... but not for three years

[url=http://www.totalrl.com/web/stevo-rugby-league-mike-stephenson-interview/Excellent interview[/url

I actually would prefer that Just-for-men grinning idiot sidekick of his to retire over Stevo.

Stevo has been great down the years, no question.Him and Hemmings have gone stale of late though and its crying out for a change in the commentary box.

I actually wouldnt mind if Eddie and Stevo continued in their presenting capacity at the head of the show.A bit of debating and banter pre and post game but thats it.commentating on the actual games needs some new blood, and the sooner the better.

I agree with that.
Maybe back when SL started in the mid 90's Stevo's style suited the times, I don't think it does now. I'd also say that when Eddie sticks to actually commentating on the game and not analysing then I think he's a pretty good commentator.

I actually think he's very good at that, his voice coiveys the drama of a game very well. Any game that Bill Arthur does sounds like a real drone.
The problem comes when he gets drawn into nonsensical conversation threads with baldy.

But can the viewers of Sky accept an Irish-accented commentator as the main complement to Eddie Hemmings?

I suppose that one could point to the BBC hiring the Irish reporter Ola Guerin, or to the Australians who now constitute nearly a quarter of the BBC's news reading team, including the very beautiful Afghan-Australian Yalda Hakim. But these are educated Australians who speak without any embarrassing primitive drawl, and constitute a kind of accent neutral team. Brian Carney will simply have to work on his vowels.

Ill take anyone that doesn't go on and on about refereeing decisions. Hemmings is a nightmare for that.

Whilst I think Stevo is past his sell by date in terms of modern day commentary he still comes out with the odd bit of brilliance which helps you live/re-live that moment.

An example for me was last season when Saints scored in the last minute against Wigan at Langtree Park, his commentary was great and helped enhanced what was a great moment, whereas I thought Hemmings commentary on that moment was pretty flat.

I'm not sure which of the current lot could quite go to that level and connect with an audience. Carney maybe, but I'm not sure.

Andrew Voss should take over.

The guy should retire now. I'm sick of his repetitive "commentary" now. He has nothing new to say.

"I just had to put pen to paper to complain about Sky Sports coverage of the game.
It's obvious to anyone Stevo is a Wigan fan.
We all know they are fantastic, but sometimes he is like a stuck record."
Mr R Vause..Pontefract.

From the letters page of League express September 4th 1995, almost 20 years ago. lol, some things never change.

As a Saints fan who started watching when wigan were dominating, it really used to annoy me how much Eddie and Stevo waxed lyrical about them, but with hindsight it was just because they were the best team at the time.
That memory always makes me chuckle when I read the threads about them now [ihating anything Wigan[/i that some posters indulge in.

Poor Stevo, he just can't win.

John Wells is the future of televised Rugby league.

I really like the bits of analysis that Wells & Carney do post game. It's the kind of analysis that's missing from the SuperLeague Show. Sadly both the SLS and SL Fulltime are boring.

As long as Jonathon Davies doesn't do it, I don't care who does.

I listened to John Motson on MOTD just by chance..I wasn't watching but noticed how little he said apart from the names..no descriptive just a mini summery after the action had stopped for a goal kick. he truly is a poor 'commentator' the beeb should have let him go yo pasture years ago.
As for Stephenson..Pah..

"Yep... he took his eyes off the ball for a moment there..."

Not really going to miss Eddie or Stevo now. They have done a lot for the game over the years, but they are very repetitive now.

Wells, Carney and Voss for me.

Or not, as he packed it in at least 5 years ago. All personal opinion, of course, but to me he was a legend amongst commentators, and basically the voice of football on BBC for decades. Do you mean the MOTD highlight voiceovers he still does, by any chance?

Hope they don't give it to Phil Clarke as i will be asleep 10 minutes after kick off.

"If we take Wigan, for example"
"If they play like Wigan do..."

The guy is terrible.

If you could get rid of one of them, which would it be. Personally I'd rather keep Stevo than Clarke.

Just give me a change as they do nearly every game on SKY, at least the NRL games on premier sports need an army of comentators due to the number of games that are showm on TV. I feel we do need to search for a future team to replace them Maybe we could use the many club TV shows to train them?

I never said it was live, as I said I was listening to MOTD, he is still employed to 'commentate' whether that is watching it live or not.
Voice of football for the BBC he may be but he is no legend in my opinion, just familiar and has a voice that isn't particularly grating.
But given what I heard last Sat or Sun (& I've listened to his commentaries for years) he just says the names of the player the ball went to, not even a mention of a pass or if they were stood in X position. anyone can call out the name of the player the ball goes to and then describe what just happened. Even in his pomp his commentary was very bare and lacking descriptive narration, now it's almost like listening to Eddie Waring in his latter years.