Surprised Eddie never mentioned it.

And as an result, nine million listeners on Radio 2 heard Chris Evans talk about the game this morning. That's the first time I have ever heard RL mentioned on the radio unprompted or outside of the sports bulletin.

I like the Sky team and know a lot of others who do. But there's no point me expanding on that as I'll only be shouted down by those who can't see past their own preferences.

What do you like about them, out of interest? The way Eddie rambles on and on about 'controversial' decisions that weren't in the least bit controversial, or picks up on some small point of interest and talks about it incessantly for the rest of the match? The fact that they employ 'pundits' whose sole contribution is to yell out "shot!" (McDermott and O'Connor), or to make some bizarre and supposedly insightful comment that almost always turns out to be complete nonsense (Clarke)? The whole presentation is like something from an alternate universe ATM, and I'm someone who has defended the commentary in the past.

Wow so what, oh yeah the kudos is gonna reinvigorate rugby league. This the very thing I'm on about, like league is desperate for any scrap of public exposure to give it prestige.wow he snubbed the Oscars, shall we nominate him for special accolade for Nobel sport ambassador.?

I listen to 5 live quite a bit at the minute and I hear them mention it nearly every day outside the bulletin.

Have you heard his accent in Robin Hood?

3 Oscar Nominations when he was flavour of the month and he won one....the wrong one by the way as A beautiful mind was a far better performance from him than Maximus as agreed by BAFTA and the Golden Globes.. He doesn't feature on the list of top 20 "income" wise in films over the years, none of his movies feature in the top 50 grossing films of all time and he no longer commands major roles (water diviner is a GALLIPOLI film...nothing like clipping the ticket 100 years on

). He was a major star for less than a decade......but Daniel Day Lewis or Jack Nicholson he isn't....both have 3 oscars. He isn't even close to being Richard Burton either......7 nominations, and no statue.

I like his films....I love his passion for Rugby League and Souths, but seriously "biggest of all time?

For goodness sake GF, stop it, he said "one of the biggest of all time", which the fact that everyone knows who he is kind of proves the point!

One minute your bemoaning the lack of PR, then the one filmstar who gets us that comes along and you slate him, get a grip!

I'm sure Mr Crowe is very sorry for not being big enough or famous enough for you, but I doubt it keeps him awake at night!

They are awful. I can't believe many viewers thunk they are satisfactory. Like most of us, it seems, I have no prob with Carney and Wells, I reckon they do a decent job. But the wittering away in commentary and pointless 'banter' with Cummins... I lose the will to live. And on RC and publicity for the game, yes, we need all we can get.

I always argue that most people (and I mean, literally, 'most' people) don't understand the difference between league and union, or even appreciate that they are two separate sports. So we need all the help we can get. And when RC appears on the Jonathan Ross Show in a Rabbitohs shirt, as he did, I remember, a few years ago, that's good for the game.

Quote ="CrusaderPete"For goodness sake GF, stop it, he said "one of the biggest of all time", which the fact that everyone knows who he is kind of proves the point!'" I know about One Direction. That doesn't mean they are fit to lick the boots of a great many bands that have gone before them. Russell Crowe is a well known star, but he is by no means "one of the biggest film stars of all time" as was claimed. The first film of his to appear on the all time top grossing list is Gladiator, in at 161. boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/ ... m=2&p=.htm Neither does he appear on the list of 100 of the all time richest Actors www.therichest.com/top-lists/top ... st-actors/ Quote ="CrusaderPete"One minute your bemoaning the lack of PR, Quote I don't bemoan it... I point out why we don't get the exposure some believe we should. Quote ="CrusaderPete"then the one filmstar who gets us that comes along and you slate him, get a grip!'" I never slated him. I said he wasn't one of the biggest of all time and he isn't. Quote ="CrusaderPete"I'm sure Mr Crowe is very sorry for not being big enough or famous enough for you, but I doubt it keeps him awake at night!'" '" '" No skin of mine either way. Russell Crowe is a RL man through and through and good for the game. All I said was he wasn't "one of the biggest film stars of all time" and I am right, he isn't. Now, Samuel L Jackson on the other hand....

