The Commentator Commentator

[DPK]

What's the verdict on Kafer?

 

[Lee Grant]

Kafe is very good on analysis but when they are short handed and he's the main comments man as he was a few times last year, he is less good. They've got him doing the right stuff now.

Agree on Skinstad. Another fellow I like a lot is Racing Metro's assistant coach Kiwi Simon Mannix when he's available to do the Top14. They often cheat and do the commentary from the Paris studio, not at the ground, which is why Mannix has been available - though not a lot in 2010 come to think of it.

I used to hate Harrison and Barnes but like them now. Harrison, the caller, does more homework than anybody else and knows the players by sight more than most, and Barnes is good on the instant analysis especially on back moves.

Tony Johnson does the most homework of the Kiwi guys but is hard to take when he's on the moan. Nesbitt sounds good but you start realising that he doesn't mention non-Kiwis a lot because he doesn't know them - he even gets the Kiwis mixed up. The late John Drake used to be my favourite Kiwi comments man but Kamo is getting very good and seems to have had voice lessons. Foxy is good on the backs comments but he is funny trying to cover up his bias because it just sneaks out.

Clarkie is a good straight man but Marto and Kearns are more like entertainers though Marto knows the back stuff. He was the main commentator for the Force game the other night and I can't remember his doing it before, but he probably has. He did OK but doesn't have the voice for it.

Keith Quinn

Why does this man not commentate the 15 man game? He is one of those commentators that makes things interesting and has a lot to say during stoppages.

Quinny did it for a long time before the pro era, he's a legend over there, but he was superseded by Nesbitt.

 

[rustycruiser]

Last year Mex was in SA (I think setting up or recruiting for a South African IRANZ franchise). Anyway, he eneded up doing commentary for Supersport while he was there, mostly for Sharks games. I actually enjoyed having him paired with a South African. I wish there was more mixing and matching between the three broadcasters and countries. Made it more interesting to hear the different perspectives, rather than the (somewhat) onesided commentary you normally get.

 

[Gagger]

I reckon the Aussie commentators do a pretty good job as a mix. They actually call each others bluff on the bias and don't take each other too seriously, unlike just about every other group - the Kiwis by far being the worst between one-eyed 'Foxy' and one brain cell Mexted.

What they've started doing up here more is having a recent senior player doing video analysis on the hoof. Could do with that.

DPK - I reckon that would have been Jonathan Davies - dual international for Wales - who knows his apples. Eddie Butler is fucking clueless.

Below a gem from Muzza on his SA jaunt Rusty, I can just envisage Stransky being restrained by security at the door of the commentary box....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntlhk-WxcPY

 

[Utility Back]

I generally like the aussie commentators, bias at times i suppose but its mostly toungue in cheek kind of stuff, and i find it more entertaining than the other commentators. Marto i find pretty funny, but when he analyses a play and tries to predict what will happen in the next phase, the opposite seems to happen.

One thing i didnt like though was the waratahs v sharks game the other week when marto kind of just highlights how boring the tahs play is and that the crowds booing them. And than most highlights tended to include that comment.

What i mean is there seems to be enough negativity in every other media about rugby, but i dont think you really want to be told by commentators how poor quality a match is, and especially if even highlights include the negative commentary, than who is really goin to want to watch an entire match? It just made for a bad promotion of the game i thought.

 

[Blue]

What i mean is there seems to be enough negativity in every other media about rugby, but i dont think you really want to be told by commentators how poor quality a match is, and especially if even highlights include the negative commentary, than who is really goin to want to watch an entire match? It just made for a bad promotion of the game i thought.

If it's boring it's boring. What do you want them to do, talk it up? Imagine them trying to gloss it over. That will be torture.

 

[Utility Back]

Well not whinging about the game to those watching would be a good start for me.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

Well not whinging about the game to those watching would be a good start for me.

Gotta agree with Blue here. If a game is boring as batshit, it deserves to be called so. Maybe with a bit of a "run it" call after or something to get the viewer onside with the commentary.

 

[Utility Back]

Yeah if its a crap game it should be called so by you and mates at home, its just that the student sports marketer in me said preferably you (fox sports executives) don't want your commentators saying its a crap game as they are a vital link in communicating and promoting the product to much of the public and have pretty big influence.

