NRLW Recruitment & Retention Thread
- Thread starter mullenmagic
- Start date
Newygirl
Adam Woolnough
most former players are terrible at it, so I couldn’t care less about a woman getting a free ride while there’s been jobs for the boys for ever. Many of which have no business speaking into a microphone.
Millie’s better on radio, but I’m sure she’ll improve over time with her interviewing, commentary etc.
Johns, Lockyer etc are still awful interviewers. Cronk, JWH, Blocker, & Ennis are physically painful to listen to, that’s just naming a few. They’re all far more experienced too and haven’t ever improved, they actually seem to be getting worse
Joshhh
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Most of them have some sort of personality though. The one I cannot understand is Cam Murray. Guy is the most monotone, emotionless, dead inside person to listen yet he gets a gig on Fox panels. That is definitely a jobs for boys clause in the contract somewhere.
I was thinking exactly the same thing last week haha.
bremsstrahlung
Glenn Grief
Goodluck to her (and Adam) and thanks for the memories!
Millie is just starting out and will come good - she seems to have a decent personality from the interviews I’ve seen her do, just needs to get comfortable. The more you do, the better you get. I think she will be really good and offer a lot of insight into the current players - she’s been amongst them at a few clubs and rep levels. She deserves a crack.
The NRLW players they are getting on do alright. They do just as good as half the nrl players that are thrust into a matty johns episode or match day broadcast. It’s always awkward to know what to say. To bide your time. Hudson young was on a few weeks ago and just sat there nodding.
(Cooper Johns talks a bit about how stressful sideline reporting is - how it looks easy, or you prepare a bit of a spiel and it gets cut off)
Channel 9 went down the path of getting big names - Johns, Slater, Smith, Lockyer, Fittler. Not really naturals, but they have eventually got the hang of it - without being spectacular.
Fox feature the players that must have some deals somewhere - JWH, Murray, Reynolds etc. Cronk has great analysis, but the personality of a fish.
I really enjoy Matty Johns - I think he’s a great blend of charisma and analysis. Switches between them wonderfully. He does some really good interviews on his podcast as well.
The newer ones I’ve really enjoyed are Shaun Johnson and Luke Keary. Shaun has a lot of personality and the smarts to back it up. Can see him emerging as the new Matty Johns. And after hearing them do a few interviews - they have a strong empathy for the players, but also good technical knowledge.
Millie is just starting out and will come good - she seems to have a decent personality from the interviews I’ve seen her do, just needs to get comfortable. The more you do, the better you get. I think she will be really good and offer a lot of insight into the current players - she’s been amongst them at a few clubs and rep levels. She deserves a crack.
The NRLW players they are getting on do alright. They do just as good as half the nrl players that are thrust into a matty johns episode or match day broadcast. It’s always awkward to know what to say. To bide your time. Hudson young was on a few weeks ago and just sat there nodding.
(Cooper Johns talks a bit about how stressful sideline reporting is - how it looks easy, or you prepare a bit of a spiel and it gets cut off)
Channel 9 went down the path of getting big names - Johns, Slater, Smith, Lockyer, Fittler. Not really naturals, but they have eventually got the hang of it - without being spectacular.
Fox feature the players that must have some deals somewhere - JWH, Murray, Reynolds etc. Cronk has great analysis, but the personality of a fish.
I really enjoy Matty Johns - I think he’s a great blend of charisma and analysis. Switches between them wonderfully. He does some really good interviews on his podcast as well.
The newer ones I’ve really enjoyed are Shaun Johnson and Luke Keary. Shaun has a lot of personality and the smarts to back it up. Can see him emerging as the new Matty Johns. And after hearing them do a few interviews - they have a strong empathy for the players, but also good technical knowledge.
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Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Millie has a nice, soothing voice and good personality, and also shares insights that always seem spot on.
When she gets comfortable in front of the camera she will be miles ahead of the female talking heads we now see, who don't have like 6 premiership rings in their pockets.
When she gets comfortable in front of the camera she will be miles ahead of the female talking heads we now see, who don't have like 6 premiership rings in their pockets.
Newygirl
Adam Woolnough
We must have very different definitions of personality or at least what makes a good one.
The only ones I genuinely enjoy are SJ and Luke Keary. Shaun Johnson definitely has personality and a good one. I don’t mine Kevy because he just seems happy to be there as does Cameron Smith.
The rest are a mix of no personality (Cronk, who may or not be a robot) or too many head knocks, inarticulate bogans, and actual morons
Johns is in his fifties and still immature as hell. Yes we’ve all heard your drinking and drugs stories, grow up. He’s deadset painful when he on with Gus all they do is ***** about the rules. Gus well and truly needs to be put out to pasture, just a grumpy old man
Tiana Penitani Gray seems to be a bit of a natural, she’s going very well so far. The sooner Fox gets rid of Tasha Gale and Kylie Hilder the better, horrible voices for commentary. Ferguson and Sims on 9 are much better
mullenmagic
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Some will be naturals and some need to get comfortable which only really comes with experience. As long as you've got a bit of a personality it'll probably work out, which I think Millie does. Ferguson is a good recent example, she was really awkward when she started and now she's pretty good at all of it from what I've seen (don't regularly watch 9's game broadcasts).
