Worst Commentator Pole Action

[Tex]

Nathan Sharpe seems to struggle getting the words out from the sidelines.

Kearns and Marto's bias is difficult to stomach, even as a Wallabies fan.

But the guy who takes the cake is the Welsh prat Stephen Jones. He's got it covered in all areas: whining tone, insufferable bias, persecution complex, petty.

 

[boyo]

Nathan Sharpe seems to struggle getting the words out from the sidelines.

Kearns and Marto's bias is difficult to stomach, even as a Wallabies fan.

But the guy who takes the cake is the Welsh prat Stephen Jones. He's got it covered in all areas: whining tone, insufferable bias, persecution complex, petty.

The newspaper columnist?

Or do you mean Jonathan Davies (aka Jiffy/Squeaky), the former RU and RL player?

 

[Ash]

He might mean the rugby "journalist" Stephen Jones?

 

[Tex]

The newspaper columnist?

Or do you mean Jonathan Davies (aka Jiffy/Squeaky), the former RU and RL player?

I could be getting my boyos mixed up.

He commentates the Wales v Australia matches. High pitched voice, whinges at any opportunity and carries a huge chip on his shoulder. He'll screech for a yellow card for the slightest hint of foul play, yet two minutes later defend a worse offence from a player in red.

 

[boyo]

Probably Jonathan Davies.

He works for the BBC.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I could be getting my boyos mixed up.

He commentates the Wales v Australia matches. High pitched voice, whinges at any opportunity and carries a huge chip on his shoulder. He'll screech for a yellow card for the slightest hint of foul play, yet two minutes later defend a worse offence from a player in red.

That's Jiffy alright. Eddie Butler I like but Davies I find as irritating as you do.

 

[BDA]

As an Australian, and Queenslander, Marto makes me feel embarrassed. Like I should be apologising to foreign rugby fans for everything he says. Otherwise I think the Aus commentary team is not to bad. Kearns is good for a laugh now and then and Kafe is excellent and is perhaps the least biased commentator I can think of. I'd love to see Marto replaced by Kafe in the commentary booth.

Out of the Sanzar nations, I think the Kiwi team is the best and the Saffa team is the worst. The Saffa panel is boring and are just as biased as the aussie commentators, albeit in a different way. I've noticed that if the Saffa commentators think the other side got a raw deal they just remain silent on the issue, whereas at least with the likes of Kafe and Clark will comment when an opposing side is "unlucky" or there is a "harsh call".

But without a doubt the worst commentator of all is that Welsh fuckwit. He makes Marto seem like the Joe Rogan of Rugby.

 

[Dumbledore]

Marto and Davies by an enormous margin. Probably Marto for me, if only because we have to endure him so regularly. He makes rugby genuinely unpleasant to watch.

 

[Braveheart81]

I definitely think familiarity breeds contempt. The Australian commentators are unpopular on here because most of us are Australian and watch more Aussie games than anything else so they are the commentators we listen to the most.

I think the worst thing about Marto is that his Queensland bias (which in principle I don't mind. At least he wears his heart on his sleeve) leads him to say really dumb things.

In any Queensland game, if there is a close event that needs a replay (like scoring in the corner, holding up a try, high tackle etc.) he'll always come down on the side of Queensland immediately.

Scoring in the corner he'll always say that he thought they got the ball down and then the replay will show the player being out by a metre.

For a high tackle made by a Reds player he'll first say that the tackle was fine and then the replay will show it being awful.

I think his bias for Queensland is perfectly acceptable but I don't get why his first reaction is to always predict that the Reds were in the right. It just makes him look really stupid half the time.

Thinking that your player might not have got the ball down in the corner for a try on first viewing doesn't make you less of a supporter...

 

[Scoey]

I think the problem with Tim Horan is that he genuinely tries too hard. I have had the pleasure of meeting him and chatting Rugby with him during a game and he spoke really well with some really good insights. When he goes on air he possibly suffers a bit of stage fright and his brain lets him down a bit. If he relaxed a bit more and just spoke he would be a lot better as a commentator I reckon.

Also, IMO he tends to be overly harsh on the Reds when he commentates on a match involving them. I assume this comes from not wanting to sound biased but he goes too far the other way.

 

[EatSleepDrinkRuck]

I"ve never noticed Marto being Queensland-centric, probably because Tests are mostly where I can listen to commentary. Also because I'd be too busy agreeing with him to think it was bias

 

[Blue]

When it comes to Pole Dancing I vote for Jenyne Butterfly.

Without her name on the above list this Pole is a farce.

