Favourite and Least Favourite Rugby Commentators...

[Caitlyn Jenner]

There have been some great commentators over the years, as have there been some not so great ones... Everyone always seems to be very opinionated when it comes to who they do or don't like listening to from the box, so I was curious as to who others have been most / least fond of over the years...

Personally, I have always enjoyed Tony Johnson as a commentator and general rugby personality... he's a guy who has genuine passion and knowledge for the game and IMO provides a good mix of level-headed analysis, personal opinion and excitement when necessary. He's pretty good with words and doesn't say dumb, unnecessary things, unlike a few others I could think of... He also provides a bit of dry humour and slight kiwi bias, which is a bonus
I also enjoy a bit of Sumo Stevenson, never dull and usually good for a bit of entertainment, but he can be a bit much at times... Still, would take him over most. Don't mind Nisbo and of late Andrew Merthens is one who I've been enjoying.

As for my least favourites, there are a few. Atm Justin Marshall is a guy who just annoys me half the time he opens his mouth. I do like him, just not as a commentator. He specializes in stating the obvious yet trying to make it sound insightful... quite often messes up his speech, is a chronic over-exaggerator and just overall can be a bit painful. He's also not as clued on as most IMO... just from the Samoa game on the weekend I can recall a couple of occasions where he made claims re. the laws as if they were facts, when in reality what he was saying was just plain wrong. I do like his excitement when something big happens and the classic "BOOMFA!" is fun, but on the whole he doesn't do it for me... wish he wasn't part of the test commentary team tbh.
BUT, he is certainly not my least favourite, not by a long shot... that would be Phil Kearns! His snotty, arrogant, blatantly biased commentary genuinely angers me at times. He's like a child throwing a tantrum when anything slightly marginal goes against his beloved Waratahs, and he's not much better when it's the Wallabies. Listening to him commentate the 2014 SR final is one of the hardest things I've done. The sooner he drops the mic the better.

So, for me:
Favourite commentator / rugby personality: Tony Johnson
Least favourite: Phil bloody Kearns.

Who've you guys got?

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

NH - Andrew Cotter is nice and old school. Brian Moore probably the best of an average lot for colour / analysis.

SH - I like the NZ ex-cricketer whose name escapes me. Ian Smith?

And the South African guy who sounds old and so relaxed he is almost horizontal.

I also liked the Romanian commentator last week. I don't speak Romanian but he heard some cries from the crowd against the referee and then sneered as he repeated it:

"How much they pay you?" huh, ignoranti!

He also sounds genuinely surprised when Romania do something good, which is quite charming.

Clive Woodward and Andy Robinson are frankly unfit for broadcast. Jonathan Davies is also eminently missable. Hmm, Woodward wins for his shambolic performance covering the Rio 7s. Eddie Butler was doing his dinger in having to correct him.

 

[kaisur]

might sound sacrilege but I get annoyed at fitzys constant looking for positives from a team that's been hammered by the all blacks, I get you have to be impartial a little and he does credit nz when its due but he over does his praise for the opposition, this years lions tour in particular, there was one instance at the end of the hurricanes game when sir ian was trying to put a positive spin on the 14point meltdown and sean f was agreeing with him then the irish analyser just came in at the end and told it how it was, that the lions couldn't take any positives out of that collapse, made me chuckle anyway

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Bill McLaren was the best. He embellished the experience, he didn't tell me the bleeding obvious that I could see with my own two eyes.

Best pundit is easily Brian Moore. Tells it how it is and I just love how exasperated he is when Eng stuff up. You can tell he wants Eng to do well, but he's totally unbiased, he'll criticise anyone....unlike Jiffy, totally with Bruce on that one.

 

[petite]

arg comentators suck equally so i cant tell.. they act as friends of the players, oh wait they are!

 

[McTallshort]

Favourite: Ben Kay

Least Favourite: That Sonia Bird

 

[Unbiased]

There have been some great commentators over the years, as have there been some not so great ones... Everyone always seems to be very opinionated when it comes to who they do or don't like listening to from the box, so I was curious as to who others have been most / least fond of over the years...

Personally, I have always enjoyed Tony Johnson as a commentator and general rugby personality... he's a guy who has genuine passion and knowledge for the game and IMO provides a good mix of level-headed analysis, personal opinion and excitement when necessary. He's pretty good with words and doesn't say dumb, unnecessary things, unlike a few others I could think of... He also provides a bit of dry humour and slight kiwi bias, which is a bonus
I also enjoy a bit of Sumo Stevenson, never dull and usually good for a bit of entertainment, but he can be a bit much at times... Still, would take him over most. Don't mind Nisbo and of late Andrew Merthens is one who I've been enjoying.

