I remember one game where there was no power, so the ABC radio switched to a game in NZ while Thompson (then working for 2GB?) had to call it using the mobile phone. 9 then allowed both 2GB and ABC to hook up to a generator to call the game. It was a Dragons match too against the Sharks.
Jeez, I thought PacificSportsAus could have invested a little in a 4G sim?
It probably was 4G, but even that can slow to a crawl in peak periods, even here.
The quality was reasonable for most of the time though.
The NRL released the fixture for the 2025 pre-season challenge at 11am AEDT today, at the same time as the menâs and womenâs premiership season fixture.
All pre-season matches will be shown live on Fox League and Kayo.
Fox Leagueâs coverage of 2025 pre-season challenge (sponsored by Brisbabe-based software company Witzer) starts this Friday with Sharks hosting Warriors at Sharks Stadium, followed by Panthers against Raiders at the same venue on Saturday. Coverage begins at 7pm AEDT on both nights.
Same graphics as last year for tonightâs game.
If thereâs anything new I would guess theyâd roll it out for Vegas (or the week leading up).
Probably spent the budget on their AFL graphic updates theyâre apparently rolling out.
These broadcasters need to come back to the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid.
Donât make your graphics go whoosh, crash, bang, wallop, incorporate AI, put porn at the edges - all we want are whoâs playing, whoâs winning, and how much longer to go. In NRL, we want tackle count too, not what Ponga had for fucking dinner.
In a certain other thread, it could mean waste $200 mil on two overrated radio stars and basically cripple the network in doing so when you suddenly realise youâve paid far too much.
Thatâs the PIIS principle.
Footy fans donât need that.
Ruin multiple networks in fact. A certain other couple of stations also suck cough Gold & CADA cough
Fox League Ready to Kick Off Biggest NRL Season Ever
Posted on Mon Feb 10, 2025 11:00am AEDT
Coinciding with the NRLâs official Season Launch, Fox League has also unveiled its plans for a monster 2025 on Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
The event at Alpha in Sydney was co-hosted by Fox Leagueâs own Yvonne Sampson and featured a season preview by Greg Alexander.
Season 2025 follows unprecedented audience numbers and exponential streaming growth last year with a surge in viewership up 30% year on year. There was also five billion minutes streamed across all Foxtel Group streaming platforms.
Fox League also anticipates another massive week in Las Vegas, after last yearâs inaugural season opener broke subscriber and viewership records.
Announced last week, Fox League has secured experienced coach Kevin Walters as an expert analyst for the season ahead. Walters will join a stellar line-up of experts, commentators and hosts including Matty Johns, Braith Anasta, Cooper Cronk, Lara Pitt, Michael Ennis.
Fox Sports Managing Director Steve Crawley said:
âThe game is in great health. Breaking record across all metrics and weâre excited for the season to begin. For the fans lucky enough to travel to Las Vegas, it will be an awesome opener â for those at home, weâre committed to giving you the best seat in the house â we canât wait.â
Fan favourites and marquee shows will also return on Fox League, bringing viewers closer than ever to the action and the latest NRL news.
From Monday to Wednesday at 6:30pm is âNRL 360â live, Fox Leagueâs leading news show hosted by Braith Anasta and Gorden Tallis.
Mondays at 7.30pm, âFace-To-Faceâ, featuring hosts Yvonne Sampson and Jake Duke. Bulldogs Captain Stephen Crichton will appear in the first episode.
On Tuesday night, the âMatty Johns Podcastâ at 7:30pm.
On Wednesdays âThe Fanâ returns with Andrew Voss and Lara Pitt interviewing past and present players.
From Monday to Thursday at 6.00pm, âNRL Tonightâ offering fans the latest updates on the game each week.
On Thursdays, âThursday Night League Pre-Gameâ live and after the game, âThe Late Show With Matty Johnsâ featuring larrikins Nathan Hindmarsh, Bryan Fletcher, and Gorden Tallis.
Each round is filled with back-to-back coverage from Thursday â Sunday with pre and post-game analysis and select matches of the season in 4K.
The NRLWâs only dedicated show âNRLW on Foxâ returns with Lara Pitt hosting to uncover an expanded competition later this year.
The NRLâs return to Las Vegas will see Fox League broadcast live shows âNRL 360â and âMatty Johns Live in Vegasâ from Thursday February 27 â Saturday March 1 AEDT.
The ONLY place to watch all four matches of Rugby League in Las Vegas live is on Fox League, with the Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors clash exclusive to Fox League, available on Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
Kind of shame Gorden Tallis has picked up 360 fulltime. I enjoyed James Graham when he filled in briefly after the shit hit the fan with Paul Kent again.
In the same article, Phil Rothfield wrote that Fox League would broadcast The Matty Johns Show and NRL360 from Las Vegas, and would also call all four matches inside Allegiant Stadium.
Could Fox League also follow suit with any potential on-screen graphic changes?
When the Fox graphics were last updated for the AFL in 2022, the league graphics were also changed as well.
The last time the league graphics were on the bottom of the screen (not to the bottom left, but rather across the bottom) was around the 2007-09 (maybe 10?) era, as can be seen in this video:
Courtesy: hugheywarriors
It was a whole network change with cricket & every sport adopting the black background with white font & the logos in the circle