General Rugby League Commentators Thread

[Stone]

After having no other option than to listen to the biased rampantly Australian tone of Brett Kimmorley's so called "commentary" for 80mins last night, it got me thinking ... who's every bodies favourite and or worst commentator's in Rugby League

It's obviously a pretty subjective topic & one I find relatively hard to nail down, but if I had to pick one favourite then (and I'm more than aware that I'll probably be in the minority here) I'd probably have to go with Ray "Rabs" Warren

Despite his obvious skippy bias at times, I just personally find that the match (whatever match it may be) seems to feel a bit bigger or more important when the dulcet tones of Rabs are emanating from the box

I also will always have a soft spot for Graeme Hughes, who for so long was essentially the voice of Rugby League here in NZ, also some of the "arguments" he & Graham Lowe use to have on air were absolutely hilarious back in the day

I'm also a Vossy fan & also like hearing Andrew "Joey" Johns analytical sideline commentary as he doesn't seem to me to be as bias as a lot of his colleagues & has some very interesting views on most matches he calls, I also quite like Sterlo & am quite partial to Alan Mac & Darryl "Big Marn" Brohman as far as radio commentary goes

As for the worst, well that's much harder to narrow down for me as there seems to be so many, what makes it worse is that I personally find listening to any rampantly skippy accent to be akin to listening to somebody scratching their nails over a chalk board, in other words it makes my skin crawl

So it's a bit of a case of take your pick ... Belcher, Alexander, Gould, Ray Hadley, Fatty, M Johns, Wayne Pearce etc etc the list seems to go on & on & on (to be fair one of my pet peeves is commentators messing up players names so I'd have to chuck Halligan in there too, its just bloody shameful imo when Vossy pronounces Manu Vatuvei perfectly only for Chook to blurt out VATOOVAI in the very next sentence lol)

But if I had to pick just one worst then I would go a bit out of the box here & say that blatantly one eyed pommy git from the ESL Mike "Stevo" Stephenson takes the cake for mine, that gimp is so unashamedly & blatantly one eyed that he makes a cyclops blush, he also references his own RL career (like he thinks he's Ellery Hanley or something) every chance he gets & doesn't seem to understand that thuggish shit he got away with back in the bloody 1970's is hardly relevant in today's modern game

Edit: If I have posted this thread in the wrong topic column ie: Warriors General Discussion, then please feel free to move it

 

[mt.wellington]

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[Stone]

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The passion in that clip sounds awesome, but I honestly can't understand a single word that's being said

 

[Danpatmac]

top 5 commentators/colour men

1. Graeme Hughes
2. Andrew Voss
3. Peter Sterling
4. Ray Warren
5. Darryl Eastlake

worst 5 commentators/colour men

1. Jason Costigan
2. Gary Belcher
3. Brett Kimmorley
4. Wally Lewis
5. Daryl Halligan

 

[mt.wellington]

I love listening to Vossy and his one liners. Probably my favourite one going at the moment. Always love listening to break downs like Joey and Sterling do. IMO Sterling is the best in the game at it. Has great insight and you always learn something from him.

My worst is Rabs and Gus commentating together. Cant stand their stupid petty arguments. When Gus breaks it down he's gold. Kimmorley was rubbish last night but I also cant stand Gasnier or Anasta when they get a go...

 

[Stone]

Blast from the past



JOOOONNNNEEESSSS !!!!

 

[Dino Velvet]

After having no other option than to listen to the biased rampantly Australian tone of Brett Kimmorley's so called "commentary" for 80mins last night, it got me thinking ... who's every bodies favourite and or worst commentator's in Rugby League

It's obviously a pretty subjective topic & one I find relatively hard to nail down, but if I had to pick one favourite then (and I'm more than aware that I'll probably be in the minority here) I'd probably have to go with Ray "Rabs" Warren

Despite his obvious skippy bias at times, I just personally find that the match (whatever match it may be) seems to feel a bit bigger or more important when the dulcet tones of Rabs are emanating from the box

I also will always have a soft spot for Graeme Hughes, who for so long was essentially the voice of Rugby League here in NZ, also some of the "arguments" he & Graham Lowe use to have on air were absolutely hilarious back in the day

I'm also a Vossy fan & also like hearing Andrew "Joey" Johns analytical sideline commentary as he doesn't seem to me to be as bias as a lot of his colleagues & has some very interesting views on most matches he calls, I also quite like Sterlo & am quite partial to Alan Mac & Darryl "Big Marn" Brohman as far as radio commentary goes

As for the worst, well that's much harder to narrow down for me as there seems to be so many, what makes it worse is that I personally find listening to any rampantly skippy accent to be akin to listening to somebody scratching their nails over a chalk board, in other words it makes my skin crawl

So it's a bit of a case of take your pick ... Belcher, Alexander, Gould, Ray Hadley, Fatty, M Johns, Wayne Pearce etc etc the list seems to go on & on & on (to be fair one of my pet peeves is commentators messing up players names so I'd have to chuck Halligan in there too, its just bloody shameful imo when Vossy pronounces Manu Vatuvei perfectly only for Chook to blurt out VATOOVAI in the very next sentence lol)

But if I had to pick just one worst then I would go a bit out of the box here & say that blatantly one eyed pommy git from the ESL Mike "Stevo" Stephenson takes the cake for mine, that gimp is so unashamedly & blatantly one eyed that he makes a cyclops blush, he also references his own RL career (like he thinks he's Ellery Hanley or something) every chance he gets & doesn't seem to understand that thuggish shit he got away with back in the bloody 1970's is hardly relevant in today's modern game

Edit: If I have posted this thread in the wrong topic column ie: Warriors General Discussion, then please feel free to move it

Snap - My all time worst commentator is Mike "Stevo" Stephenson from the UK Super League. All he does is whinge & moan. He should be an actor on Coronation Street. He would fit in well with his incessant whinging & moaning.

