I have this year taken out a sub with Premier Sports and have watched more NRL than I have ever previously.

Whilst the standard of play is undoubtedly higher than over here, one thing I cannot overlook is that the coverage they have has several significant differences to ours:

1 When a try is scored - they focus on the try - the wonderful pass / the great take / the lightening run or even the missed tackle - but it's the try itself. They do not automatically relate the try to a preceding dropped ball or controversial penalty - which if you watch for it on Sky is always (and I mean always) the first thing they do.

2 When there is a breakdown in play for any reason there might be one replay of the incident - not the need to view it several times from every angle percievable - i.e. there is respect for the human element of the referees and a respect for the decision / call made - even if they have it wrong.

3 They never miss onging play to show replays of some stupid incident that happened earlier - they merely continue to comment on the efforts of the athletes doing the job out there.

Whilst this may seem like a petty thread I believe this is funadamental to the whole attitude towards our sport in this country. Sky are our major partners - they have invested a lot and have helped the game to become full-time (and lord knows where we'd be now if this hadn't happened) - but their coverage in particular has become formulaic and the presenters have become paradies of themselves over the years - as a sport we've seen this before. They can change, but I suspect they won't. Phil Clarke occassionaly argues the case for the positives behind a play or a try, but does not get heard enough above the 2 main protaganists. Brian also helps - and I have no problem with any of the other members of the Sky team, who all bring their own 'qualities'.

The only other people I would take issue with, to address this particular concern, would be the producers. We like the many camera angles - but we don't need to see them all for every dropped ball incident. The referees have a tough enough job and call the game as they see it - they get it wrong - often - but that is part of the game and one that I consider central to the sport now and forever. We have use of the video ref when it is needed, and when it is not - just get on with it and accept it! Also, we, the viewers, want to see live play - if the ball is in play, show it - not some stupid replay which doesn't change anything - the ref has made his call and that is all that matters - he's not going to change his mind!

I've prattled on here, but I do hope that this will strike a chord with some of you. I feel that whilst we consider to highlight the failings of players and referees and don't focus on the skill, strength, power and speed of our athletes then we will persist in a negative mindset that is, in Derren Brown style, eating away at the back of our heads and convicning us that somehow, these players - who get smashed week in, week out - are rubbish because they dropped a ball, or stole a ball or missed a bounce or a tackle! It can sometimes be true, but it doesn't have to be the focus for every try scored as someone still has to have the skill to take advantage of any error.

It's not the removal of Stevo and Eddie that is required, but for them to stay and help the game to grow and succeed they would need to change their attitudes - and maybe they are just too long in the (false) teeth for that!

TRB you are right but negativity rules our game. We get an unexpected win last night and it's not good enough. It's not that Widnes fought all the way and why wouldn't they it's because we were "dumb" as if no other team has moments of "dumb" football in a game.

Why shouldn't Eddie and Stevo be negative there are a large number of posters on this thread absolutely love it - it's all they live for.

If we won the Cup it would be the worst day of their lives.

For the very survival of our game there has to be a change!

I too am absolutely fed up with the general negativity overwhelming our great game.
Well said TRB.

I know exactly what you are saying. However they can also be positive. I used to watch the champoinship games a couple of years ago on Thursday nights and the mindset of the commentary team was very positive.

Also I have noticed it depends on which teams are playing. Usually Friday night is a battle between two of the top 4 and everything is brilliant. This is followed by Saturday tea time against a couple of bottom teams and every mistake is highlighted.

The best team would be Bill Arthur and Brian Carney and good bye Eddie and Stevo.

Quite right TRB
Negativity breeds negativity

Good point. I think it was this years game against HKR when I came home and watched the coverage - they had decided it was an 'average' game before the kick-off and the whole commentary failed to match the efforts of the players because they had gone into that mindset.

Commentate on the game you buffoons - credit the side good enough to create the overlap or the gap - not just the poor sod who missed the tackle, or worse still, who 'gave away the penalty 60m upfield' - giving away a penalty doesn't concede a try!!!!

Yep - and this is from our biggest partner! I'm amazed that no-one can there can see that they are devaluing their own product - or maybe that's the bigger point.... kidding - I think!

The one thing with the nrl coverage is its always made sound good a play can be just ordinary but the commentator makes it sound like the best play ever.
Very similar to how things were a few years ago Nigel Stammer Smith made union sound like the best game ever and league commentators made ours sound dull.
Its a bit like Ozzie version....Smith out to Sykes,Sykes draws his man,out to Collis,COLLIS SIDE STEPS AND GOES THROUGH THE GAP ..TRY.........Our version...Smith out to Sykes,Sykes draws his man,out to Collis,Collis side steps and goes through the gap...t r y.

Cancelled my subscription this year (new years eve to be precise, so technically last year) when asked why, I told them that their coverage of my favoured sport was being killed by its presenters.
I'd like to think they took note, but I'm a realist and I'll have to settle for the £90 a month staying in the bank!!

well said , its what I am saying all time when watching both channels. I would also add that tonight Eddie was wondering why crowds low....well on a Saturday, its a traditional soccer/ cricket / amateur rugby/ couples night out day so worst time to play but Sky / RFL/ Clubs have yet to grasp that ...they still ALL fail to know their audience !!!

Yep and so they change our Catalan game to Saturday with a tea-time ko

I know , thought it was 6pm ko but I am sure they said its now 5.05pm though could have misheard them.

Yep it is now.

Showing at 17:45 kick off on the website - only a 40 mins difference if they are altering it but that could mean half the crowd arriving after the main turnstiles close if it is changing

Eddie has just stressed it is a 17:05 kick off but I never believe a word he says 0icon_smile.gif

I said exactly this on the VT last season and got shot down in flames.

You're absolutely right - I've been watching NRL on Premier Sports since it first became available and the standard of commentary is significantly better - whilst they do question decisions, it's quickly forgotten when play continues and they certainly don't bag particular teams over others; the commentary and punditry appears to be done with respect for the players and genuine knowledge of the game - makes for a much more enjoyable experience all round.

The Sky wazzocks ruin SL as a spectacle - their inane drivel detracts from the game itself and often portrays it in a very negative light; tonight for example, Eddie described the game as 'comedy capers' and it was clear from the outset that they wanted Salford to win, to complete the Nobby fairytale.

If anyone at Sky has any appreciation of the game, they'd have a massive overhaul - put Eddie & Stevo out to grass, promote Carney to the main job and freshen up the entire team; less of McRae, Cullen & Kear and more fresh faces with recent, relevant experience.

The two OAP's that are stevo and eddie are really becoming quite tiresome. Eddie in particular just doesn't know when to to shut up.
Part of the fun of playing and watching rugby is the chat between players and ref. Without fail when something kicks off the pair of them speak over what the ref might be tellling a player or explaining to whoever. Listening to the ref and being able to hear him might give us all a better insight into what is going on rather than what the man with the wig thinks who lets face it has probably never picked up a ball in his life.