I don't think there's any particular vendetta against any particular teams. I just get the feeling the Sky commentators "gush" over popular teams that are currently successful e.g. the Bullmania era, Stains/Leeds domination and Wigan, well, for just being Wigan.
When we were average, but capable of turning anybody over on our day, the Sky team gave us praise, but when we played crap, they didn't half stick the knife in.

I've always said Clarke does give us praise (a little too much, at times), but when we "get away" with something, boy, does he let his feelings known.

The only thing that's hacked me off about yesterday, is the Briers incident.
If Hemmings mentioned that once, he mentioned it a thousand times.
Now, for those of us of a certain vintage, cast your minds back to a certain Bill Maclaren. He had to commentate on some of the DREARIEST sport ever shown on a TV screen. Had that incident happened on a Rah-Rah pitch, old Bill would have simply said "Oooooh, a little bit of argy-bargy there, but let's go back to that wonderful dummy-scissors movement between Woodward and Slemen there", and no more would have been mentioned about it. Hemmings and co want public floggings.

The thing that scares me, is come Tuesday, when the disciplinary panel meet, all the fuss Sky made over the incident may force the RFL into action. We all know they (the RFL) are a law unto themselves. I'm expecting sine-die for Briers, and a 20 year stay on Devil's Island, a la Steve McQueen in Papillion.

I gave up with British commentators years ago, BBC, SkY the lot - making nonsensical judgements doesn't make you controversial, shouting doesn't make you passionate and spouting endless stats doesn't make you knowledgeable.

Generally the only comments I listen to are the players and the coaches, particularly the latter, as they have been in the midst of the battle and done it. McDermott hasn't (at least in the post-match comments I've read) mentioned the Briers incident, the ref, the benefit of the doubt but has blamed the defeat on Leeds 2nd half showing and the "brilliant" plays Wires put on.

Stevo, Hemmings, Wells and all the rest should take note, adopt the same dignity and demeanour and move on.

I don't know about a 'vendetta', but the commentary was entirely pro-Leeds yesterday and neither Eddie nor Stevo had a good word to say about us all afternoon.

Hemmings, I increasingly feel, would ban all physical contact in our game and have perpetrators of any aggressive play hanged. It's really not clear why he commentates on our sport, which he clearly thinks is played by undesirable neanderthals.

Did you go to the wrestling in the 70's/80's, and regularly clobber Giant Haystacks with your handbag?

wait till we play again..lets see how long eddie mentions the briers incident..if its anything like the saints game they mentioned us getting beat by widnes after just 4 minutes and then every chance they got..funny how we never got a mention the week after we beat saints on boots n all.

Is that bit true as it would explain a lot. I have often suspected that Sky deliberately get their staff to highlight chosen indiscretions or inconsistencies. Many people who have spoken to Stevo in person have commented what a decent and knowledgeable bloke he is yet he comes across as a complete prat on tv. Is it in their job description to pick on something and not shut up about it.? Just one example out of hundreds, a couple of years ago Tomkins managed to trap an arm or leg on occasion to try and milk a penalty, every time Sky would highlight it and go on about it yet ignored it whenever anyone else did the same thing.

Most of the sky team - Clarke, Wells & Carney for example were pretty decent when they started but all have got worse and worse the longer they have worked for sky.

I summarised it but yes that was the gist of the letter he got back from them. Really it shows a certain contempt for the fans that I've always assumed Sky had, it's just nice to have some proof.

When the world cup is on I'm going to see if they're showing it on Aussie channels and get their, far superior, commentary.

If you don't like the commentary just press the mute button.

If I'm watching games on Sky and have mates round we are usually talking about stuff amongst ourselves so we have the volume either very low or on mute and just watch the pictures.

Every fan thinks the sky commentators are biased against their team and secretly support another team (normally one of their rivals).

having just watched the bbc's highlights version...... how very different..

Iestyn Harris Might not be everyones cup of tea but he never talks tittle tattle...

sky have done What Talk sport radio do every day....... they talk complete and utter ..... then everyone gets irate at how much they talk and then everyone talks about the programme talking , and it just perpetuates the scenario....

understand that Eddie and stevo talk ...but dont join in.... treat them like I treated a four year old at a kids party today when he was banging on about being a man city fan....... look at them raise your eyebrows dont say a word and go get a sausage roll .... i just cant be d

I kept flicking over the channels when Stains v HKR so didn't really listen to the comentary much. But were they trying to build up HKR? I am almost trying to stick up for them (cant believe i am doing this) but are hey just trying to build a bit of look at the underdogs, and would they have done this if for arguements sake Sinfield punched Hill?