Tarsha Gale has been doing it for years and is still just unfathomably bad.
Tarsha Gale has been doing it for years and is still just unfathomably bad.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
I was very impressed by Sam Bremner as a colour commentator, wish they'd get her on more.
Seth Gecko
Peter Malcolm
Millie will have a great post football career. She is kind, smart and not condescending. She genuinely cares about the game and the girl’s playing it. Similar to Ruan. I think those two together could really elevate women’s game analysis and input into the game both in the NRL and NRLW. Ru’s ABC work is great. You can hear the lad’s respect for her input. She knows her stuff.
don't disagree with any of this, except that I don't think she's particularly good at it (yet) - but to clarify I am talking about on-air, admittedly I haven't really heard her on radio. It feels very much like another job for the boys/Roosters (girl in this case) appointment, which as you say is completely ingrained in rugby league already through the men.
re: other posts, Tarsha Gale is female Blocker honestly lol.
And yeah, Penitani is clearly a natural.
OMG, this...it's how we've gotten half of V'landy's brain farts.
The pocket ref had cleaned up the ruck, but Gould & Johns were still banging on like they were still two refs sharing game, which hadn't been the case for a while... as soon as the pocket was knixed (tbf partly due to COVID cost cuts), play the balls slowed down because the wrestling and spoiling in the ruck came back....and don't get me started on the 6 agains or Gould's moronic "feel for the game"....which is another way of saying....make it up as you go along.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Back on topic - Jefferies talked about reserve grade in his presser.
He talked about them winning despite being 17,18,19,20 year olds.
It's hard to Imagine that 17 year olds like Pike at halfback, Elers at hooker, Pearson at centre and 18 year olds like Thomas at 5/8, McArthur and Lewis at prop can match it with teams like the Mounties who are all basically in their mid 20s and very experienced, but the young players have only lost 1 game all season and that was only by 4 points to Souths, and since they beat Souths last week, they now have a win over every team in the comp.
I don't know the rules for players going back to reserves, but I really hope players like Lahmert, McArthur, Lewis, Karpani can play in the reserve grade grandfinal.
I suppose they won't let us use Spain and Finau who have only played 1 or 2 games of reserves - but the others have played heaps.
He talked about them winning despite being 17,18,19,20 year olds.
It's hard to Imagine that 17 year olds like Pike at halfback, Elers at hooker, Pearson at centre and 18 year olds like Thomas at 5/8, McArthur and Lewis at prop can match it with teams like the Mounties who are all basically in their mid 20s and very experienced, but the young players have only lost 1 game all season and that was only by 4 points to Souths, and since they beat Souths last week, they now have a win over every team in the comp.
I don't know the rules for players going back to reserves, but I really hope players like Lahmert, McArthur, Lewis, Karpani can play in the reserve grade grandfinal.
I suppose they won't let us use Spain and Finau who have only played 1 or 2 games of reserves - but the others have played heaps.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
My hope is the club has had a re-think about Mercedes Taulelei-Siala and found some way to keep her.
She was crazy young when she played for Samoa in the Pacific cup a few years ago and looked to be a special talent, but months later when she arrived at the Knights she had grown heaps and no longer looked like a winger - more like a prop.
She had an alright season in reserve grade last year and got a debut game in firstgrade in the final round, still aged 18.
I was worried about our season when she was picked for round 1 at wing this year, but she was fantastic from game 1 and has been one of our best every game since. Yesterday she scored a try, but most impressively, she smashed Julia Robinson in defence.
She is tackling at over 90% efficiency as a winger over the season.
she has scored 14 tries in 13 games over her career and 13 in 12 this year to beat the previous club record by 4 (9 in a season by Sheridan Gallagher)
Anyway, nothing is being said about her, but I hope we have cleared a spot for her and got her signed already, because half the teams in the comp would want her for next year.
I suspect she is going to be one of the standout players in the world cup this year.
She was crazy young when she played for Samoa in the Pacific cup a few years ago and looked to be a special talent, but months later when she arrived at the Knights she had grown heaps and no longer looked like a winger - more like a prop.
She had an alright season in reserve grade last year and got a debut game in firstgrade in the final round, still aged 18.
I was worried about our season when she was picked for round 1 at wing this year, but she was fantastic from game 1 and has been one of our best every game since. Yesterday she scored a try, but most impressively, she smashed Julia Robinson in defence.
She is tackling at over 90% efficiency as a winger over the season.
she has scored 14 tries in 13 games over her career and 13 in 12 this year to beat the previous club record by 4 (9 in a season by Sheridan Gallagher)
Anyway, nothing is being said about her, but I hope we have cleared a spot for her and got her signed already, because half the teams in the comp would want her for next year.
I suspect she is going to be one of the standout players in the world cup this year.
Joshhh
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Yeah I wonder why that hasn't been sorted out yet. Already has the most tries in a season for a Knight I'm pretty sure. You'd wanna hope there's a promising junior ready to go. Would be very discouraging if they downgraded when we have a perfectly good player there unsigned.
Newygirl
Adam Woolnough
Yeah that’s insane, I just assumed she was already locked up for a couple of years. If not, the they need to get on it asap