As for my least favourites, there are a few. Atm Justin Marshall is a guy who just annoys me half the time he opens his mouth. I do like him, just not as a commentator. He specializes in stating the obvious yet trying to make it sound insightful... quite often messes up his speech, is a chronic over-exaggerator and just overall can be a bit painful. He's also not as clued on as most IMO... just from the Samoa game on the weekend I can recall a couple of occasions where he made claims re. the laws as if they were facts, when in reality what he was saying was just plain wrong. I do like his excitement when something big happens and the classic "BOOMFA!" is fun, but on the whole he doesn't do it for me... wish he wasn't part of the test commentary team tbh.
BUT, he is certainly not my least favourite, not by a long shot... that would be Phil Kearns! His snotty, arrogant, blatantly biased commentary genuinely angers me at times. He's like a child throwing a tantrum when anything slightly marginal goes against his beloved Waratahs, and he's not much better when it's the Wallabies. Listening to him commentate the 2014 SR final is one of the hardest things I've done. The sooner he drops the mic the better.

So, for me:
Favourite commentator / rugby personality: Tony Johnson
Least favourite: Phil bloody Kearns.

Who've you guys got?

There have been some great commentators over the years, as have there been some not so great ones... Everyone always seems to be very opinionated when it comes to who they do or don't like listening to from the box, so I was curious as to who others have been most / least fond of over the years...

Personally, I have always enjoyed Tony Johnson as a commentator and general rugby personality... he's a guy who has genuine passion and knowledge for the game and IMO provides a good mix of level-headed analysis, personal opinion and excitement when necessary. He's pretty good with words and doesn't say dumb, unnecessary things, unlike a few others I could think of... He also provides a bit of dry humour and slight kiwi bias, which is a bonus
I also enjoy a bit of Sumo Stevenson, never dull and usually good for a bit of entertainment, but he can be a bit much at times... Still, would take him over most. Don't mind Nisbo and of late Andrew Merthens is one who I've been enjoying.

As for my least favourites, there are a few. Atm Justin Marshall is a guy who just annoys me half the time he opens his mouth. I do like him, just not as a commentator. He specializes in stating the obvious yet trying to make it sound insightful... quite often messes up his speech, is a chronic over-exaggerator and just overall can be a bit painful. He's also not as clued on as most IMO... just from the Samoa game on the weekend I can recall a couple of occasions where he made claims re. the laws as if they were facts, when in reality what he was saying was just plain wrong. I do like his excitement when something big happens and the classic "BOOMFA!" is fun, but on the whole he doesn't do it for me... wish he wasn't part of the test commentary team tbh.
BUT, he is certainly not my least favourite, not by a long shot... that would be Phil Kearns! His snotty, arrogant, blatantly biased commentary genuinely angers me at times. He's like a child throwing a tantrum when anything slightly marginal goes against his beloved Waratahs, and he's not much better when it's the Wallabies. Listening to him commentate the 2014 SR final is one of the hardest things I've done. The sooner he drops the mic the better.

So, for me:
Favourite commentator / rugby personality: Tony Johnson
Least favourite: Phil bloody Kearns.

Who've you guys got?

There have been some great commentators over the years, as have there been some not so great ones... Everyone always seems to be very opinionated when it comes to who they do or don't like listening to from the box, so I was curious as to who others have been most / least fond of over the years...

Personally, I have always enjoyed Tony Johnson as a commentator and general rugby personality... he's a guy who has genuine passion and knowledge for the game and IMO provides a good mix of level-headed analysis, personal opinion and excitement when necessary. He's pretty good with words and doesn't say dumb, unnecessary things, unlike a few others I could think of... He also provides a bit of dry humour and slight kiwi bias, which is a bonus
I also enjoy a bit of Sumo Stevenson, never dull and usually good for a bit of entertainment, but he can be a bit much at times... Still, would take him over most. Don't mind Nisbo and of late Andrew Merthens is one who I've been enjoying.

