We've been saying this for years...

[Mooooove]

All this knocking of a newspaper as anti-league, tell me a newspaper that is pro-league.
The guy is right about our commentators, trouble is any knocking of our game is seen as an attack from Union, where the hell does union come into it. Too many league fans are so anti union it is unbelievable, we signed loads of the union men over the years and now they are signing more league men because they have a more cash rich game that we cannot compete with. Our coached and players see no problem with union so what is the problem with fans.
The 2 games are different, treat them as such, and stop being so blinkered in your thinking.
At the end of the day RL is probably the 3rd sport in the Uk after Football and RU.
We are a northern sport not a national sport for all the expansion that tries to spread the game.

[MossdaleRhino]

To be fair, I grew up watching rugby league on TV with dear old Eddie Waring for company, then dear old Ray French. The point is here, that since the inception of SL, SKY and it's commentary team have done more for the sport than any other TV channel or national newspaper has ever done. So I think it's a bit rich for a journo from a newspaper with no obvious interest in RL in normal circumstances, to write an article that smacks of poking fun at our game and it's commentators. You may like or dislike the SKY guys, but for all their supposed faults, the one thing they are is enthusiastic and passionate about the game, and that should be all that matters. And at the end of the day, if you really really can't stand the commentators, then just turn the bloody volume down!

[jools]

wow- i go away and all this!!! first of all id like to say that richie mathers tweeted a link to the article - the telegraph is not something i normally read so i know nothing about the journo in question.
secondly this guy is basically saying what weve been saying for years - eddie and stevo are a joke. why some of you are now calling the journalist for saying so im not sure - is it because only us northerners can have a go at the stereotype? he didnt take the mick of the game only the commentary.

[MossdaleRhino]

(02-21-2012 07:58 PM)jools Wrote:  wow- i go away and all this!!! first of all id like to say that richie mathers tweeted a link to the article - the telegraph is not something i normally read so i know nothing about the journo in question.
secondly this guy is basically saying what weve been saying for years - eddie and stevo are a joke. why some of you are now calling the journalist for saying so im not sure - is it because only us northerners can have a go at the stereotype? he didnt take the mick of the game only the commentary.

But my argument would be that that Eddie and Stevo may not be everyone's cup of tea but they are knowledgable and passionate about the game, and that should be all that matters. When the new F1 channel begins shortly on SKY, the commentary team will be made up of guys and gals who will be also passionate about the sport and will be able to give viewers a good insight into what they are watching. May not be everyone's thing but rather Eddie and Stevo than some non-de-plume commentator who knows sod all about Rugby League!

[CherryPie]

(02-21-2012 08:05 PM)MossdaleRhino Wrote:  But my argument would be that that Eddie and Stevo may not be everyone's cup of tea but they are knowledgable and passionate about the game, and that should be all that matters. When the new F1 channel begins shortly on SKY, the commentary team will be made up of guys and gals who will be also passionate about the sport and will be able to give viewers a good insight into what they are watching. May not be everyone's thing but rather Eddie and Stevo than some non-de-plume commentator who knows sod all about Rugby League!

The bit in bold I really disagree with. Passion for the game is good and is necessary for a commentator but in no way is it all that matters. Also, despite both Eddie and Stevo being in a position where they should be knowledgeable about the game, they really don't come across that way, which is pretty poor.

I think the fact the article is in the Torygraph is an issue for some people. Rugby league fans can be so defensive about anyone saying anything negative about the game that they just accuse them of bias or hatred. It's so narrow minded.

Yes, the tone of the article might be seen as mocking the game but that's simply the tone of the writer. He writes lots of articles like that, and sometimes he can be nothing short of a wind up merchant, but that isn't really the case with this one. He's actually being fairly complimentary.

[billie joe]

Let's be honest here the Telegraph has and always been anti- league.

As for the journo it just smells of having a go for the sake of it,whilst I agree with his comments on Eddie & Stevo to a certain point this paper has always had a go at RL for the number of years I can remember.

[MossdaleRhino]

It must be just me then but I really don't have a problem with Eddie and Stevo, never have had. And apart from Dave Woods, who I believe is doing the Championship RL on Premier Sports this year, I don't think there are too many suitable replacements waiting in the wings. So it would appear that love em or hate em, Eddie and Stevo are going to be around for a while yet.
Plus, as I mentioned earlier, back in the day, were Eddie Waring and Ray French any better in those days? I'm sure that I'm correct in saying that those two had their critics too, so it seems some things never change!

[The Swede]

Mooove, Displaced and Cherry; all spot on for me.

[Cheese]

mosso, its not just u. eddie and stevo are very good at what they do. sky run a business and that business relies on people buying subs etc, and for that sky has to produce programming etc that make folk want to part with their hard-earned. skys faith in eddie and stevo sends a clear signal that they think the figures r good and i agree.

fans of all sprots like to whinge and moan, refs and commentators tend to be high on the list, cest la vie.

[CherryPie]

(02-21-2012 11:12 PM)Saint Until I Die Wrote:  Mooove, Displaced and Cherry; all spot on for me.

That goes without saying