Waring was the 60s/70s version of Stevo.

In 20 years time they'll probably make a similar programme about Stevo. Highlighting his early days as a very good player, his ambition and foresight in moving to aus, his transition from player to journalist, his return to GB in the 90's to pioneer a bold new approach to RL broadcasting (contrasting it to the beeb's amateurish coverage featuring Waring and French), the way he single handedly saved the game in 1995 by pushing through the switch to summer rugby. He'll be portayed as being almost universally popular apart from with a few petty, small minded purists.

They might also say...

"Stevo also single-handily saved the monologue through his habit of being asked a question by Eddie Hemmings in front of one camera, and then staring into a totally different camera to answer, interspersed with ludicrously-overblown montages of Matt King and Kevin Sinfield".

One thing was VERY obvious from the Eddie waring documentary

He could see where the game could go and how it could be developed.

The people running the clubs and the RL council couldn't , wouldn't, didn't.

Has anything REALLY changed?

Anyone who would seriously consider going back to the RFL being run as it was in the days of Fallowfield and Oxley needs their bumps feeling.

I watched the Eddie Waring documentry last night and I have to say its arguably the best TV programme I have ever watched. I watched it in total silence and it was fantastic, very nostalgic and also very sad.

I was almost tearful at the end. He was a great character and seemed like a true Gent.

Did the 1895 club not realise how hurtful thier actions were?

I highly recommend the documentary to everyone who hasnt seen it.

I don't think the 1895 Club was a personal attack, they just wanted Rugby better represented on the BBC. I don't think its that much different to how we all discuss on here how much we dislike the BBC coverage nowadays or how much Stevo annoys us or how biased newspapers are towards Union.

I also question how much influence the 1895 Club had on the decision for Waring to retire. An RFL report did suggest that Waring might not be the best choice anymore and, yes, the 1895 Club did lobby the BBC. But, it was those close him at the BBC that eventually persuaded to retire and if anything I would imagine it had more to do with his increasingly ill health.

It might sound a little cynical of me, but I think for a better story arc for the documentary the producers might have embellished the effect of the 1895 Club a little. But, then again, what do I know? I wasn't around then and I didn't work at the BBC. We'll never really know entirely what happened, but we have a better understanding of a true Rugby League Great.

Always impressed by his canny abilities at Dewsbury.

It's STILL being run that way!"!!

Perhaps now it is the other way round, and the Maurice Lindsay's/Nigel Wood's etc. were/are the ones trying to push forward, and the old clubs and supporters and trying to hold back.

perhaps your right.if you are is it not time the likes of cas,wakey salford,hkr,giants etc stepped aside and allowed the big clubs and the non heartland clubs to go there own way?

Poor, poor troll.

I did think it quite ironic that the 2 guys they interviewed, moaning about Waring reinforcing Northern stereotypes were 2 caricatures themselves, looking like they'd just stepped out of Last of the Summer Wine or Emmerdale/Corrie.

...especially the one who appeared to be missing a load of teeth.

Like him or loath him, the Eddie Waring documentary was very good. And everyone was an expert or an eyewitness, not a talking head going "Oh, I remember It's A Knockout", which was refreshing.

......but they are not the ones who would be appearing as BBC commentators. Waring clearly was an RL man through-and-through, but he was always a poor commentator, as could be heard from the Leeds v Saints cup final. As an example, just after Leeds pulled back to 10-5 '[iBoth teams now will change their tactics[/i' states Eddie, with the verbal authority of the Pope reciting the Hail Mary???!!! What was he going on about??

Once he started doing It's a Knockout the game was up. He and the BBC did the game a continuing disservice by keeping him on.

I have to say that I didn't like Eddie Waring as a RL commentator and back in the 70s and 80s I would have been one of the ones being most critical of him however my dad and uncle knew him and always spoke well of him, they knew his background and they had a lot of respect for him.

Likewise I have been one of Ray French's critics for many years, but I have met him too and spent an evening in his company and I have a lot of respect for him as a person and as a journalist too.

They both tread very similar paths, writing about the game very well, being very knowledgeable about the game, but given to verbal confusion when live on TV - its obviously the job rather than the man.

Enjoyed Laurie Gant's "coaching" of Fev!!!

Top notch stuff.

It's a wonder how the Aussies ever beat us with such methods and yet somethings never change



One thing I've noticedd about "coaching" then as now , is the limited use of an actual ball and when used it is to create some nice pretty patterns to pass the ball in a way that would never usually be seen in a match!

Marvellous experience it was!

Best left to the Clive Tyldesley's and Jon Champion's of this world then.

Watching the Leeds vs St Helens game now as Sky+ it. Man if that is what contested scrums were like then I dont want to see them back in Rugby League. Very messy!!

Some of the play-the-balls were shocking also!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgs85qiXDNQ&NR=1 (Pt I) www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXfEbOrO ... re=related (Pt 2) The second documentary in two parts on youtube for those outside the UK.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgs85qiXDNQ&NR=1 (Pt I) www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXfEbOrO ... re=related (Pt 2) The second documentary in two parts on youtube for those outside the UK.

Things don't change much

Eddie Waring doc is repeated again at the weekend for those who missed it the first time around.

Did you really need to dredge up a thread from a year ago though? Just read through this wondering why everyone was talking about stuff that hadn't been on yet, before spotting the date!

You could instead have dredged up the thread I posted only a few days ago, which mentioned not only the EW documentary, but also the ESPN Classic re-runs of 4 CC finals, which should please at least one previous poster to this topic!

yes as not everyone has ESPN classic. So would not have read your post. As you can see by the zero replies you have had.

I agree totally. He cut a very sad figure.