As for my least favourites, there are a few. Atm Justin Marshall is a guy who just annoys me half the time he opens his mouth. I do like him, just not as a commentator. He specializes in stating the obvious yet trying to make it sound insightful... quite often messes up his speech, is a chronic over-exaggerator and just overall can be a bit painful. He's also not as clued on as most IMO... just from the Samoa game on the weekend I can recall a couple of occasions where he made claims re. the laws as if they were facts, when in reality what he was saying was just plain wrong. I do like his excitement when something big happens and the classic "BOOMFA!" is fun, but on the whole he doesn't do it for me... wish he wasn't part of the test commentary team tbh.
BUT, he is certainly not my least favourite, not by a long shot... that would be Phil Kearns! His snotty, arrogant, blatantly biased commentary genuinely angers me at times. He's like a child throwing a tantrum when anything slightly marginal goes against his beloved Waratahs, and he's not much better when it's the Wallabies. Listening to him commentate the 2014 SR final is one of the hardest things I've done. The sooner he drops the mic the better.

So, for me:
Favourite commentator / rugby personality: Tony Johnson
Least favourite: Phil bloody Kearns.

Who've you guys got?

Eddie Butler. Just calls out the players names. No insight. No analysis. And sadly nothing else to offer. An embarrassment

 

[Jockstap]

Andrew Cotter best, Nick Mullins worst.

 

[Unbiased]

Miles Harrison with Barnes are excellent

 

[Rinkadink]

Miles Harrison is great. Always seems to enjoy his rugby whatever the level.

Butler has to be the worst bar none, except maybe some Aussie League commentators I've heard during the world cup. No idea of their names though. Back to Butler; his Schick seems to be saying players names with weird enounciation and emphasis at strange times (rolling Rs too). And arguing with Moore. And offering no insight. And umm probably some other stuff but it's 2am and it's been a long day.

 

[Hound]

Current Australian commentators fall off hard after Greg Clarke, Horan and Kafer. Any change or addition to those three injects significant cringe.

 

[mania]

fav- keith quinn
least fav- aussie commentators

 

[Kiwiwomble]

how have we got this far without mentioning Justin Marshall, cant stand him. It like he's so afraid of someone calling him bias he becomes bias the other way, he embarrasses himself in my opinion

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

how have we got this far without mentioning Justin Marshall, cant stand him. It like he's so afraid of someone calling him bias he becomes bias the other way, he embarrasses himself in my opinion

Mentioned him in the original post bro
Completely agree though, he absolutely does my head in!
Unfortunately I think we're gonna be stuck with him for a while...

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Mentioned him in the original post bro
Completely agree though, he absolutely does my head in!
Unfortunately I think we're gonna be stuck with him for a while...

....in my defence...it was a very long post

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

....in my defence...it was a very long post

Haha yea I felt like getting a bit off my chest

 

[TW27BA]

The king of them all was Bill McClaren, unbiased and let the rugby do the talking. He would be brilliant in todays quicker professional era. I liked Cliff Morgan too.
Brian Moore/Eddie Butler bounce well off of each other and I love Moore's enthusiasm. He is quick to praise the opposition when merited too. Andrew Cotter is another I have time for.
Barnes occasionally can be good but his MotM picks are a mystery. I sometimes wonder if he is watching the same match.

Jiffy is one eyed but fortunately isn't a commentator.Guscott as a pundit talks far more sense and isn't myopic.

 

[Pom in Exile]

The best IMO are the old school BBC types like Bill McClaren, Cliff Morgan, Iain Robertsen and Nigel Starmer-Smith.
I also like Cotter of the newer ones and dig Brian Moore's brutal honesty.

I think Kiwi's have issues with Marshall because he attempts to be impartial, not something that they're particularly used to really.

I dislike Butler for the reasons already listed.
I also can't stand Stuart Barnes, he's a deplorable bell end.
The worst for me though are any Australian commentators, it doesn't really matter what the sport is, they are all equally as rubbish. For the most part, they drop any pretence of impartiality and act as cheer leaders, it's quite something to behold.
It might explain why Aussies are generally insufferable whether they win or lose, because if they win, they crow like you've never seen and if they lose, it's the refs fault, opposition didn't play fair, unlucky etc etc. I'm not sure that Australia have ever been beaten fairly or by the better team. (Rant over)

 

[Hound]

The worst for me though are any Australian commentators, it doesn't really matter what the sport is, they are all equally as rubbish. For the most part, they drop any pretence of impartiality and act as cheer leaders, it's quite something to behold.
It might explain why Aussies are generally insufferable whether they win or lose, because if they win, they crow like you've never seen and if they lose, it's the refs fault, opposition didn't play fair, unlucky etc etc. I'm not sure that Australia have ever been beaten fairly or by the better team. (Rant over)

By the end there I couldn't tell if you were still talking bout commentators or our coach...

 

[Pom in Exile]

By the end there I couldn't tell if you were still talking bout commentators or our coach...

Probably both tbf.