It's a whole new ball game as Fox signs Matthew Johns
Paul Kent
The Sunday Telegraph
February 12, 2012 12:00AM
Matthew Johns has been unveiled as the face of Fox Sports league coverage for the new season. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Sunday Telegraph
IT took only a few days for Foxtel to contact Matthew Johns after he walked out on his offer last month to return to Channel Nine.
"You didn't get back to us before because of the Channel Nine talks, but are you interested in talking to us now?" he was asked.
"To be honest," Johns said, "I didn't know you called. I was overseas."
Johns took his family to the Ukraine for Christmas and returned unaware that Fox Sports was looking to sneak under Nine's guard to make him the poster boy of their NRL coverage.
Johns last week became the face of Fox Sport's NRL coverage, starting in two weeks.
"We've been pursuing Matt for a while," Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delany said.
"Being someone who has been an NRL fan all of my life, Matt brings quite a unique mixture of being able to give simple analysis and insight to the fans and also a bit of charming humour.
"You don't see that a lot."
Johns will head up Fox Sport's NRL coverage, similar to Eddie McGuire's Melbourne role with the AFL.
He has also been given the green light to develop programs for Foxtel's FOX8 and The Comedy Channel, allowing him to keep his comedy characters separate from the football.
While initially disappointed at the breakdown at Nine, Johns said Fox Sport's enthusiasm about revamping its NRL coverage is ideal.
"They just expressed a desire to up their stakes, saying they're looking for a bit of a change," Johns said.
While shying away from being critical of its former line-up, Fox Sports was keen to give its NRL coverage a boost by signing a major television talent of the calibre of Johns to head up its five live games each week.
Johns will chair the Monday Night Football show from the studio and will drive Wednesday night's NRL On Fox, co-hosting with Warren Smith. Both will be pure football shows.
'They're looking for a rugby league show that's heavy on opinion, the type of opinion that will make people tune in to watch," he said.
"Rugby league people will love it, but even non-rugby league people or fringe rugby league people will watch because it will be entertaining."
Unaware of Foxtel's interest, Johns continued talks with Nine after returning from holiday and, when that exploded after his refusal to work on the show with Paul Vautin, Foxtel resumed contact.
The Matty vs Fatty blue set Sydney alight, but Johns maintains that it wasn't personal. "It was never a Fatty issue, it wasn't even about revamping the show, it was about starting a whole new show," he said.
From: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ns-matthew-johns/story-e6frexnr-1226268793618
Ray Hadley joins Nine
Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
February 12, 2012 9:50AM
AUSTRALIA'S most influential broadcaster Ray Hadley has joined Channel Nine and his great friend Ray Warren as an NRL commentator and occasional panellist on the revamped Footy Show.
The 2GB host signed a contract with Nine late last week and will call the second Friday night match, planting him alongside bitter old enemies Paul Vautin -- and possibly Peter Sterling -- in the commentary box.
In a host of changes at Nine:
* Andrew Voss has been demoted to No 3 caller and will only get a start on Sundays when Warren is unavailable for long interstate hauls or for flights to New Zealand.
* Cricket commentator Michael Slater has also been approached to be co-host on The Footy Show in the spot recently rejected by Matty Johns.
But the big news was Hadley signing a 12-month deal, which was finalised on Friday after weeks of secret negotiations with network supremo David Gyngell and sports boss Steve Crawley.
"For a long time in this city sport has been compromised by the fact certain broadcasters have refused to not only work but talk with certain others," Crawley said yesterday.
"Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end to that rubbish. At Nine, we don't care who goes to whose dinner parties -- we just want the best people in our commentary boxes.
"Ray Hadley is a wonderful sports commentator, in our opinion behind only Ray Warren when it comes to the big-time sports like rugby league."
Workaholic Hadley told me yesterday that he was looking forward to calling his games live into Brisbane, which are then shown on delay in Sydney.
"I got a feel for it last year when I did some of the rugby World Cup on Channel Nine and really enjoyed it," he said. "My only problem is Rabs. We played golf on Friday and he kept calling me his understudy."
Of his demanding workload, Hadley said: "I'll leave 2GB at lunchtime on Friday and fly to wherever I need to be. I'll be on a 6am flight the next morning to do the Continuous Call show with the boys on GB and then take Sundays off."
And as for working alongside Vautin: "It's not an issue. I've had a number of conversations with Paul in recent years. I'll be with Wally Lewis, too. We'll all just do a professional job."
Nine will soon reveal some Footy Show changes, including the signings of Billy Slater, Gorden Tallis and possibly Michael Slater.
