Everyone loves a rating out of 10 on the day after a State of Origin, and we have ours ready to go.
But every decent media outlet and moderately successful rugby league website will have the players ratings. We don’t, we have the coverage ratings.
Having become a Fox Sports snob since the pay TV provider was allowed to cover all NRL this season, the State of Origin was always circled as the time where we’d have to stoop back to Channel 9 to sample the big clash. And we weren’t looking forward to it. Sure we could have avoided the game and the result and hooked into the Fox Sports coverage at 10pm (and it was tempting but later found out it was still channel 9 so lucky for us we didn’t wait) but some sleep is required for a midweek at work. Was it as bad as we thought it had become in the Before Fox Sports era? Our ratings are below, for the coverage and commentators that is.
PRE MATCH HYPE
Rating (out of 10) – N/A
Couldn’t be arsed as we knew from previous year it would be full of clichéd slow mos and other rubbish. And plenty O ads too. Having guessed correctly that the actual kick off would be 8:23pm we can’t rate something we didn’t see.
MATCH COVERAGE
Rating 3
The coverage can be summed up by the start and the finish – the first up courtesy of the Spider cam missed all the excitement and impact of Origins first tackle/hit up, always of the great moments of any series. And with not long to go and NSW attempting a short drop out to win the ball back quickly, apparently Dane Gagai pulled off what Gus described as “one of the moments of the night”. How would we know, Nine were still showing a replay of the previous moment. On more than a few occasions they appeared to be unable to keep up with the game, and overall there was too much of the overhyped Spider Cam which adds as much to State of Origin as Dylan Walker.
RABS WARREN
Rating 5
At least other commentators don’t hide their allegiances. Rabs barely got out of first gear when Queensland did anything, yet found another level of more for when NSW threatened to do something excitement. Always keen to point out any negative in Maroon, and equally quiet when a NSW 50-50 goes their way. Rabs has been great, and a true great of Australian broadcasting, but Channel 9 really need to look to the future now.
PETER STERLING
Rating 8.5
A voice of reason, and by far the best in the box. They simply don’t allow him to talk much. Or enough in our book. Sure you know he supports NSW, but given his additions to the coverage you would barely know.
GUS GOULD
Rating 7.5
Gus must be getting sick of sitting though a Queensland victory, and does well not to lose it completely. He has plenty of good to be said, and most of it is the most common of sense. The routine with Rabs like two ladies arguing over the 161 Bus is getting tedious, but wasn’t so bad tonight.
PAUL VAUTIN
Rating 6
A surprise addition given he’s been on the outer on game day for a while, but so superior to the dross on offer from Wally Lewis. Still unsure why we need to have a Queenslander just to even it up. Or in fact why they need 4 in the box. Was too quick to not sound too much in favour Queenslander.
SIDELINE
Rating 4
Rarely do you hear anything worth while. Great too when we flash to a shot of Freddy talking instead of what’s going on. And of all the retired players who have tried to get into the media was Brett Finch the best? May have been rated higher, but those half time interview with players coming off for half time that asked and receive the most clichéd questions need to go. Leave them alone and let them get off the field.
GURGLER’S STATE OF ORIGIN COVERAGE
Rating 1
Piss poor. Crap preview, some rubbish about playing a State of Origin on a Cruise Ship and no review but a lengthy bitch about Channel 9. What would we know, and it’s easy to put down Channel 9’s coverage. So we will. But they still genuinely suck. Back to Fox Sports for us snobs for a few more weeks then.
