Channel 9 commentary team...what I think

[Broncoman]

Ray Warren- Greatest caller in history but unfortunatley way past his best now (getting players names wrong, babbling, not keeping up with the pace of the game)

Ray Hadley- Needs to realise he isn't being paid per word spoken

Peter Sterling- Easily the best and most respected member. Gives a great analysis and discussion of the game

Phil Gould- Bloody annoying with his agenda driven rants and pointless arguments with Rabs. Can be good when discussing the game though.

Wally Lewis- Unbelievable player but thats it. Doesn't offer much insight

Darren Lockyer- Admired him as a player but is useless as a commentator. Doesn't have a voice for commentary, just talks about Brisbane (which was expected) and has poor grasp of English

Paul Vautin- Idiot hasbeen with a use by date stamped all over him. Little knowledge of current day footy and hosting a lame Footy Show which got old years ago.

Andrew Johns- Not to bad but not great by any means. Worth keeping on

Brad Fittler- My 1st Rugby League hero and still is. Knowledgable but doesn't know who to verbalise anything, seems like he skipped any English class at school. Seems to be a good knock about bloke though with a sense of humour.


Didn't have much else to do, good way to fill in time enjoyed writing it. Feel free to share thoughts below

 

[Alec]

I really like Sterlo. Gus can be great when he isn't bitching about the game. I can't stand Lockyer's stuttering, Wally's dullness, Johns and Fittler's incomprehensible speech. Hadley is awful, but I actually kinda like Vautin, he can be entertaining when he isn't too serious.

Someone who you haven't mentioned is Voss, I rate him highly, even if he loves the sound of his own voice more than anything.

 

[Broncoman]

I didn't mention Voss because he isn't on the 9 team anymore. He is calling the games in New Zealand he called our trial last saturday. I really rated him on 9, seemed to be very passionate, enthusiastic, knowledgable and has a geniune love for the game.

 

[Alec]

He was still with CH9 last year, didn't hear anything about him quitting.

 

[ningnangnong]

Interesting thread, B-man. Gonna follow on from you and give my own opinions!

Ray Warren - Great caller. I agree though, he has been slipping in recent years in getting a lot of things wrong, but having to listen to Hadley for the majority of last year has made me appreciate Rabs even more.

Ray Hadley - Improved only ever so slightly as the season progressed, but he's still horrible to listen to. Still too much 'radio calling' happening for mine, and I can't stand his voice, or some of the things he does as a person. Watching rugby league just doesn't sound right with Hadley's voice.

Peter Sterling - Love Sterlo. Absolute champion commentator. Provides great insight as a co-commentator, but it was a bit weird when he had that short stint as the lead commentator during the Olympics. He did do much better than I expected though. Interested to see how Nine use him this year.

Phil Gould - Used to hate Gus, but I really like him these days. He's just a passionate bloke. His catch phrases are classic nowadays (No, no, no, no, no... you could throw a handkerchief over them!). He's very knowledgeable about rugby league, so I always like hearing his opinion. Nowhere near as biased against the Broncos as he was when he started out either.

Wally Lewis - He's pretty horrible TBH. Reads everything like he's still reading the news, and it makes him come across as though he's a bit arrogant with something shoved up his arse. Needs to drop the act and be a bit more natural. Don't think he can though.

Darren Lockyer - Undecided on Locky at the moment. Last year was his first season as a commentator, and I think he struggled a bit when put on the spot (mainly on the sideline). I reckon he'll improve though, and I think he just needs to loosen up a bit and not worry so much about making a mistake or something. There's potential there.

Paul Vautin - I fkn love Fatty's commentary! He's never going to provide much insight into the game or anything, but as Alec said, he doesn't take things too seriously and I think it provides some much needed relief. Some of the jokes he cracks are hilarious IMO! He can also be pretty excitable and passionate at times too. If you pair him correctly with the other commentators, he fits in very well.

Andrew Johns - I'm not a big fan of the bloke, but his commentary isn't that bad. You can't question his knowledge of the game, so when he's talking about certain plays/tactics, etc, he's good to listen to. When he becomes 'one of the boys' and starts talking about other irrelevant shit, it's a bit annoying.

Brad Fittler - Definitely in the minority here, but I don't mind Freddie. He can be a bit herp da derp at times, but he strikes me as a good egg. I put him the Fatty category, in that he doesn't take things too seriously, so if he's commentating with someone like Rabs and Gus, then he's good value. Put him with Fatty, and there's too many cooks.

That's my thoughts anyway!

 

[Bucking Beads]

I don't like any of them.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I'd like to listen to Sterlo and Voss .....with Johns on the sideline.

Hadley is the worst ever....

 

[Kimlo]

Ray Warren - The best, seriously who cares if he messes up names? That doesn't make him a bad commentator. He makes a game better to watch, Hadley is the opposite.

Ray Hadley - Just shit. Man I hate listening to him, he ruins the games. Bring back Vossy ffs.

