Amen brother..!
On the VT some Oldham fan thinks the Challenge Cup is dying..Funny that as they got 80 odd stuck on them...!

I actually think the BBC coverage is good these days, apart from John Kear inventing the name Carl Hall on the wing and saying it about twenty times.

Balding, Morgan, Noble, Hunter-Paul, Davies are a good blend, although I'm still bitter that Davies gets well paid but clearly doesn't watch any RL other than the games he is a pundit on.

Dave Woods did his best to correct him, but gave up in the end.

Indeed I agree, however when the BBC shows RL a lot of people watch it who rarely (or never) watch the sport, so it makes sense to want the BBC to do a good job of it. I'm at uni and watched the game with two lads I live with, both of whom are southern softies used to watching kick and clap. They both pointed out that John Kear sounded like a stereotypical Yorkshireman, and commented on the fact that we had to change channels make it pretty clear the BBC isn't interested in sport.

Surely we should all agree that the BBC should do a good job of their coverage to help change folk's stereotypical view of the sport?

how do u know he does`nt watch any rugby league...and i `d like to bet he knows more about any rugby than you

come on now, be fair, it was john kear who kept referring to the former leeds, bradford and donny winger, not dave woods

Exactly mate. Only the Beeb have the coverage to do that.

Apart from having to change channels, I thought it wasn't bad. The studio analysis was far better than Sky & Claire Balding is really enthusiastic about the game - good interview with Alfie Thomas @ the end as well.

What is intrinsically wrong with John Kear being a Yorkshireman, though? Like them or not, many people involved in rugby league are from Yorkshire, I don't think it's something we should be a shamed of. If that offends some people down south, that's their own problem. Considering there was Robbie Paul, Jonathan Davies, Clare Balding, Justin Morgan covering the game as well, you can hardly say there wasn't a range of people from different backgrounds.

I find it sad when RL fans consider being Northern something to be ashamed of, it certainly isn't something we can get away from.

I blame the broadband advert.

I think the BBC have really improved their coverage over the last few years and Clare Balding has been a great addition to the team as she appears to be genuinely enthusiastic about the sport and has picked up a decent appreciation of the game itself, enough to ask some good questions and provoke interesting conversation. It was a refreshing change to have an aerial shot of the pitch too - a very small thing but it showed a bit of extra effort. Given that the change in channels allowed the discussion to be shown in full rather than on the red button as in previous years, it wasn't all negative.

We very much need exposure by the BBC. So many people have come into the game by watching the Challenge Cup that it is vitally important the RFL don't act like idiots and walk away from the BBC but instead negotiate good terms for future coverage.

Does anyone know if brian noble might possibly have a job in the pipeline?

Something to do with halifax and consultancy?

i don't think claire balding mentioned it yesterday, or today for that matter.

Was reasonably ok with Peacock's tv duties today. Especially regarding his shyness issues in the past

Cracking bloke is jamie, quite nervous like you said though.

There was one of the F1 races that switched from BBC1-2 half way through last year so at least its not just us that have to put up with it.

Lets see what they make of the next round

Wakefield v Cas on the Saturday
Bradford v Wigan on the Sunday

They only other thing know at the moment is Saints and Widnes will be playing on different days...lol

I met Ray French in Perpignan last year and he still (rightly) has the respect of everyone in the game.
It would be so easy for the BBC to retire him but I for one am glad they haven't. He's RL through and through and yes he misses things, yes he makes a few mistakes but I'd rather have Ray with the mike than anyone else. Still a great ambassador for our sport. I've no problem with the Beeb's live coverage of games. We all know it isn't in the same class as Sky but at least we do get some national coverage this way. The SL show though is awful. I usually end up fast forwarding through Harry 'when are Leeds on' Gration to watch the game highlights then switching off. That show does nothing to promote RL to the masses imo.

Presume Widnes will play Friday night and Saints can have the leftovers on a saturday/sunday

Thinking about it, its possible that Widnes, Saints and Warrington will play on different days. Depends what the viewpoint of Cheshire constabulary is I suppose.

It's allways made me shudder, people's attitudes to French.
He's forgotten more about our sport, than most of us will ever know. Yet we still get dimwits on here spouting the usual garbage, saying "he knows nowt". NO. HE'S EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE....he just makes a few mistakes.
Despite him being a Wire legend, I can't bear Davies. To me, he sounds like he doesn't want to be there.
Dave Woods, I'm not overly impressed with, he does just about OK.

Yes, let the Beeb replace French (for commentaries), but still use him for both weekend games and the red button bit after the match (and the SL show). He is a fountain of knowledge.

I'm going to put a positive spin on this.

It could be scrapped by the BBC and there would be no coverage, so think on.

Theres Rays problem, and its all too aparent in his commentary.

I agree, Cat.
He shouldn't (and shouldn't have been, for a long time) be commentating.

Commentary (now) is a young mans game (in fast moving sports).

You can get away with it in say, golf and cricket. In fact, in those two sports, we've had the two finest sports commentators of all time, in Peter Alliss and Richie Benaud. Yet in our game (and probably ever other ball in motion game), you "can't get away with it". It probably is time Ray French puts down his mike, and takes the plaudits. He's recently been given an MBE (richly deserved). Time to go now, Ray.

They let Eddie Waring carry on too well past his prime.

Some might suggest its a deliberate ploy to undermine the sport by damaging its credibilty through farcial commentary, with senior BBC ex-public school execs guffawing every mistake, before hitting the random number generator to determine the broadcast time/date of the next SL Show.

I disagree with that, Ray "Rabbits" Warren is a legend in the NRL. If you listen to an NRL game without his commentary it just aint the same.