Why is Marto employed as a commentator?

[Teh Other Dave]

I'm not bothered so much by parochialism, after all, the commentators are pitching to their home audience first and foremost. But to continue the cricketing theme, compare Kerry O'Keeffe to Martin. Both are former test players, both hired as much for their colour as their experience. But that's more or less where it ends. O'Keeffe's humour is good-natured, and his analysis is actually quite accurate (in between his dad jokes). Martin is petulant, negative, and disguises his bullshit with a lame veneer of 'saying it like it is'.
A good example was the Shipperley try against NSW back in 2012 - I'd never heard such a sour spin as that of Kearns and Martin on what was a pretty extraordinary finish to a match. I could understand Kearns being pretty disappointed, it shows that he gives a shit, but Martin was just so damned deprecating. I'm probably (definitely) dedicating far too much bandwidth than is healthy, but it genuinely ruins my enjoyment of the game, to the point where I'd sooner crush into a noisier pub and queue longer for beers than have to hear his commentary.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Wasn't Greg Ritchie a cricket commentator? Let's not go putting cricket on a pedestal.

 

[TOCC]

The NFL comparatively has commentators who work in pairs often for years at a time, you have the ex player and you have the professional sportscaster who has been doing it for years, the corny jokes and parochialism type comments aren't as frequent instead replaced by a far more analytical view of the game. This is assisted by the slower nature of NFL with slow-motion replays and longer breaks but seems to be a cornerstone of their commentating.

 

[Da Munch]

The commentators in all sports here are crap, but Rugby lays claim to the worst of the bunch. Compare anything here to what the UK and Irish sport fans are treated to. Not just commentators who actually do their job and call the play, put pundits who can actually analyse and put forward an engaging argument without resorting to cliches or shock jock tactics. Sky Sports and BT are top notch in their football and Rugby team and even then a public broadcaster like the BBC leaves them in the dust. The 6N coverage by the Beeb is the best sports coverage I've seen anywhere. Professionalism is prioritised and it pays off.

I just watched the penalty try against the Wannas against Wales again for context from channel ten with Welsh commentary and I've never packed a scrum but here's my take;
1) slipper is pinged for boring in but lee never binds which imho is why it collapsed. Nothing but parochial crap from the commentators but I've got the benefit of slow mo.
2) wales starts wheeling the scrum before the ball is put in and then the front row pops out. Best non parochial crap we get is "they wheeled it ... and popped out ..." about 5s in about 40s
3) slipper only just gets his bind on lee binds against the arm, scrum collapses in the middle after the balls turns up on the aussie side and reset to wales called????? All we get from the commentators is crap about a hand in there (obviously an australian hand in there view) when its obvious wales failed to hook in the welsh direction because of pressure and kicked it towards the wannas
4) looks like boring in by james to me. Reset called best non parochial we get is "that looked fair" everything else is about penalty try etc
5) scrum is half wheeled when ball is fed, penalty try. There's a whole bunch of parochial crap spouted, all of it pretty much sounding like a cow liking someone’s arse I'll include a screen shot FWIW and no Lydiate didn't pack down for the wannas

so if you are including these idiots in your UK bunch, I beg to differ. They never "put forward an engaging argument" or "actually analyse"'d anything.
I'd rather Marto (I'm a tahs supporter) than these clowns any day!

 

[Strewthcobber]

The NFL comparatively has commentators who work in pair often for years at a time, you have the ex player and you have the professional sportscaster who has been doing it for years, the corny jokes and parochialism type comments aren't as frequent instead replaced by a far more analytical view of the game. This is assisted by the slower nature of NFL with slow-motion replays and longer breaks but seems to be a cornerstone of their commenting.

Yeah watching NFL is amazing because the commentators actually point out something that the viewer probably didn't see, nearly every play. Most of them really add to the understanding of the game

Contrast that with, for example, the usual analysis of a rugby scrum penalty, where Marto revels in his ignorance and adds nothing.

 

[Strewthcobber]

5) scrum is half wheeled when ball is fed, penalty try. There's a whole bunch of parochial crap spouted, all of it pretty much sounding like a cow liking someone’s arse I'll include a screen shot FWIW and no Lydiate didn't pack down for the wannas

The penalty, which led to the PT was for a "whip wheel" from when Skelton stopped pushing and the Oz TH disappears backwards on rollerskates a couple of seconds after this screen shot.

Also Law 20.3 (g)A flanker may bind onto the scrum at any angle, provided the flanker is properly bound.

But I take your point, it would be nice if the commentators had explained (or even knew?) that.

 

[Braveheart81]

Properly bound for a flanker would include not binding to the opposition prop.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Properly bound for a flanker would include not binding to the opposition prop.

There's about 20 things that could have been penalised in this scrum, and in most scrums and in every ruck.

Why did the ref choose the penalties he did?

Explaining this should be the job of the commentators. It's a complicated game. However, most of the time they act like they don't even know the laws, let alone the common interpretations that each ref makes.

This is the sort of stuff that could add real value to the broadcast.

 

[hawktrain]

As much as I can't stand Martin, every time I watch an English test with the Sky Sports commentators, Stuart Barnes and the other bloke who's last name is Harrison I think, I'm actually thankful for Marto. They somehow manage to spew even more rubbish than him, which is a shame because Barnes has such a classic commentary voice.

 

[Lorenzo]

NFL callers actually watch the game from the perspective of people paid to fucking comment on it. Our lot are just fans that get free tickets to the match to yell nonsense about it.