Peter Sterling - Love sterlo, quality commentator who offers genuine insight.

Phil Gould - Big fan of Gus, I wish we'd get him instead of Lewis as the secondary commentator.

Wally Lewis - Just a shit talker, do not like him one bit.

Darren Lockyer - First year was horrible, all he does is say cliche things a few times per game and it's only ever about the Broncos. I'm still willing to give him a shot if he improves this year. I think he has a lot more to offer than what he does.

Paul Vautin - Neutral

Andrew Johns - I like his commentary, don't mind him.

Brad Fittler - I also like Fitler, he's a good laugh.

 

[hayseed]

Rabs is a very good caller but doesn't really keep up to date with recent news, he is an old school caller in the days before Foxtel and social media, Ray Hadley adds another dimension to the team and is hopefully around for many years to come. Gus is the best of the color commentators and his knowledge and insight are very valuable to the viewing public. Sterlo is excellent as well. The rest aren't at the same level but Locky will be in the years to come, not sure why they bother with Freddie, head knocks and happy hours have taken it's toll. Of course, the team at Fox Sports blow all these indidviduals away, they cover RL in the way it should be done.

 

[Big Pete]

Ohhh I could discuss commentators all day, good thread Bman!

Rabs - Voice of the game and one of the best callers ever in any given sport. No one generates the excitement he does and while he can come off as a little clueless it's fine when you have him surrounded by guys like Sterlo & Gould to correct him. With that said, has definitely been on the decline for awhile and his running battle with Gus is very worn at this stage. I used to blame Gus for it, as he'd keep baiting Rabs but it seems like whenever he gets corrected now he throws a fit. It's a shame, because he still has that amazing voice.

Sterlo - How can you not like Snorky? An out and out champion, a real ornament of our game and somebody I have a lot of time for.

Gus - Wildly inconsistent. At his best, an amazing caller who provides great insight and can sum up a situation better than anyone. I've lost track the amount of times I've referred to one of his points, he can be very spot on. However, there are times where he'll make up his mind ten minutes in that he's just going to be critical of one facet in the game and he's just going to sit back and ruin the telecast because of it. He's horrible when it comes to calling representative games, especially the Test games where he'll just s**t on England the entire time.

Hadley - Don't mind his call as much as most. His ocka voice and penchant of calling forward passes rustles my jimmies but really, he's fine. Just don't like how he got the job really.

Fatty - Always seems to criticise the Broncos more than anything but I like what he offers as a commentator. Sometimes you just need some comedic relief and Fatty is still as quick witted as ever.

Wally - Is just way too mellow to be a commentator. Sort of cracks me up when he added the 'woaaaaah' to his call last season to compensate, it really doesn't work. Respect the King, but honestly, I just want him delivering my sports news and nothing more.

Locky - Still early days but I don't know how long I'll be able to take his gravel voice. His insight into the Broncos is actually really good, he'll make points not a lot of fans outside of the club would know but he's still stumbling and stammering too much to be considered good just yet.

Joey - Has grown on me. At first he was really stiff and would just spit out a bunch of cliches but over time he's loosened up and will even provide some good insights.

Freddy - Is a real space cadet but he cracks me up.

BIG PETE BONUS CONTENT FOR AWESOME POSTERS JUST LIKE YOU

Warren Smith - Really solid. Couple of years ago he was way too opinionated for my liking but he's mellowed out a lot and knows how to designate the call so he can focus on just calling the match.

Brandy Alexander - Just rubs me the wrong way. Pretty clear who his favourites are and gets too caught up in referee drama.

Matt Russell - Had a pretty solid debut season I thought. Still needs to work on his technique, when to get excited and maybe come up with some better analogies but otherwise he does his job.

Gary Belcher - Calls too many Raiders games but outside of them, he's decent.

Andy Raymond - Sort of sucks as a main caller...but you know at least he's generally a positive caller and doesn't take himself too seriously.

SPECIAL TREAT TO ALL YOU LOVELIES

David Murrow - Is pretty much perfect...except he's a typical Dragons supporter. Still can't forget some of his painfully bias calls in the past and he really hasn't changed at all.

Wok - Really good analyst. Won't always agree with him but he tries to remain as objective as he possibly can and is generally pretty good when it comes to dissecting offence and why certain teams aren't playing as well as they should.

Craig Hamilton - Is just a typical Knights supporter really. Comes across as a good guy but his bias is pretty clear.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Ohhh I could discuss commentators all day, good thread Bman!

Rabs - Voice of the game and one of the best callers ever in any given sport. No one generates the excitement he does and while he can come off as a little clueless it's fine when you have him surrounded by guys like Sterlo & Gould to correct him. With that said, has definitely been on the decline for awhile and his running battle with Gus is very worn at this stage. I used to blame Gus for it, as he'd keep baiting Rabs but it seems like whenever he gets corrected now he throws a fit. It's a shame, because he still has that amazing voice.