But the commentary is shocking a very good example would be Magic Weekend, as a neutral I think the best match was the Salford v Widnes match and that was down to the commentary of the B team as Sky put it. No niggly stuff no mention of someone being offside 79 minutes later after the incident. Yet when the finale Wigan v Leeds was on the usual suspects came on and for me ruined which was a very good match.

No I didn't as I said I am normally very placid

Thanks for the info on the Briers incident re the ref chaps.

Maybe the sky commentators have been instructed to sensationalise what happens on the pitch & be controversial ,but they do come across as a gang of bellends from the odd time i've seen a match on sky.

The problem is whenever something remotely controversial comes up, these boards are full of posters who don't have the imagination to either come up with their own opinions, or even reword Eddie or Stevos comments. So many times I have come home from a game, read either our or our opponents forums and I know virtually word for word what Stevo said about 'that forward pass' or 'the controversial video ref decision' before I even bother to watch the game back on TV.

Why is a four year old kid not allowed to be a City fan?

Who was your favourite team when you were four years old was it someone in Division Three or let me guess it was one of Forest, Liverpool or Villa wasn't it.

ps I agree with you about Iestyn Harris I used to think he was boring but I think he talks sense about rugby league and seems a good bloke.

I think the same. I'm with you Eddie. It's a sheer lack of concentration I believe the coaches have to get the message out that it's stick it up the jumper time and as for Johnny on the Spot time. For any youngsters posting.This is T R Y time my friend terra ferma and I just don't understand why they don't go for the one pointer. Tomkins is class and Briers should be banned until at least Christmas.

Not bad for a first stanza.

It was a bit of a schamozzle but to be fair there was no one at home and the sliding defence was caught out by the forward pass that wasn't forward because of the momentum rule that doesn't exist.

I particularly enjoyed, after all the tosh about momentum rule, and needing to be a scientist to work it out, Tomkins' "I don't care what you say, it was forward" comment. It goes against every fibre in my body to say this of the little pie-eating twerp, but I like the guy-he's exciting to watch, and comes across well In front of the camera. He's put his early petulance aside, and I'll be sad to see him leave SL.

As for the numpties on Sky: they were winding me up rotten re Briers. There's a good chance they've talked him into a ban. And as for the 'momentum rule', don't get me started!

Was it Stevo that said we should go for the one pointer when we were 14 points up against leeds?

Not the sharpest tool in the box.

I dont think any of them are biased though.... just a bit 'slow around the ruck'.

The problem for Eddie and Stevo is they have been doing it for so long and they don't have any competition from anybody else. Similar can be said about Ray French too. They have just gone stale (they probably went stale 15 years ago) and have become caricatures of themselves.

I know Sky will probably say "rugby league fans want continuity" but continuity with a commentator is OK if its someone like Richie Benaud in the cricket that everybody regarded as a national institution but to get that status Benaud had to be interesting, Eddie and Stevo do not add any value to the televised rugby league, they just detract from it by making it seem silly.

It's the only weakness of the Sky coverage because over the years the camera work has improved, the general production is good its just weak and boring commentators letting them down.

You can guarantee that Stevo will call for a 'little chip over the top' when a team is about 40 metres out on the last at least once a game.

Childs apparently 'forgot' to do the signal on the pitch but did report the incident via his intercom ..... probably with a little bit of prompting!

As for why Briers took a swing at Ablett - maybe because he's always coming third man into the tackle with a snidey little dig or knee into a player who's being held down. I know he's not the only one but think back to last years CC and GF .... how many times was there a bit of 'handbags' off the ball between Wire players (Briers, Hill, Woody, Benny) and Ablett after a tackle?

Funniest part was the little hokey cokey that followed Briers punch - when Bailey arrived, I'm sure even some of the Leeds players took the opportunity to threw a punch his way .....

You need a shellacking

My problem with Sky commentators, is that there's just TOO MANY OF THEM.

On Saturday, you had

Eddeh
Stepho
Fatty McRea
Clarke
and half time/full time blood pressure explosions from Wells.

It's too much. Do we really need 5 people's opinions on one game?

Sky probably have nearly as many RL commentators/pundits as they do football ones.