Having watched several games in France this season on Sky, I get the distinct impression that no members
of the Sky RL team are actually at the game. I think the commentary team are watching the game on a big
screen somewhere in the UK.

Seems to me that when Sky decided to cut their costs on RL by killing-off Boots n All and introducing all the
silly tweeting options instead, they also decided to save on plane fares to France too.

I think the way that Sky have cut the air-time from one minute before kickoff to 1 minute after final whistle is
another indication of their minimal commitment to RL.

Announcing the teams during game-time is pathetic.

Adding to this the lack of professionalism and impartiality of the Sky commentary team, I think their commitment
to our game is blatantly clear.

People on this site have, and still are, complaining bitterly about the commentary quality. In my opinion only
Phil Clark and Brian Carney could be retained in an otherwise total cull of the team. Stevo is a passionate fool.
Hemmings is the modern day Eddy Waring and the McDermot duo is childish farce.

Could anyone advise how long the current Sky contract has to run ? I suppose what follows could be conceivably
worse, but to be honest, I don't see how..

I was hoping for BT sport to show an interest in taking it on.

They make it clear that they are in a studio in London. They couldn't have any build up yesterday as they went straight from Hull KR, a short ad break and then it was kick off.

When the new TV deal was signed it was £182,200,000 for a 5 year deal, 80% goes to SL clubs. The new deal kicks in from 2017 I believe.

The following is from Wikipedia. I've seen in some press releases that it's actually 100 matches though.

Super League: 70 live games per season on Sky Sports until 2016, highlights on BBC until 2020.
2017-21: 80 live games per season on Sky Sports

Championship: Live on Sky Sports until 2021
Challenge Cup: two sixth round matches, two quarter-finals, two semi-finals and final live on BBC until 2020. One fifth round match, one sixth round match and two quarter-finals live on Sky Sports until 2016
World Club Challenge: Live on Sky Sports until 2021; highlights on BBC
Rugby League World Cup: 2017 coverage on Premier Sports and BBC
Four Nations Championship: All matches live on Premier Sports; England matches and final live on BBC in 2016
National Rugby League: Up to 206 live and delayed games per season on Premier Sports until 2017
State of Origin: Live on Premier Sports until 2017.

I don't know if Sky will actually start showing Championship games, they have only really televised Summer Bash and the finals up to now.

If I was BT I'd certainly be going after NRL and State Of Origin from 2017.

The Catalan home games are an EXTRA game to the usual coverage. I honestly don't know what your problem is.

I'd keep Barrie Mc

Fire off the lot of the lovers. Everyone of them make me sick carrots.

Compare this to the impartially of Dave Woods, last week. No comparison.
Saying that, Davies couldn't have been more anti-Wire, last week.
Widnes are where his RL loyalties lie

Not sure they have ever claimed to be in France, although in the past (when Catalans didn't have a domestic TV deal) they did send the team over as otherwise you would have no ability to show their home games. Ok they don't shout 'WE ARE IN A TV STUDIO IN HUDDERSFIELD' but they don't claim otherwise.

It is the impartiality of the commentary I would question - especially when Wire are on. But as long as Wigan aren't playing, I don't mind Clarke and I do like Jon Wells.

I've had lengthy chats with JD. I can positively assure you, he is a Wire.
He does divide he's loyalties between us and Widnes but loves Wire.
Professional guy but we are in his heart.

Get the Aussie sort on more.
Keep Brian and Phil.
Have different pundits on every game, invite different people (Shenton from Cas, for example, is an articulate fellow)

Stevo's retiring anyway
Sack off shouty, gets everyone's name wrong, Jon Wells
Sack off the two prats
Tell Eddie he can stay if he never commentates on Wire games and stops trying to bring every single incident into controversy

Rememver when the Catalan crowd thought Stevo was the video ref and were throwing stuff at him and threatening him?

Stevo's bias yesterday was on another level... The crying he was doing about the Catalan players ball carrying arm not touching the floor was embarassing.. And when it was proven otherwise on the replay he just went quiet.. This was just one example, as he spent most of gate game practically cheering on Catalan... And I thought Eddies anti Wire bile was bad ..

Bring back Cullen. His commentary on Wire games (especially against Widnes, Wigan and Saints) used to be absolute gold

Yes I noticed it that when the other camera angle showed the elbow planted on the ground he shut up. Plus that finger tip no try. I try not to be paranoid but I think they are not keen on the Wire.

I don't subscribe so can't really comment whether this anti Wire thing is real or perceived....I rather hope it is real. We don't need to be fawned over by the likes of Eddie and Stevo

The on field officials should be commended for spotting the elbow & sending the decision upstairs.

