Neither to my knowledge.
The annual Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) Playersâ Champion Awards will be shown on TV for the very first time. The 2017 awards ceremony will be shown live on 9Gem tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7.30pm AEST, in NSW, ACT and QLD only. It will be co-hosted by Erin Molan and James Bracey.
Garry Lyon lets Gus Gould have it for NRL commentary
AFL legend Garry Lyon has taken a swipe at Channel 9 NRL guru Phil Gould for his ânauseatingâ commentary of the Melbourne Stormâs win over Parramatta.
Gould called the qualifying final at AAMI Park for Channel 9 on Saturday and angered Lyon with what the Demons great says was biased commentary in favour of the Eels.
Lyon told SEN Breakfast on Monday morning the Channel 9 commentary team was noticeable biased against the Melbourne Storm and believes it is a sentiment that is widespread throughout the jealous âSydney football mafiaâ.
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And on Imparja 9Gem.
Iâm surprised Garry Lyon was watching the Storm game at all, given the AFL was on at the sane time⌠perhaps he was sick of seeing Essendon getting towelled up by the Swans.
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Well done to the Cowboys, I didnât think they would beat the Eels, but then I didnât think they would beat my Sharkies last week either!
Odd how they pretty much fell into the finals simply because the Dragons couldnât beat the Dogs in Round 26, and now they are two wins away from their 2nd premiership in 3 years⌠All the more remarkable that they did it without JT and Matt Scott.
Personally, Iâm hoping for a Storm v Cowboys Grand Final.
Not a fan of the Chooks or Broncos.
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A Storm vs Cowboys Grand Final would probably make for the most interesting game out of the current four possible outcomes for the 2017 NRL Grand Final.
But from a NRL/Channel Nine perspective? I reckon theyâd be hoping itâs a Broncos vs Roosters Grand Final because that would generate a big crowd and even bigger TV ratings.
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Itâll end up being Roosters v Storm 
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NRL/Nine wouldâve been hoping Sydney Swans would win.
Ensuring no need for Melbourne audience for next Fridayâs Adelaide Crows Prelim.
(i.e.) Melbourne Storm.
But now Geelong are in (huge VIC drawcard), will take away heaps of potential Storm viewers in Melbourne.
Unfortunate, nobody thought itâd happen.
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AFL prelims will always draw huge ratings in Melbourne regardless of the participants. Swans have a big supporter base in Victoria anyway.
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I think Nine will be hoping for Storm v Cowboys.
Sydney will get a big audience anyway, and the Roosters donât have the biggest supporter base in Sydney, not compared to say Souths, Dragons or Parra anyhow. A lot of people dislike them. Having the Storm in the GF will probably double the Victorian audience.
@LukeMovieMan yes, Melbourne viewer numbers for the Storm v Broncos will probably suffer a bit since the AFL Prelim at the same time isnât an all interstate game, but still thereâs no Melbourne team playing. So hopefully still will rate OK, more than the 100k that the Storm v Parramatta final got last Saturday afternoon. I think Nine will put this game on the main channel in Melbourne and hope that the AFL is another blowout with the Crows running away with it early, which will probably see a big switchover factor down there.
@JKD I know we all thought the Cowboys wouldnât beat Parra or Cronulla, but they did, and I reckon they are every chance to beat the Chooks. Iâd still lean towards the Roosters winning since the Cowboys momentum will probably run of steam at some point (much like what happened to the Swans in the AFL on Friday night).
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This Fridayâs Storm v Broncos NRL will now be shown on the main channel in Melbourne.
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I am a Cowboys supporter and was at the game last night. How good!! So happy!! Take the best 2 players out of any team and they will not make the finals, but, the Cowboys have defied the odds. Hopefully they can beat the Roosters which I am confident they will. I think Ch9 would love to have the Cowboys in the GF, it would be an amazing story if they were and one that would attract viewers.
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Brave call. It will be thrashed by AFL preliminary final between Adelaide and Geelong seeing the Cats have many fans in Melbourne.
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Though the GWS game in Sydney wonât rate very well either, even if Seven show this on the main channel (which they probably wonât). The late afternoon timeslot probably wonât help in outright viewer numbers.
But kudos to Nine Melbourne for having the guts to put the Storm on the main channel there, even though it probably wonât rate very well.
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How does Vet on a Hill (?) or whatever it is they usually show on a Friday night rate? Iâm guessing not very much.
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