The USA has hundreds of pro sports teams and even more colleges and local tb channels son there's a much deeper market for sports callers. Here you really need to be in the top 20 to get paid to do it at all. It makes building a meritocracy difficult as there's not that many alternatives to the incumbent .

 

[mxyzptlk]

There's about 20 things that could have been penalised in this scrum, and in most scrums and in every ruck.

Why did the ref choose the penalties he did?

Explaining this should be the job of the commentators. It's a complicated game. However, most of the time they act like they don't even know the laws, let alone the common interpretations that each ref makes.

This is the sort of stuff that could add real value to the broadcast.

Have you listened to Brain Moore's show on Talksport, Full Contact? It's on every Sunday, and he regularly gets into these sorts of issues. Since he was a hooker he has some idea of what goes on in the scrum, and he's a solicitor so he likes getting into the laws. Plus he has Nigel Owens on each week to answer some questions about funky law interpretations from that weekend's games.

Moore isn't to everyone's tastes, but the show is damned informative.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Have you listened to Brain Moore's show on Talksport, Full Contact? It's on every Sunday, and he regularly gets into these sorts of issues. Since he was a hooker he has some idea of what goes on in the scrum, and he's a solicitor so he likes getting into the laws. Plus he has Nigel Owens on each week to answer some questions about funky law interpretations from that weekend's games.

Moore isn't to everyone's tastes, but the show is damned informative.

I haven't but will check it out.

Moore's also done the full referee course and even done a few games hasn't he? Something that every commentator that wants to properly inform their audience should do.

 

[Lee Grant]

As much as I can't stand Martin, every time I watch an English test with the Sky Sports commentators, Stuart Barnes and the other bloke who's last name is Harrison I think, I'm actually thankful for Marto. They somehow manage to spew even more rubbish than him, which is a shame because Barnes has such a classic commentary voice.

I actually like them now, though I didn't ten years ago; but I must have factored in a home team announcer filter in my brain since then.

They were very good last weekend in Eng v NZ.

Miles Harrison must do more homework than any main commentator, though I think that Clarkie is very good, as is Kiwi TJ.

Barnes has the facility to read the game situation and what is working and what isn't, better than most. It's interesting to try to compete with him and other good analysts in real time when you are watching. You always get second, or at least I do, but it's the process that makes viewing more enjoyable.

Then there are other guys that make you want to turn the sound off.

But I digress.
.

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

It's simple , sack them all and replace them with Billy Birmingham ! The 12th man does Rugby ....mmm, just think Ray Warren calling a Bledisloe like a Melbourne Cup , Pulver talking up a test vs the Taliban and shirtfronting the IRB , Hawker as white noise , Alan Jones presenting the John Eales Medal ... All wrapped in a media vehicle say called "Rugby GQ" ....now that may get FTA coverage ... Marto , Maloney , Sharp , Kearns , Bray , Clarkie , Kafer etc , it's fertile ground I tell you !

 

[mxyzptlk]

Moore's also done the full referee course and even done a few games hasn't he? Something that every commentator that wants to properly inform their audience should do.

He has and they should. But he tweaked his calf early into his reffing career, like minutes in, and I don't know if he's reffed a game since.

Total Rugby covered Moore getting into refereeing back in 2010.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Pretty sure that Greg Martin blabs on from time to time about having done either the Referee or Assistant Referee course.

Despite this he displays a surprising lack of knowledge about the Laws of the Game with some of the comments he makes on Foxtel.

It is surprising that an individual can seem to remain ignorant of the finer points of the Laws when they are required to demonstrate sufficient competence and knowledge of such in the first place to gain their ARU certification.

 

[Braveheart81]

Marto's biggest problem is his mouth moves a lot faster than his brain.

It's pretty common for him to say something ridiculous immediately and then start to slowly reconsider his position once he thinks about it a bit.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The core Fox "Rugby Team" is:
Greg Clark - Caller (basically neutral)
Nick McArdle - Coordinator and Presenter (basically neutral)
Phil Kearns - Comments and Colour (NSW parochial)
Greg Martin - Comments and Colour (QLD parochial)
Nathan Sharpe - Comments (non-parochial but played for Force and Reds)
Rod Kafer - Analyst and comments (played for Brumbies, ACT born and bred)
Sean Maloney - L Plates Caller (gets overly excited)
Tim Horan - Comments (Gets to flustered to be too parochial, but played for Reds)

"Hangers On" are:
John Eales - Nobody (played Reds, and now has a foot in ARU camp)
George Gregan - Comments (played Brumbies, ACT Born and bred)

No longer with them are:
Brendon Cannon - (played Reds, Tahs and Force)
Jeremy Paul - (Played Brumbies)

The Foxtel Suits seem to want a degree of parochialism for the major markets (NSW, ACT and QLD), with some representation from emerging market in WA.

If the Clown Prince is boned, who would be the most suitable candidate to "represent" QLD on the Fox Rugby Team? Does it have to be a "profile" former player?

Same for replacing Kearns. I'd like to see Al Baxter (from ABC Shute Shield team) replace Kearns.

 

[Lee Grant]

As I've mentioned before - Morgan Turinui is a natural when he does Top 14 games.

 

[formerflanker]

Sean Maloney - L Plates Caller (gets overly excited)

I'm sure Sean's excitement levels are a deliberate strategy. He is differentiating himself from the rest of the team.