Do you think it comes from the fact that Tony Smith hates them and they know it?

There's also a new drinking game going around. Every time:

- Stevo comes out with any of his classics (i.e. he's got to get the message out, terra firma, second stanza, you can not let this rugby league football bounce, its up the jumper time, T-R-Y, try something different like a little chip over the top, silly play, what on earth was he thinking, silly penalty, I'm with you Eddie, for any youngsters watching.... You get the drift.) = =#FF00001 finger

- Eddie gets a players name wrong = =#FF00001 finger

- Sky talk about Hull's Wembley win = =#FF00002 fingers

- Sky talk about Wigan coping with injuries = =#FF00003 fingers

- Eddie talks about Sneyd's unusual kicking technique = =#FF00003 fingers

- Any of the Sky team say Sneeeeeeeeeeeeeeyd (or at least attempt to): =#FF0000finish your drink



The record before collapsing is 15 minutes.... Unbelievable feat

I enjoyed that post.

I like it that most of the sky team dislike us.
Makes my day a whole lot sweeter knowing that when we win, they're peed off!

I'm exactly the same... I try not to be bothered by them but also I don't think I'm being paranoid.. Hemmings commentary during the home win V Catalan was a disgrace ... And Stevo on Saturday was more or less the same...
Yes it does make it sweeter when we win and they have nothing to say , but also I find it extremely unprofessional as I'm paying a subscription for this claptrap !

My Mrs is going to love this game!!

Oh.........fingers of your drink!

I have to say that I'm not convinced by this ever growing opinion that the Sky commentary team are all anti Wire.

Maybe it's because RL is not my first sport.
I moved to Warrington 15 years ago and have been supporting Wire since then, but my first loves are Football and NFL.
So maybe I just don't see it because I'm a little removed than other more passionate fans on here.

However, when I watch the live games on Sky I just don't see it.
Yes they go on and on about Wigans injury list every time they play, but this is not just against Wire. They do this whoever they play.
Yes they always look for controversy in every match even when it isn't there, but they do this consistently in every live game, not just when Wire are playing.
Yes they get names wrong, rules wrong, decisions wrong etc etc and yes they come across unprofessional when they try to back up these errors and argue their case, but again, this happens in all the televised games, not just against Wire.

As for the idea that they support every team who play Wire, this simply isn't true.
And again, maybe this is because in the 15 years I've been supporting Warrington, they've mainly been contenders every single year (a bold claim I know pre-Smith) so I haven't been use to them being an underdog, but what I see is a very common commentator trait where they big up the underdog when they do well against the odds.

I was up late the other night watching Andy Murray in the US open against some Italian fella.
The Italian against all the odds was giving Murray a good game and only just lost the 1st set and then won the second set before being blow away in the final two sets.
Now this is an individual sport and Murray was clearly the guy the british commentators were favouring, yet all they talked about throughout the match was how wonderful the Italian was playing and how much effort he was putting into every shot.
They never once mentioned Murray's effort, but rather how badly he was playing and focusing on the amount of unforced errors.
Now I don't believe for one second that the commentary team wanted Murray to lose. They were simply excited about the fact that this unfavoured Italian was giving Murray a game when it should have been a walk in the park and because they expect perfection from Murray all the time, they focused on all his mistakes rather than what he was doing well.

This is all I hear when I watch us on the telly.
The commentary team know we are expected to beat the vast majority of teams in the Superleague and therefore most games we play we are favourites and the opposition underdogs, so they do get more excited about the opposition doing well than they do when we do well, but that is just something that comes with being one of the top teams.

Now I know people will counteract this with Leeds and Wigan examples because they are also top teams and you'll argue that they are not anti Wigan or anti Leeds, but I hear them doing the same things in their games when the underdogs are doing well.

But here's the thing, if you actually stop focusing on all this anti Wire mentality for a second and listen to them, they are constantly talking about how good Wire are and bigging up players like Currie, Hill, Westwood, Sandow etc.
And yes, even the clear Wigan fan Phil Clarke gives us praise all the time when its deserved. Can't stand the guy myself but give him his dues, if we are the best team in Super League he'll say it. He'll also point out our weaknesses as well, but what do you want? Do you want them to only praise us all the time?

I just think that for certain fans, unless the Sky team talk about Wire with the same passion we have for the team in every game and agree that every decision the ref gives for us is right and every decision against us is wrong, then they'll never be happy and always think they are anti Wire.

That's a recipe for disaster.....for mine.....is it ever......doing the rounds of the kitchen

Hi Eddie, welcome to the forum.