller" Eddie is good imo. He has the vocal skill s to convey the rise and fall in a games tempo and increase the viewers' emotional involvement with the play.
The [iWide to West[/i commentary is still a classic 12 years on and will be appreciated for years to come because of the addition of his commentary. The problem is that he's spednt 25 years sat next to a bumbling loon as a mentor and is allowed an opinion when he's simply not qualified like a proper analyst.
If he sticks to narrating the action, then he's very good imo.

Cummins in the box is a decent idea, but he's overused. Was that a forward pass? Was that a high tackle? Was that offside? They go to him too often. He should be there to clear up any very technical issues or review periods of the game - "We're 25 minutes in stuart and Hudds have been penalised 4 times for holding down, is the ref setting his stall out or is it lazy play by the Giants?"