Quote ="CrusaderPete"For goodness sake GF, stop it, he said "one of the biggest of all time", which the fact that everyone knows who he is kind of proves the point!'" I know about One Direction. That doesn't mean they are fit to lick the boots of a great many bands that have gone before them. Russell Crowe is a well known star, but he is by no means "one of the biggest film stars of all time" as was claimed. The first film of his to appear on the all time top grossing list is Gladiator, in at 161. boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/ ... m=2&p=.htm Neither does he appear on the list of 100 of the all time richest Actors www.therichest.com/top-lists/top ... st-actors/ Quote ="CrusaderPete"One minute your bemoaning the lack of PR, Quote I don't bemoan it... I point out why we don't get the exposure some believe we should. Quote ="CrusaderPete"then the one filmstar who gets us that comes along and you slate him, get a grip!'" I never slated him. I said he wasn't one of the biggest of all time and he isn't. Quote ="CrusaderPete"I'm sure Mr Crowe is very sorry for not being big enough or famous enough for you, but I doubt it keeps him awake at night!'" '" '" No skin of mine either way. Russell Crowe is a RL man through and through and good for the game. All I said was he wasn't "one of the biggest film stars of all time" and I am right, he isn't. Now, Samuel L Jackson on the other hand....

Lol, could you name one-direction though?

Quote ="enigmatic"I know about One Direction. That doesn't mean they are fit to lick the boots of a great many bands that have gone before them. Russell Crowe is a well known star, but he is by no means "one of the biggest film stars of all time" as was claimed. The first film of his to appear on the all time top grossing list is Gladiator, in at 161. boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/ ... m=2&p=.htm Neither does he appear on the list of 100 of the all time richest Actors www.therichest.com/top-lists/top ... st-actors/ Gladiator alone assures his place in movie history, massive iconic role and film, got nothing to do with box office. Probably not many Clint Eastwood films are in top box office lists, but he is one of the greatest (maybe even the greatest) Crowe is not far off that.

Quote ="enigmatic"I know about One Direction. That doesn't mean they are fit to lick the boots of a great many bands that have gone before them. Russell Crowe is a well known star, but he is by no means "one of the biggest film stars of all time" as was claimed. The first film of his to appear on the all time top grossing list is Gladiator, in at 161. boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/ ... m=2&p=.htm Neither does he appear on the list of 100 of the all time richest Actors www.therichest.com/top-lists/top ... st-actors/ Gladiator alone assures his place in movie history, massive iconic role and film, got nothing to do with box office. Probably not many Clint Eastwood films are in top box office lists, but he is one of the greatest (maybe even the greatest) Crowe is not far off that.

The issue of how famous or talented Russel Crowe is, is irrelevant; since we're not fighting off international superstars at the gates of most SL grounds every weekend, of course the sport should consider itself fortunate that Mr Crowe is a super-fan of the greatest game, and chose to bring his mate Samuel L (or someone who looked just like him) and the eyes of the entertainment media, if only for a brief period, along to a game.

What I found cringey was the pathetic 'we are not worthy' fawning by Eddie and co - couldn't we have been a bit cooler about it?! A better attitude would have been, "Rusty has come here instead of going to the Oscars, and who can blame him - it's the greatest sport in the world!" Then move on, and don't embarrass yourself by constantly panning to his face and making uncomfortable references.

^^^ my thoughts entirely.It starts becoming very cringeworthy after a while.same happens whenever Wiggins is around.Nothing against pointing out who is there but dont bang on and on about it before during and after game to the point it sounds desperate

South East?

Oh my giddy Aunt



Clint Eastwood plays Clint Eastwood in nearly every movie he's been in. Either as a a grumpy cowboy who says more with a stare than any major dialogue, or as a grumpy cop who talks better through his Magnum than any other medium. He was a grumpy assassin in where eagles dare, a grumpy bare knuckled fighter in the every which films, a grumpy old man in Grand Terreno, a grumpy old man in the bridges of Madison county, a grumpy old drill sergeant in heartbreak ridge and pretty much a grumpy bloke in every other film I can think of......even in Space Cowboys and three mules for Sister.....he was grumpy. I seem to remember him not being particularly happy as Mayor of Carmel either.....Like John Wayne played John Wayne and Hugh Grant plays Hugh Grant, eastwood is one dimensional.......
As a Director, he's a genius and that's where he rightly receives the accolades.....as an actor, he was accomplished and pretty busy, but not one of the greatest ever....not by a long stretch.

As it is and at the risk of repeating myself, Crowe is a star and an asset to the game....but lets not kid ourselves, If he had been nominated for an oscar (and he hasn't been near one for 14 years), he's have been at the ceremony...as it is, have you seen Noah?

Ignore gutterfagmatic. He's an idiot. I've always thought so, and his posts on this thread confirm it beyond doubt.

Poor Russell Crowe, with his [url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000128/awards?ref_=nm_ql_2massive list of awards & nominations[/url.

Nothing but admiration for the man. He made a fortune and won an Oscar with Gladiator, and consequently was able to pick & choose his films and command huge salaries. I'd do exactly the same, work when I wanted to, make $15-20M per film and enjoy my life. He's still one of the biggest movie names on the planet, whatever certain tools think.

