Rugby Commentators/Presenters
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Listening to our main game callers over the weekend highlighted an area of concern that as been coming for some time IMO.
Nisbo is heading down the slippery slide that Keith Quinn did. The errors are getting more and more, he is struggling to keep up and comes out with some clangers that make you picture that he is calling the game from in front of a black and white TV while in his robe and slippers and waiting for his boiled egg.
TJ is not the heir apparent. Way too much of an excited fanboy and after god knows how many decades calling games of rugby still makes statements about the laws that are plain wrong. Not interpretations or current ways of ruling but absolute basic laws of the game like telling the audience that a ref must see downward pressure from a ball carrier to award a try. Not true TJ. Never has been.Anyway, examples aside, who is coming through to be our 'senior' caller? The one that just calls the action, gets the players names right and conveys to viewers what is happening? At the moment we have someone who used to be very good at that but is akin to Biden and one that is technically OK but instead of becoming more 'senior' sounds more and more like an excited schoolboy.
Does anyone know the other options? All of our current 'others' are there for 'colour' or 'analysis'.
NB: I didn't mention Laban but seriously? Decent bloke and competent commentator but still seems to think he is watching league.
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Jeff McTainsh is probably the guy Sky needs to use more. Maybe Nigel Yalden does more TV commentary.
I'll add that a lot of the former players used in supporting roles are terrible too.
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Not a popular opinion on here but I think Willy Lose has been excellent when I’ve heard him
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Bring back Mex
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@gunner said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@mn5 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Bring back Mex
And all the psychic energy that comes with him?
There’s a whole new generation of players for him to pump as well.
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@crucial said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Listening to our main game callers over the weekend highlighted an area of concern that as been coming for some time IMO.
Nisbo is heading down the slippery slide that Keith Quinn did. The errors are getting more and more, he is struggling to keep up and comes out with some clangers that make you picture that he is calling the game from in front of a black and white TV while in his robe and slippers and waiting for his boiled egg.
TJ is not the heir apparent. Way too much of an excited fanboy and after god knows how many decades calling games of rugby still makes statements about the laws that are plain wrong. Not interpretations or current ways of ruling but absolute basic laws of the game like telling the audience that a ref must see downward pressure from a ball carrier to award a try. Not true TJ. Never has been.Anyway, examples aside, who is coming through to be our 'senior' caller? The one that just calls the action, gets the players names right and conveys to viewers what is happening? At the moment we have someone who used to be very good at that but is akin to Biden and one that is technically OK but instead of becoming more 'senior' sounds more and more like an excited schoolboy.
Does anyone know the other options? All of our current 'others' are there for 'colour' or 'analysis'.
NB: I didn't mention Laban but seriously? Decent bloke and competent commentator but still seems to think he is watching league.
The excessive screaming is the thing that really annoys me about TJ.
Tom Bartlett has been good at the basics as a play-by-play caller at Mitre 10 Cup level. Need to try some of these guys at Super Rugby level.
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Years of Nisbo’s dreary blandness was tolerable at best when he was accurate, now he is constantly making mistake and not keeping up it means his position as commentator is pretty untenable overall in my opinion.
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There are two certainties on any thread about rugby matches - useless refs and useless commentators. I don't think it matters who commentates. We will still find something to complain about.
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@crazy-horse said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
There are two certainties on any thread about rugby matches - useless refs and useless commentators. I don't think it matters who commentates. We will still find something to complain about.
And we still watch, and still listen, and still whinge.
Love rugby.
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when in the UK and watching football i use to enjoy flicking over to the "fans commentary", where they'd pick out a fan from each team as they entered the ground and stick them in a commentary box together...greatness ensued, no idea if they still do it
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@kiwiwomble I switched over to the alternative commentary for the 2nd half of the Crusaders-Chiefs game with James McOnie and Matt Heath. Very funny if you like Sports Cafe-type humour with all the nicknames they were making up for the players. For example, Bryn Hall and Oates.
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@bovidae said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@kiwiwomble I switched over to the alternative commentary for the 2nd half of the Crusaders-Chiefs game with James McOnie and Matt Heath. Very funny if you like Sports Cafe-type humour with all the nicknames they were making up for the players. For example, Bryn Hall and Oates.
That’s pretty juvenile, it’s sport, it needs to be taken seriously. I can’t go for that.
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Not exactly recommending Ben for the top spot but I liked this video and thought I'd put it here.
I went to school with him in Gisborne.
Extremely gifted at English and a real oddball in a harmless way. -
@mn5 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@bovidae said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@kiwiwomble I switched over to the alternative commentary for the 2nd half of the Crusaders-Chiefs game with James McOnie and Matt Heath. Very funny if you like Sports Cafe-type humour with all the nicknames they were making up for the players. For example, Bryn Hall and Oates.
That’s pretty juvenile, it’s sport, it needs to be taken seriously. I can’t go for that.
Say it isn't so!
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@majorrage said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Not a popular opinion on here but I think Willy Lose has been excellent when I’ve heard him
I enjoy his commentary. He's better at being the play by play than the colour commentator. Less time to think perhaps.
He does have a bad habit (like Sumo did) of having pre prepared linesHe does sound like he enjoys watching the rugby which is important.
The main Sky rugby commentators do not sound like they enjoy watching the game (well TJ enjoys watching a couple of teams..)
