This has been raised in many different threads but I wanted to try to have one that could pull it all together.

Commentators/pundits.

I very rarely see any positive comments about any commentators - do keyboard warriors just like to moan? It happens in other sports too. Not just RL.

So many get slated on these boards, but rarely do I see any positive ones.

In the RL field who do you rate and why?

I honestly don't have a problem with the majority of them. I particularly like it when they provide a useful insight into a play that I wouldn't have picked up on, or if I did pick up on it I didn't realize the importance of it.

Not picking on anyone in particular, but I dislike how commentary has now become three or four people having an ongoing conversation rather than just describing what's happening. It's annoying when something exciting is taking place but the commentary doesn't do it justice because they are too busy chatting among themselves.

The best commentary i heard was a few years ago BBC radio London when the Wire were playing London or Harlequins or whatever. One commentator on his own describing the match as it happened . no small talk from wannabe comics .

I know a lot moaned about Hemmings ( me included) but would have him back in a heartbeat, what we have now is not good at all. Andrew Voss would be my choice now though, enjoyed his commentary during World Cup games.

Regarding coverage of any of the games on tv I a sick of the cut aways to the coaches how many times have we missed something on the pitch because of it.

Oh and I love me who do you love Wilkins lol even seen on Redvee they are sick of him.

I saw stick given to Kyle Amor, but in the couple of C4 matches I've seen I've quite liked his contribution.
Agree about the cutaways and interviews with the coaching staff during the game. OK if there's a stoppage - fair enough, but otherwise - no.
Also grabbing the players at half time doesn't really add much for me. You can't really expect much from them, and it would be unfair to expect much.

Spot on.

I get it in a slow, meandering sport like Test cricket, but in football and rugby, the constant analysis from the co-commentators seems totally pointless & distracting to me.

I'd love a return to the old days where we watched a match with a simple commentary and the analysis was left to half time and full time.

As for the best RL commentary?.. in my time watching, the best for me was Clive Tyldesley during the short spell in the late 80's/early 90's when ITV did live Saturday afternoon games - a class act and still miles ahead of anyone doing football commentaries today, especially the criminally awful Sam Matterface.

Baz and tez are crap but jjb can't even talk. Painful to listen to.

I think they are all okay, even Wilkin is desperately trying to distance himself from being Saints biased since being nominated for some best sports correspondent thing within the last fortnight.

I think jjb is ok, but his voice is the problem - not wishing to be voice-ist in these woke days....

I cannot stand, Bill, Baz and Tez during inside jokes during the commentary.

Some of the least funny people on TV. Just call the game.

Just watched Panthers v Rabbitohs the commentary makes ours sound very amateurish.

If Bill Arthur shouts any louder, my tv screen will crack.

what surprises me, is that most of the commentators/summarisers are ex forwards/props, baz tez and amor.

meanwhile, the our league app for salford hull fc this week have got the worlds most boring man, michael shenton on commentary.

In my personal opinion; i'd enjoy it much more if we had a proper commentator, and ONE co-commentator for analysis. On Sky you've got about 5 men with mic's all squabbling for airtime. It's been mentioned previously that Ch4 did well, and I'd agree with that - thought Amor was particularly good as co-commentator.
I hope IMG have looked at this for a change next season onwards - commentary on Sky is so stale and in need of a massive shake-up

I have watched a few games without any commentary and that doesn't work. The fact that we can't really agree that we actually like a single person tells us a lot about us. We get fed up of anyone pretty soon and I bet we'd get tired of "Vossy" if we had him on a regular basis. I reckon it is a difficult job & it must be very difficult not to become repetitive.

Good post guess we would get fed up of Voss after a while, not many liked Hemmings but right now I would rather we still had him instead of what we got now because for me they were rubbish from the off.

Commentators should be like good referees and blend into the spectacle at hand, sadly our sport is afflicted by poor efforts on both. The commentary teams are taking over as the main event and spoiling the viewing for many fans.

The now retired Aussie commentator Ray Warren was always my favourite. Of the current British crop, I would say that Dave Woods is the best. Stuart Pyke, however, should be banished to the Toffo mines, never to be heard from again.

I think the general presentation on C4 is very good and Adam Hills is a good ambassador. I can forgive Helen Skelton a lot given she had to put up with Myler but her voice borders on the irritating.
I enjoy Carney as the front man on SKY and I appreciate Wells breaking down plays as it shows the level of thought that goes into tactics and individual plays, a match player coming in to explain post match is also a worthwhile feature.
Unfortunately an individual’s voice is such an important part of a commentator/pundits role that no matter how insightful the message it can get lost. if the voice is a hard listen. For me JJB falls into that category, I concentrate on the individual words rather than the message. I also find Wilkin’s voice in the whiny range.

Really speaking, broadcast sport just tends to provide unnecessary jobs for ex players whether they bring anything to the commentary or not.

Switch on at 8 take dog to corner come back fill up my whisky glass at ht switch off bang on the ft hooter..not listened to any punditry for years..last one was when we beat saints here and all they banged on about was golden boy and what a class act he was...

I don't mind Amor too much. Unlike Wilkin he doesn't spend most of his commentary talking about his time at Saints.

Woods is probably top of a very short list. I used to like Jon Champion when he did the RL for the BBC. Sounded like a proper professional sports commentator that would be allocated to a sport that the beeb takes seriously. Hence why he got the football gig after not very long on us.

Sky have done a lot for RL but their attitude regarding pundits and commentators is basically 'Cheesy Peas' and aimed at what they see as stereotypical 'Northern' types. Whether that's right or wrong, I don't know. I don't like it personally. I want it to sound professional and a sort of 'generic' commentary. I can't imagine a sports channel getting away with hiring Delia Smith to front Women's football, because she fits the 1970s British female stereotype.

Not sure if it would help or change things but you could consider emailing Sky. viewerR@sky.uk

Not sure if it would help or change things but you could consider emailing Sky. viewerR@sky.uk

Clive Tyldesley was head and shoulders above any other British RL commentator, before, then or since.

It went down hill after Eddie Waring.