Opinions are like butt holes and it would seem that the Movie Going Public who dictate what a successful movie is by attending and pushing up the revenue, those who are deemed worthy of awarding accolades and the casting directors of major roles who award major paying roles to actors seem to agree with mine.

By the way, the exact point under debate was if he was "one of the biggest or all time", not if he is one of the biggest on the planet.


I'd love to hear you expand as to how my differing opinion in regard to the status of Crowe in terms of the history of male movie stars is proof of me being an idiot. Is it normal for you to call anyone who dares disagree with you an idiot? If so, you must do it regularly, because there are a great many debates on here where people have disagreed with you. I for one wouldn't be so arrogant as to call you or anyone else an idiot purely because I disagreed with them, but I see no other reason in this thread for you to come to this conclusion.
Nice name calling from a mod by the way, including the slipped in homophobic reference. I should stick a fork in you now because you're well and truly done.....

Russell Crowe is ok, but he's no Steve Guttenberg.

Semantics. That you saw fit to have a fit over the claim speaks volumes. And yes, if you truly believe what you posted I think you're an idiot. Deal with it.



gutterfax + enigmatic...gutterfagmatic. You see a homophobic reference if you choose to see one I suppose. Bless. Again, speaks volumes.

You have more than enough history on here to be called a lot more than that. I find it interesting that you've spent so many hours of your life throwing varying degrees of abuse at many posters but can't handle a little ribbing back. If you don't like it, don't give it - or grow a thicker skin. Once more, speaks volumes.

I think we've learned something about your character today. Poor little gutterfagmatic gives it in spades (plus maps

) - but can't take it.

To be fair most sports seem obsessed with whose in the crowd and celebrities who attend. The worst one last year was in F1 when on the podium the interviewer instead of asking Lewis Hamilton a question about the race just literally told him he was jealous of him for dating Nicole Schwzringeeersnnergeeer and walked off to the next guy. At Wimbledon a few years back with Kate Middleton in the crowd, cut to her face between nearly every bloody point.

It speaks volumes of you and others on here that Gutterfax is being discussed far more than he ever was when he was posting here.....go on, admit it. You miss him!

I'll admit I wish you had remained past tense.

Is it because of my style of posting, it's content or a bit of both?
Genuine question by the way, because I believe that RL in England/Europe could be so much bigger and better if run properly, that the game has become far to beholding to SKY, that London being relegated could and should have been avoided, that the NRL isn't the holy grail that a great many posters on here believe, that comparing/laughing at Union does RL no favours as it rarely comes out looking anything other than insecure, that International RL is the best tool to grow the games popularity, that the RLIF needs to be a more powerful and totally impartial organisation, that the NRL and SL need to play by the same rules, that Russell Crowe is not one of the greatest actors of all time, that Saint Simon may have been a little premature, that the RFL needs to do more to attract more fans to games, more sponsors and corporates, that the past should be left where is is and not trawled up at the drop of a hat, that French Rugby League is not a basket case because of events 70 years ago, that the RFL need a total change of personnel, that London should have and should still be a centrally owned club like Melbourne storm was and pretty much all the other stuff that Gutterfax posted over the years.

Genuine answer. People get fed up with you because no matter what's being discussed, when you join in you'll try and shunt it over towards one of your repeated topics.... which you listed above.....with your often repeated answers that we've heard several dozen of times before and we either don't care for or are completely not applicable to the thread being discussed.

In all of the many posts you've had on here, it's always been 'marketing'......to which it's easy for you to claim from behind a keyboard that you're the dogs-go-betweens at in NZ, which is unprovable and could be a massive exaggeration. Not once have I seen you display any real or even basic knowledge of the sport of RL.

Perhaps that's why people really think so little of your posts, even if you like to convince and lie to yourself that people are upset with you because you're 'fighting the party line'

oh ffs!

Without reading all 7 pages of this thread, the one that's been annoying me this season is
"We're only two weeks in and already we're talking about the officials"
Well guys, stop talking about them.
There's very few blindingly obvious referee gaffs, but E & S jump on every decision. If a border line forward pass is penalised and its 50/50 whether we agree, that's just part of life. Eddie's on every decision - When Jamie Ellis clearly knocked the ball on over the line t'other week, Eddie wouldn't shut up about it. Commentators should be like the players, they should accept they can't change a refs mind and move on, not bang on like nitpicking the ref is the main event.

When Graham allegedly bit Slater in the GF, the commentators hardly mentioned it after the event, because they had a game to concentrate on.