From: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...bolts-joins-nine/story-e6freye0-1226268808934
Paul Kent
The Sunday Telegraph
February 12, 2012 12:00AM
Matthew Johns has been unveiled as the face of Fox Sports league coverage for the new season. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Sunday Telegraph
IT took only a few days for Foxtel to contact Matthew Johns after he walked out on his offer last month to return to Channel Nine.
"You didn't get back to us before because of the Channel Nine talks, but are you interested in talking to us now?" he was asked.
"To be honest," Johns said, "I didn't know you called. I was overseas."
Johns took his family to the Ukraine for Christmas and returned unaware that Fox Sports was looking to sneak under Nine's guard to make him the poster boy of their NRL coverage.
Johns last week became the face of Fox Sport's NRL coverage, starting in two weeks.
"We've been pursuing Matt for a while," Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delany said.
"Being someone who has been an NRL fan all of my life, Matt brings quite a unique mixture of being able to give simple analysis and insight to the fans and also a bit of charming humour.
"You don't see that a lot."
Johns will head up Fox Sport's NRL coverage, similar to Eddie McGuire's Melbourne role with the AFL.
He has also been given the green light to develop programs for Foxtel's FOX8 and The Comedy Channel, allowing him to keep his comedy characters separate from the football.
While initially disappointed at the breakdown at Nine, Johns said Fox Sport's enthusiasm about revamping its NRL coverage is ideal.
"They just expressed a desire to up their stakes, saying they're looking for a bit of a change," Johns said.
While shying away from being critical of its former line-up, Fox Sports was keen to give its NRL coverage a boost by signing a major television talent of the calibre of Johns to head up its five live games each week.
Johns will chair the Monday Night Football show from the studio and will drive Wednesday night's NRL On Fox, co-hosting with Warren Smith. Both will be pure football shows.
'They're looking for a rugby league show that's heavy on opinion, the type of opinion that will make people tune in to watch," he said.
"Rugby league people will love it, but even non-rugby league people or fringe rugby league people will watch because it will be entertaining."
Unaware of Foxtel's interest, Johns continued talks with Nine after returning from holiday and, when that exploded after his refusal to work on the show with Paul Vautin, Foxtel resumed contact.
The Matty vs Fatty blue set Sydney alight, but Johns maintains that it wasn't personal. "It was never a Fatty issue, it wasn't even about revamping the show, it was about starting a whole new show," he said.
From: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ns-matthew-johns/story-e6frexnr-1226268793618
Ray Hadley joins Nine
Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph
February 12, 2012 9:50AM
AUSTRALIA'S most influential broadcaster Ray Hadley has joined Channel Nine and his great friend Ray Warren as an NRL commentator and occasional panellist on the revamped Footy Show.
The 2GB host signed a contract with Nine late last week and will call the second Friday night match, planting him alongside bitter old enemies Paul Vautin -- and possibly Peter Sterling -- in the commentary box.
In a host of changes at Nine:
* Andrew Voss has been demoted to No 3 caller and will only get a start on Sundays when Warren is unavailable for long interstate hauls or for flights to New Zealand.
* Cricket commentator Michael Slater has also been approached to be co-host on The Footy Show in the spot recently rejected by Matty Johns.
But the big news was Hadley signing a 12-month deal, which was finalised on Friday after weeks of secret negotiations with network supremo David Gyngell and sports boss Steve Crawley.
"For a long time in this city sport has been compromised by the fact certain broadcasters have refused to not only work but talk with certain others," Crawley said yesterday.
"Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end to that rubbish. At Nine, we don't care who goes to whose dinner parties -- we just want the best people in our commentary boxes.
"Ray Hadley is a wonderful sports commentator, in our opinion behind only Ray Warren when it comes to the big-time sports like rugby league."
Workaholic Hadley told me yesterday that he was looking forward to calling his games live into Brisbane, which are then shown on delay in Sydney.
"I got a feel for it last year when I did some of the rugby World Cup on Channel Nine and really enjoyed it," he said. "My only problem is Rabs. We played golf on Friday and he kept calling me his understudy."
Of his demanding workload, Hadley said: "I'll leave 2GB at lunchtime on Friday and fly to wherever I need to be. I'll be on a 6am flight the next morning to do the Continuous Call show with the boys on GB and then take Sundays off."
And as for working alongside Vautin: "It's not an issue. I've had a number of conversations with Paul in recent years. I'll be with Wally Lewis, too. We'll all just do a professional job."
Nine will soon reveal some Footy Show changes, including the signings of Billy Slater, Gorden Tallis and possibly Michael Slater.
From: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...bolts-joins-nine/story-e6freye0-1226268808934