 

[Beastmode]

Worst - Daryl Halligan and that other kiwi commentator who pronounces player's names with that strange polynesian accent "Maaaateoooooo".......

 

[Stone]

Thanks for bringing up Jason Costigan Danpatmac ... I was just starting to forget that muppet lol ... "THA WAHREYAHS" !!!

I hadn't actually watched or listened to any Hughesey for ages till i posted that clip & he's still just as awesome as I remember him, that man could make 2 snails crawling up a hill sound like the most riveting shit you've ever seen

It's good to remember the best, but what about this abomination from Scotty Prince ...



Don't quit your day job champ

 

[thebroverine]

Best: Vossy and Rabs. Rabs will be sorely missed when he retires. The game will never be the same IMO.

Worst: Living in QLD so get too much of Ray Hadley when he calls the gay Bronco games. Not really sure why I hate his voice so much. Don't think he's done too much wrong but I still hate his voice. So boring yet annoying I don't know how he does it.

 

[Mr. Muller]

Daryl Haligan is the WORST caller ever, no words could explain.

I would say Rabs is still the best, and Vossy well, he's entertaining.

 

[fanrrior]

I love Vossy. Could write a book filled with some of the gold he's delivered over the years.

I actually had a bit of a soft spot for Husband. It was nice to hear a commentator pronounce Polynesian names properly for a chance. Hearing the commentators mispronounce easy names like Taupau, Whare, and the like just drives me crazy. I ease off on the rolling of the R's as I understand that isn't particularly easy for everyone. But how bloody hard is it to say Toe-poe instead of towl-pow, or toe-kay-R-hore instead of what ever the fuck the commentators do when they "try" to read out Taukeiaho's name. Heck, how the retards out there still slip up Vatuvei's name right after all these years I'll never know. Might be a discussion for another thread though.

 

[surfin]

For me the best is easily Vossy, Rabs is ok when commentating unfortunately that seems to take a back seat to him and Gould wandering off on some random conversation, or plugging the upcoming episode of The Block or on the red carpet at the Logies. Honestly I'd sooner mute the whole commentary and just listen to the crowd, players and ref. I can see for myself that Friend just passed to Johnson. As for worst I'd run out of characters before I got half way.

 

[boongz1]

I'd have to agree with most of you. Certainly find Vossy the most entertaining. His stats always amuse me too. I absolutely can't stand Ray Hadley and Wally Lewis. Most bias pricks in commentary. I actually find Darryl Halligans commentary funny. He never fails to make himself sound like a goose. Has anybody heard Goran Paladin's impersonation of Halligan on radiosport? Nails it.

 

[eX | Machina]

Best: Vossy and Rabs. Rabs will be sorely missed when he retires. The game will never be the same IMO.

Worst: Living in QLD so get too much of Ray Hadley when he calls the gay Bronco games. Not really sure why I hate his voice so much. Don't think he's done too much wrong but I still hate his voice. So boring yet annoying I don't know how he does it.

For me it's a toss up between Ray Hadley and Daryl Haligan for worst commentator. Both make the game difficult to watch.

 

[Gizzyfan]

I think Voss is the best. The worst ones, and there a lot of them unfortunately who twist things to their point of view. Kimmorley was like that. Although I don't think he was as bad as some say. Constant criticism of players.

The best Commentator of any code I have heard is the Scottish Union legend Bill McLaren. He had that gentle Scot humour to the fore all the time. I saw him interviewed once and he was asked the secret of his success. He said he believed it was because he never criticised players, he just commentated on the play.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

Daryl Haligan is the WORST caller ever, no words could explain.

I would say Rabs is still the best, and Vossy well, he's entertaining.

Halligan is not a clever intellect person. I don't mind Arwen, Monty, Ritchie etc but McIvor is a twat.

Don't mind Rabs but Gould gets on my nerves.

Bossy is entertainment and knowledgeable.

Quite like Sterlo.

 

[eudebrito]

I like Voss best when he isn’t doing our games, his quote in the manly game after sims gives mason a bit of a fondle “attacking the head of an opponent..”. Solid. Gold.

He gets on my nerves when he’s constantly pointing out how many leads we’ve blown, we know that Andrew, just call the game. Doing the variety of fox games instead of just us, seems to have picked his game up a bit.

Hadley is disgrace, calls it like a horse race “I thought that should have been a penalty to the broncos, what did you think wally lewis!?” fuck off.

Its possible he might be better if he wasn’t deliberately calling the game for a QLD audience.

Rabs is good for a big game, but your average Friday night game more interested in his inside jokes with Gould than what’s happening.

Gould is irritating because you know he knows what he’s on about, he just chooses to speak rubbish and make excuses for his favoured teams.

Sterlo doesn’t speak up enough, voss and sterling would be an ideal combo. And any analysis of a try gets limited as ch 9 goes to commercial.

Fox is just dry balls or ex-players slagging off those who are still going around, like anasta or gasnier never missed a tackle or took a wrong option.

 

[ShaunJohnson7]

Best: Vossy, Sterlo and Gus/Rabs when they are actually calling the game and not involved in their dumb arguments.

I really like Johns and Freddie on the sideline when they are talking league and taking it seriously (although sometimes can be pretty funny)

Worst for me are easily Halligan, Husband and Kimmorley. Also hate Belcher and Alexander.

Wally Lewis and Lockyer are pretty bad on the sideline imo.

Can't stand Mcivor, he's the worst presenter for me. Absolute dickhead.

 

[Blain]

Ray Hadley and Wally Lewis wank fest is the worst for me. Absolutely unpleasant listening.