The Pole standards in this joint need a Royal commission enquiry.

Exhibit A:

 

[Hawko]

I think the problem with Tim Horan is that he genuinely tries too hard. I have had the pleasure of meeting him and chatting Rugby with him during a game and he spoke really well with some really good insights. When he goes on air he possibly suffers a bit of stage fright and his brain lets him down a bit. If he relaxed a bit more and just spoke he would be a lot better as a commentator I reckon.

Also, IMO he tends to be overly harsh on the Reds when he commentates on a match involving them. I assume this comes from not wanting to sound biased but he goes too far the other way.

Horan's commentary is dreadful. Like many players who were naturally gifted he played on instinct, without thinking things through. That's fine for genii like him and Campese, but it is no good for detailed commentary. Horan's comments are either off the point, totally trite or just plain wrong. Kafer was never instinctual, neither was Sharpie. They tend to engage brain before opening mouth and this is what makes their commentary so good to listen to - they actually have analysed the comment from their rugby experience before speaking it.

 

[Scoey]

Perhaps, but my point was that he is capable of giving quality commentary when there are no microphones around so if he can fix the nerves or whatever it is, he could make a good commentator.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BDA]

So what would be the optimal commentary team for Aus... Clark/Sharpe/Kafer ?

 

[Braveheart81]

I'll probably get sick of it pretty quickly but I think I prefer Maloney's match call to Clark's at the moment. He does get very overexcited but Clark fills his commentary with far too many well worn sporting idioms.

 

[I like to watch]

It appears to me familiarity breeds contempt.
Each commentators biggest critics are from their own countries.
No doubt once we hear and see more of Maloney,some idiosyncrasy will start to grind.

 

[Scoey]

It almost seems like Clarke is trying to become the "Rabs" (Ray Warren for those of you overseas) of the Rugby world. He is using more and more cliches and even pulled out a, "Turn it up" the other week as if he was trying to do an impersonation of Rabs. All he needed on the end was a "Fatman!" Ray Warren has been a servant to League but if any commentators are aspiring to emulate him they should be aiming to be like the Ray Warren of the bygone era's, not the modern day version that is constantly being baited and drawn into slanging matches with that dickhead Gould.

 

[Ash]

Ray Warren is actually not the brightest guy around. Listen to him and his opinions outside of commentating and you will quickly get the picture. I actually don't like the guy, having listented to him quite a bit now on the Rush Hour.

However, what Ray Warren has in spades is willing to do the hard work and preparation. The guy used to drive to watch various players in country park football if he know he would be calling them a week or two later. He'd prepare background information and study it. Ray Warren certainly knows his players backwards, and it's clear that he loves the game.

Having a good voice also helps. Ray Warren, Clarkie and TJ all have voices that suit commentary, whereas Maloney's is not as "pleasant". Hadley's is even worse - he's a dispicable man, his calls on TV are suited for radio, and his voice is high pitched and whining - how he succeeds over Voss is amazing.

 

[terry j]

I'll probably get sick of it pretty quickly but I think I prefer Maloney's match call to Clark's at the moment. He does get very overexcited but Clark fills his commentary with far too many well worn sporting idioms.

BH, for me maloney has already reached the limit. Boyish enthusiasm quickly pales when nothing much more lies underneath. Stick to his cameo (and fun, be a clown then) with his video picks.

The thing about clarke is his incessant need for useless statistics, rattles them off at every opportunity 'the last 38 matches between these two have blah blah blah'. Still, find him the best of the aussie lot available for the lead role.

It almost seems like Clarke is trying to become the "Rabs" (Ray Warren for those of you overseas) of the Rugby world. He is using more and more cliches and even pulled out a, "Turn it up" the other week as if he was trying to do an impersonation of Rabs. All he needed on the end was a "Fatman!" Ray Warren has been a servant to League but if any commentators are aspiring to emulate him they should be aiming to be like the Ray Warren of the bygone era's, not the modern day version that is constantly being baited and drawn into slanging matches with that dickhead Gould.

Funnily enough, it was Ray Warren that was the initial stimulus to get away from rugby league. Can't stand the guy, that false RAISING YOU VOICE FOR ARTIFICIAL EXCITEMENT then followed by the whisper

Uggh.

Thank god I found rugby which in addition to the blessing of no warren (and from what I hear Gould)is miles away a far better game anyway.

Talking about artificial excitement in league broadcasts, has anyone else noticed how they turn the sound up to make a tackle appear tougher?? I'm sure it's just a twiddle of the knob of the background noise, but it is so transparent and pathetic it's hilarious.