Sterlo - How can you not like Snorky? An out and out champion, a real ornament of our game and somebody I have a lot of time for.

Gus - Wildly inconsistent. At his best, an amazing caller who provides great insight and can sum up a situation better than anyone. I've lost track the amount of times I've referred to one of his points, he can be very spot on. However, there are times where he'll make up his mind ten minutes in that he's just going to be critical of one facet in the game and he's just going to sit back and ruin the telecast because of it. He's horrible when it comes to calling representative games, especially the Test games where he'll just s**t on England the entire time.

Hadley - Don't mind his call as much as most. His ocka voice and penchant of calling forward passes rustles my jimmies but really, he's fine. Just don't like how he got the job really.

Fatty - Always seems to criticise the Broncos more than anything but I like what he offers as a commentator. Sometimes you just need some comedic relief and Fatty is still as quick witted as ever.

Wally - Is just way too mellow to be a commentator. Sort of cracks me up when he added the 'woaaaaah' to his call last season to compensate, it really doesn't work. Respect the King, but honestly, I just want him delivering my sports news and nothing more.

Locky - Still early days but I don't know how long I'll be able to take his gravel voice. His insight into the Broncos is actually really good, he'll make points not a lot of fans outside of the club would know but he's still stumbling and stammering too much to be considered good just yet.

Joey - Has grown on me. At first he was really stiff and would just spit out a bunch of cliches but over time he's loosened up and will even provide some good insights.

Freddy - Is a real space cadet but he cracks me up.

BIG PETE BONUS CONTENT FOR AWESOME POSTERS JUST LIKE YOU

Warren Smith - Really solid. Couple of years ago he was way too opinionated for my liking but he's mellowed out a lot and knows how to designate the call so he can focus on just calling the match.

Brandy Alexander - Just rubs me the wrong way. Pretty clear who his favourites are and gets too caught up in referee drama.

Matt Russell - Had a pretty solid debut season I thought. Still needs to work on his technique, when to get excited and maybe come up with some better analogies but otherwise he does his job.

Gary Belcher - Calls too many Raiders games but outside of them, he's decent.

Andy Raymond - Sort of sucks as a main caller...but you know at least he's generally a positive caller and doesn't take himself too seriously.

SPECIAL TREAT TO ALL YOU LOVELIES

David Murrow - Is pretty much perfect...except he's a typical Dragons supporter. Still can't forget some of his painfully bias calls in the past and he really hasn't changed at all.

Wok - Really good analyst. Won't always agree with him but he tries to remain as objective as he possibly can and is generally pretty good when it comes to dissecting offence and why certain teams aren't playing as well as they should.

Craig Hamilton - Is just a typical Knights supporter really. Comes across as a good guy but his bias is pretty clear.

Wot....no Voss? You haven't mentioned Vossy once in that long list.

What the hell as Andrew Voss ever done to you Pete???

 

[ningnangnong]

I'd like to give a shout-out to Brett Kimmorley. Love listening to his analysis of certain matches whenever he's on Fox Sports.

He's a classy fella.

 

[Broncoman]

We all know who the worst commenators in the world are................Those fools that call the warriors games. They are the worst commentators i've ever heard call any kind of sport in any kind of country.

 

[Big Pete]

SPECIAL XXXX EXCLUSIVE WHEN YOU SENT IN FIVE LIMITED EDITION BP COUPONS

Vossy - Just downright good. A Rugby League encyclopedia who delights in telling even knowing the most banal of facts. Does have the tendency of forcing an agenda or angle down your throat which as a main caller I don't enjoy. Otherwise, he's good and it's a damn shame Channel 9 sacked him.

 

[Alec]

I'd like to give a shout-out to Brett Kimmorley. Love listening to his analysis of certain matches whenever he's on Fox Sports.

He's a classy fella.

Agreed, he's got an excellent understanding of the game. I think he'd make a great coach, if he wasn't afraid of losing that glorious hair.

 

[Big Pete]

We all know who the worst commenators in the world are................Those fools that call the warriors games. They are the worst commentators i've ever heard call any kind of sport in any kind of country.

Nay Mark Braybrook is worse than them.

Got punted from FoxSports and is now calling the NYC. It's painful though, he treats it like he's being ripped off as they're not playing first grade quality football.

 

[hayseed]

Nay Mark Braybrook is worse than them.

Got punted from FoxSports and is now calling the NYC. It's painful though, he treats it like he's being ripped off as they're not playing first grade quality football.

Ever hear him pinch hit for Salty on the 4BC sports show? He chews your head off if u don't agree with him. Don't know how he gets away with it.

 

[Big Pete]

Nope, but that doesn't surprise me. Spends more time whinging about the referees and will even refer to this mythical scoreline if a referee didn't rule in favour of this team. It's borderline unprofessional.

Still won't forget that Broncos vs. Newcastle game where we racked up 70. If it was up to Braybrook the final scoreline would have been 7-6 Brisbane, all our tries supposedly had question marks on them.