They don't have to be cheerleaders but the constant whining about the same topics can make listening a chore (yes I do switch to the refs mic often)Save the whining about rules, refs etc to the analysis shows during the week. Particularly given TJ/Nisbitt/Marshall constantly whine about the same thing each game. The same points over and over and over
The lower level NPC commentators, school rugby commentators, Japan Top League, Sean Maloney in Aus commentate the game in front of them and generally sound like they are having fun.
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@duluth said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@majorrage said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Not a popular opinion on here but I think Willy Lose has been excellent when I’ve heard him
I enjoy his commentary. He's better at being the play by play than the colour commentator. Less time to think perhaps.
Almost word for word what I was about to post.
Don't mind Rikki Swannell too much.
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used to get all pissed off with commentaters but eventually worked out it gained nothing so have spent last few years just watching and enjoying the rugby. well not quite the truth am still known to tell justin marshell to shut up and fuck off
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@ploughboy said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
used to get all pissed off with commentaters but eventually worked out it gained nothing so have spent last few years just watching and enjoying the rugby. well not quite the truth am still known to tell justin marshell to shut up and fuck off
'confidently incorrect' is our Justin
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Whoever the guy was for the Blues v Clan game was a good commentator. Sounded like he enjoyed the game and got excited for either team doing something good.
TJ’s hate of anything Auckland based should preclude him from calling those games. Let him have Tasman and the Crusader games and give us a fucking break.
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@mn5 twice on the same quote!
Of everything he's done, that's low end. It's the lack of rugby law knowledge that really grinds my gears, and missing what's in front of him
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@nzzp said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@mn5 twice on the same quote!
Of everything he's done, that's low end. It's the lack of rugby law knowledge that really grinds my gears, and missing what's in front of him
It’s a great quote, it needs to be given it’s dues
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@nzzp said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@mn5 twice on the same quote!
Of everything he's done, that's low end. It's the lack of rugby law knowledge that really grinds my gears, and missing what's in front of him
combined with stating everything like he's an expert
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@kirwan said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Whoever the guy was for the Blues v Clan game was a good commentator. Sounded like he enjoyed the game and got excited for either team doing something good.
IIRC that was the commentator I mentioned, Jeff McTainsh.
TJ’s hate of anything Auckland based should preclude him from calling those games.
Who was TJ supporting on Sat night? I haven't watched a replay yet.
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@nzzp said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@mn5 twice on the same quote!
Of everything he's done, that's low end. It's the lack of rugby law knowledge that really grinds my gears, and missing what's in front of him
I was pretty floored in the weekend when he apologised for talking over the ref. Then kept talking over him. Him and nisbo in the weekend were about the worst I've heard both of them, constant errors, predicting plays that didn't happen. TJ's "must have a hand pressing down on the ball" was pretty bizarre.
I think McTanish must be the guy I heard a but of for NPC? He seems great.
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@bones said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@nzzp said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@mn5 twice on the same quote!
Of everything he's done, that's low end. It's the lack of rugby law knowledge that really grinds my gears, and missing what's in front of him
I was pretty floored in the weekend when he apologised for talking over the ref. Then kept talking over him. Him and nisbo in the weekend were about the worst I've heard both of them, constant errors, predicting plays that didn't happen. TJ's "must have a hand pressing down on the ball" was pretty bizarre.
I think McTanish must be the guy I heard a but of for NPC? He seems great.
Possibly relatively speaking, commentators tend not to improve with advanced age
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@booboo said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Don't mind Rikki Swannell too much.
I think she's really good. Accurate and conveys match excitement without getting emotional.
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Still like Nisbo. Far and away my favourite commentator.
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@billy-tell said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Still like Nisbo. Far and away my favourite commentator.
Yeah the big match feel ya get when you hear his voice is hard to replace eh. He's been making those mix up errors for decades (for some reason I always remember a So'oialo)Conrad swap) but he was pretty bad this weekend, a couple of times players went without names after a slightly drawn out pause.
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@bones said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@billy-tell said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Still like Nisbo. Far and away my favourite commentator.
Yeah the big match feel ya get when you hear his voice is hard to replace eh. He's been making those mix up errors for decades (for some reason I always remember a So'oialo)Conrad swap) but he was pretty bad this weekend, a couple of times players went without names after a slightly drawn out pause.
I guess the mixups are all part of the package. A bit like peak Keith Quinn, and even Mex
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Hames mentioned a player who wasn't even on the field, or currently playing in this century, so is one-up on Nisbett.
The thing is that the commentators rely on a TV screen much smaller than we watch the rugby on ourselves. I've seen their setup for 1st XV games up close.
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@bovidae said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Hames mentioned a player who wasn't even on the field, or currently playing in this century, so is one-up on Nisbett.
The thing is that the commentators rely on a TV screen much smaller than we watch the rugby on ourselves. I've seen their setup for 1st XV games up close.
I find Hames really hot and cold eh. Mostly cold unfortunately.
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Hames makes some outrageous claims at times.
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I think some of the comms people are very good game analysts, but shit at commentating.
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@yeetyaah said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Hames makes some outrageous claims at times.
Hames is often critical of referees' decisions, which is surprising as he is a ref himself. No idea if he is any good though.
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Well I'm now firmly on board the Beaver Bandwagon.
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@billy-tell said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Still like Nisbo. Far and away my favourite commentator.
Nisbo still the man IMHO. Agree Rikki Swannell the best of the next generation. Not sold on TJ or Meg though.
