The Rugby League community shall always not like itself very much. It's an essential part of its culture... not liking itself very much and not liking outsiders even more. Utterly paranoid and negative about 99% of the game 99% of the time. Explains why it didn't like Eddie Waring, Ray French and Mike Stephenson very much and couldn't wait for all three of them to get lost and/or retire.

Whoever replaces Stevo won't be liked very much either.

No one epitomizes that, more than you.

Yep. All the other presenters were perfectly professional and appeared genuine in their appreciation of Stevo.

That smug, patronising pillock, however, couldn't manage that.

I will go against the grain here & say that I have always enjoyed listening to the Stevo & Eddie double act, all the gaffs & cliché one liners.

For me he has brought much welcomed humour to my TV RL watching & although sometimes finding myself shouting "don't be a nipple Stevo" I will miss his little quips.

As an aside, I met Mike for the first & probably last time last Wednesday while working on Piccadilly Metrolink Station, he was struggling with the ticket machine & I offered to & did help (getting in a little quip about his age & technology into the bargain).

A colleague mentioned to Mike that I was a big Leigh fan, to which he replied "well we can't have it all can we" !!! It was at this point that I got to playfully call him a B@$tard telling him that I was going to be complimentary but had changed my mind.

I have to say that Mike Stephenson was only to keen to chat & tell a couple of stories as he waited for his tram back to the hotel at Media City.

I found Stevo a thoroughly likeable & approachable fella & as a man of a certain age who has done more in & for Rugby League than most of us could ever have hoped to do, I offered him my congratulations on a fantastic career in RL & wished him the very best, this I felt compelled to do out of respect.

"Rugby League, the greatest game of all" - Mike Stephenson.

I don't mind the clichés. I love the passion. What I thought ruined the commentary over the years however was his actual ignorance of the modern game.
He didn't know the rules well, so he would often rant about decisions that were perfectly fine.
He was very tactically unaware so always ranted about player decisions that were good ideas in the long run.
He was also very opinionated about things which he'd not thought through and wouldn't go back on his perception.

I didn't get the chance to watch all of the GF unfortunately as I had to go to a family gathering. The little bit of the build up I watched, I was annoyed that his contribution was to say that Sandow wasn't a team player, he was an individual. That's an incredibly insulting assessment of a player and completely incorrect IMO.

As much as I enjoy the passion and am entertained by the clichés, I'd far rather prefer a commentator that knows what they're bloody on about with some knowledge of how the modern game works!

I'm glad he's going because he's never been a good commentator, he talks too much but I wish him well in retirement as he's a passionate rugby league man.

I just wish Eddie would go too, I can't stand the bloke, he detests the Wire but overall he courts the controversial far too much and ruins games through his stupidity at times.

Good luck Stevo! Think people forget just how bloody good a player he was. One of the best our country has produced. He's done so much more than commentary for our game. Lots of charity work and the RL museum.

As far as his Sky commentary goes, good riddance.

A quality player in his day, and done great things for RL away from his commentating, I wish him well.

Unfortunately it's been to the detriment of the image of the sport having him as the 'face' of RL for the past 26 years. No insight, no real knowledge of the modern game or the rules, his awful catchphrases, his ramblings. It makes the sport look dumb, northern, old-fashioned etc.

Basically, the coverage of RL for 26 years has been dominated by the equivalent of a loud mouthed fan talking garbage down the pub. No other sport feels it needs to inject a 'character' into the mix, they respect their viewer and put knowledgeable professionals in there to enhance their experience.

I'm looking forward to watching Sky with the volume on. Roll on 2017.

I would suggest not having any volume on as long s Eddie trying to be controversial and Cummings the ref is always right are there.

Can you imagine RU having. Ref s a commentator and spending all game dissecting everything te ref did not pick up.

Who should be picking up the mantle & leading the Sky commentary now that Mike Stephenson has gone ?

Promote one of the sideline pundits ?

An Aussie ? *might be refreshing* ?

What say you lot ?

I disliked AP 100%,Keith Swiftcorn 100% and also William Eve 100%

Me too. But not if the unthinkable happens and O'Connor retains a TV job? What a nightmare for us and the game. If he has a SKY contract that has to be honoured, please restrict him to online only stuff and keep him off TV.

It has to Be Barrie

McDermott could have a role on his own. But please, no O'Connor.

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/sport/st ... t-century/

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/sport/st ... t-century/

For me it should be a commentary team of Eddie, Brian Carney and Phil Clarke. Stuart Cummings shouldn't be anywhere near. Keep Jon Wells at the touch screen, a role he does very well. Then have Bill Arthur, Barrie or Terry doing the sideline reporting - not Angela Powers.

Personally I didn't mind Steve, a guy who is undeniably passionate about the sport and a guy who has actually played and beaten The Aussies and therefore he should have the respect of ALL RL fans.
However, he was just in the job too long, especially when the games are on 3 days a week.
It's nigh on impossible for anyone to remain fresh when they are on the box so often.

Ultimately there were just too many over used cliches and made up phrases "he will have got the message out" was probably the worst.

Anyway, many thanks to a top bloke and a decent commentator

A man who is universally lauded as personable, pleasant and knowledgeable off camera - and his achievements as a player speak for themselves; but a truly terrible broadcaster, whose overly lengthy tenure has probably held the sport back in terms of how it is perceived by the general public and the wider media.

Time for a younger, less parochial face of the game - and if that's Barrie Mac, there's something deeply wrong at Sky...

Yeah keep them pesky women away from the sport that is RL

Trump will be looking for another TV show in a months time.

David Mitchell anyone?

Steve and Manowar mentioned in same sentence, well I never, hail to England

It's this type of attitude from it's so called fans that's held RL back not Stevo, see other post regarding Eddie warring etr.
And you say no over sport would do this, really, most other sports would kill to have a stevo of their own

It's this type of attitude from it's so called fans that's held RL back not Stevo, see other post regarding Eddie warring etr.
And you say no over sport would do this, really, most other sports would kill to have a stevo of their own

Its as simple as that.

Steady on. Just don't think Angela's suited to the touchline reporter role to be honest.