But i know what you boys are saying it is nonetheless their job to commentate on the game and teams playing and call it as they see it, and as i said it was only one thing i noticed and i generally like the commentary.

no one asked for a novice marketing perspective on this thread? ill shut up then. :thumb

 

[TheRiddler]

no one asked for a novice marketing perspective on this thread? ill shut up then. :thumb

I like the cut of this chap's jib.

 

[Gagger]

I know what you're saying Conor - listening to Marto gut-ache on about anyone other than the Reds can be almost as boring as watching Berrick Buns hoof it aimlessly down the centre of the paddock. As long as there's some sort of discussion why the game's gone like that to balance it out a bit it's fair enough I guess.

One thing that gave me the shits was Clarkie being gobsmacked that in a kicking duel kicks "hadn't managed to find touch". Is he really that stupid?

 

[disco]

I like the saffa commentators I think they're the fairest of the lot although TJ from NZ is very good.

The Aussie commentators can be a bit embarrasing sometimes.

 

[Biffo]

The Aussie commentators can be a bit embarrasing sometimes.

Yes indeed. Last Friday Kafer, about to interview Stephen Moore, credited him with something like "revolutionizing the play of hookers, no longer staying stuck in the ruck but having a run with the bal".

Has Kafer not heard of Keith Wood? Of Pom Thomson?

FFS, had Kafer not ever heard of Phil Kearns with who he shares the panel and with whom he had played on the same team in the same rugby game? :frans

 

[cyclopath]

The Aussie commentators can be a bit embarrasing sometimes.

Yes indeed. Last Friday Kafer, about to interview Stephen Moore, credited him with something like "revolutionizing the play of hookers, no longer staying stuck in the ruck but having a run with the bal".

Has Kafer not heard of Keith Wood? Of Pom Thomson?

FFS, had Kafer not ever heard of Phil Kearns with who he shares the panel and with whom he had played on the same team in the same rugby game? :frans

Or indeed that noted # 11 or 14, Jeremy Paul? I think they played together a few times.

 

[Biffo]

The Aussie commentators can be a bit embarrasing sometimes.

Yes indeed. Last Friday Kafer, about to interview Stephen Moore, credited him with something like "revolutionizing the play of hookers, no longer staying stuck in the ruck but having a run with the bal".

Has Kafer not heard of Keith Wood? Of Pom Thomson?

FFS, had Kafer not ever heard of Phil Kearns with who he shares the panel and with whom he had played on the same team in the same rugby game? :frans

Or indeed that noted # 11 or 14, Jeremy Paul? I think they played together a few times.

How could I forget JP? :frans

Kafer can be excused for forgetting JP - he hadn't seen him for three days.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

you cannot have a thread about running Hookers and not mention the original hooker winger, Sean Fitz!

I heard Campo speak the other day and even he said he got sick of marking him!

 

[Blue]

Or indeed that noted # 11 or 14, Jeremy Paul? I think they played together a few times.

Jeremy who?

Worst commentary I heard in a long time was the Bulls v Force. If I had no picture and couldn't see the score I would have thought the Bulls were behind by sixty. The way they talked up the Force was embarassing. Yeah sure they tried hard but they got outplayed for most of the game. I suppose they felt sympathetic.

Can't see Cannon or Welbourne haver a long commentary career ahead of them...

 

[TheRiddler]

Gordon Bray? I dont think so. Buddy Handy? Makes Kearns look objective, insightful and knowledgeable!

I'm not a fan of Kafer at all - has a face for radio but not the voice to match.

I think the best in Aus at the moment is the ABC TV mob that covers the Shute Shield. Dont seem to get too excited. Jim Maxwell, Steve Robilliard, Peter Longman (good Gordon boy) all do a good job. Perhaps not so with Brett Papworth, John (cant think of his surname) or the young female.

 

[DPK]

I like Gordon Bray. I remember in one of his books, or maybe it was just a chapter he wrote in a book, he had a small passage on the golden nature of silence, something that many commentators could learn a lot from. He used the example of a GB Tour where Scotland IIRC scored the winning try and he motioned for the others to remain silent as the sound of the crowds jubilation summed up the situation perfectly. I hate hearing a dopey reporter try and sum up a great moment in a game and failing (ie every league commentator)

 

[Gagger]

Hands off Gordie Bray Riddler.