Aussie Pro Rugby

Stargazer

Can Nine, Stan Sport & Sean Maloney return Australian rugby to the masses?

So how exactly will Nine and Stan attempt to take rugby into a new era?

Given the rights were only secured in early November last year, the two parties were hardly left with oodles of time to organise their promotion, marketing, technology, talent and everything else that goes into a modern sports broadcast.

ESPN understands both Nine and Stan are very much racing the clock to be ready for the Feb. 19 kick-off, which suggests there might be more than just a few gremlins across the opening few games.

Stan Sport did however release its price-point of $10 a month, which goes on top of an existing Stan subscription. There is a 30-day free trial to encourage sign-ups.

The first three rounds of Super Rugby AU are, in fact, particularly vital for both Rugby Australia and their new broadcasters. Maloney understands this, too.

While Nine and Stan will confirm its commentary team once and for all on Wednesday, former Wallabies Drew Mitchell and Morgan Turinui, All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens and former Fox Rugby host Nick McArdle are all understood to be involved. Existing Nine talent Allana Ferguson is also tipped to combine her rugby league duties with some 15-player work, while ESPN understands another high-profile female talent will also join the team.

Andrew Swain, another former Fox employee, will serve as a Maloney's back-up caller.

NTA

Additionally some of the supporting content will feature Ben Kimber. He has a pretty good reputation around these parts, particularly working with Morgan Turinui on podcasts, and a YouTube venture called RuggaMatrix with Djuro Sen who has been around sport for a while (including the Tahs and Wallabies).

Going to be very interesting times. Stan Sport is going to kick off Feb 19 and I can't wait.

No matter what you think of Maloney and Swain, think about the simple advantage of no more Kearns and Marrrrrto.

NTA

@Machpants said in Aussie Rugby:

Yeah crazy that they changed colour so much. I understand that the green was dropped after clashes with SA, but to go from gold to yellow...?

"Marketing people who don't give a fuck about the game's traditions" is the standard response. :man_shrugging:

It also got all those ex-Wallabies sitting in a room contributing something to the game, rather than firing off letters about how rugby has lost its way etc. Despite a lot of them doing sweet fuck all about it.

Better to have these useless, mouthy old dickheads inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in.

antipodean

@NTA said in Aussie Rugby:

Additionally some of the supporting content will feature Ben Kimber. He has a pretty good reputation around these parts, particularly working with Morgan Turinui on podcasts, and a YouTube venture called RuggaMatrix with Djuro Sen who has been around sport for a while (including the Tahs and Wallabies).

Going to be very interesting times. Stan Sport is going to kick off Feb 19 and I can't wait.

No matter what you think of Maloney and Swain, think about the simple advantage of no more Kearns and Marrrrrto.

One big benefit. The other is they haven't stacked their commentary team with league people. Fuck knows why they went with Allana Ferguson over Lou Ransome.

NTA

@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:

Fuck knows why they went with Allana Ferguson over Lou Ransome.

Familiarity with the league audience?

akan004

No Lou and no Clarkie. Not a great start. Only positive so far is no Kearns, but overall I prefer the Foxtel team.

antipodean

@NTA said in Aussie Rugby:

@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:

Fuck knows why they went with Allana Ferguson over Lou Ransome.

Familiarity with the league audience?

Unlikely to watch and even if they did they're hardly likely to be swayed by her commentary.
"There's a ruck"
"I think you'll find that's just a tackle"
"There's a ruck"
"No that's a maul"

NTA

@akan004 said in Aussie Rugby:

No Lou and no Clarkie. Not a great start. Only positive so far is no Kearns, but overall I prefer the Foxtel team.

If Kearns and Martin go, then I'm willing to sacrifice Clarke. Collateral damage.

Shame about Ransome but again: this isn't a dealbreaker. She's still covering other sports for Fox I assume.

NTA

@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:

@NTA said in Aussie Rugby:

@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:

Fuck knows why they went with Allana Ferguson over Lou Ransome.

Familiarity with the league audience?

Unlikely to watch and even if they did they're hardly likely to be swayed by her commentary.
"There's a ruck"
"I think you'll find that's just a tackle"
"There's a ruck"
"No that's a maul"

Probably got her covering for the female element and the studio stuff I guess.

NTA

https://twitter.com/rugbycomau/status/1356744975652950017?s=20

NTA

As posited in a few places, the main Channel Nine doesn't get a run - it'll be 9GEM (one of their alternates) next to either the Loig on Friday nights or whatever is on Saturdays.

Still, its FTA live and that is better than FTA the next morning IMHO.

barbarian

I'm really happy with that Stan commentary team. Clarkie was past it, had a great career but his style had been tired for years. "What a try by the men in gold".

They picked out the most competent caller (Tim Horan), and thankfully brought back Sean Maloney and Nick McCardle. And they ignored Kearns and Gregan, who were both abysmal.

Turinui and Mehtens are good thinkers, Harrison is a bit of a wildcard. I'm into it.

Bovidae

Horan? He has the most monotone voice.

MN5

@Bovidae said in Aussie Rugby:

Horan? He has the most monotone voice.

That's probably him making up for what a dynamic player he was.

NTA

@barbarian said in Aussie Rugby:

They picked out the most competent caller (Tim Horan)

Who is ironically the least competent with names

KiwiMurph

Harrison is an arrogant twat but the rest of the lineup seems good.

An improvement on the Fox lineup for sure.

NTA

@KiwiMurph said in Aussie Rugby:

Harrison is an arrogant twat but the rest of the lineup seems good.

He was on one of your shows recently - with Meg and someone else - and knows his shit, but yeah comes across as a pillock.

antipodean

You'll change your mind on Harrison when you are also drinking with Mortlock...

NTA

@NTA said in Aussie Rugby:

Shame about Ransome but again: this isn't a dealbreaker. She's still covering other sports for Fox I assume.

I'm told Ransome is freelancing but mostly working with the ABC over here.

Stargazer

Waratahs team for their preseason game against Reds in Narrabri (Fri 5 Feb)

1 Sio Tatola
2 David Porecki
3 Harry Johnson-Holmes
4 Michael Wood
5 Sam Caird
6 Hugh Sinclair
7 Charlie Gamble
8 Will Harris
9 Jack Grant
10 Tane Edmed
11 Triston Reilly
12 Tepai Moeroa
13 Alex Newsome
14 Mark Nawaqanitawase
15 Max Bury

REPLACEMENTS:
16 Tom Horton
17 Angus Bell
18 Te Tera Faulkner
19 Jeremy Williams
20 Carlo Tizzano
21 Jake Gordon
22 Joey Walton
23 Jack Maddocks
24 Will Harrison
25 Izaia Peresi
26 Max Douglas
27 Chris Talakai
28 Jack Whetton

You can watch the match on NSW Rugby TV, delivered on the Cluch TV app. Download via Apple or Android stores.

https://nsw.rugby/news/2021/02/03/nsw-waratahs-named-for-trial-match-against-the-qld-reds

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Aussie Pro Rugby