Not just Northern working class accents, ask Jeremy Guscott.

According to Ford on Radio Leeds last night the last conversation he had with Burgess was prior to the WC, when Burgess was no doubt on a media high. Things have changed significantly over the last week.

We touched on this on the wire forum. .. I believe they would have called it media training rather than elocution lessons. ... and to be fair rugby league must do it. ...

Ive seen people have a pop at big Eorl talking "posh Yorkshire" on the bbc but at least he's understandable and doesn't make you cringe...

And as I said on our forum we can't carry on wheeling players out to big tv audiences and have them mumble "it war ol about stickin t ' gearm plan, gerrin int arm ressul an seein out us sets".

We will continue to look like a hillbilly sport if people can't understand our star players. ...

Spot on. In particular if you have an interest in a career in the media after your playing days, it helps to be able to speak clearly and in an accent that everyone can understand.

Mark Chapman's from Rochdale, but you wouldn't know it to listen to him on the TV.

That said, can anyone particularly remember what Jason Robinson's accent was like before he went to Union? He was hardly one for giving lengthy TV interviews, so I'm struggling to remember just what he sounded like.

I agree we should have players who can speak clearly and maybe not say "them" instead of "those" but you don't need to change your accent for that.

Wilkin speaks well and still has a Hull accent. In fact I think he's really good on TV. Don't seem to like him as much when he's on the pitch playing against Leeds but that might be more to do with the fact that I think he'd have been a perfect second rower for Leeds over the past 5 or so years?

Another Mick Ford. Now in Union Mike Ford, when he was on the radio today.
Was Mick too Northern sounding, or common? Or maybe he just fancied a change.

I'm sure he was Mike Ford at Cas. Mind you, Cas is a lot posher than Wigan.

I always remember him as Mike Ford, from his Oldham days.

Just caught the end of SA vs USA. 57-0
If Oz RL had beaten a lower team by that score it would be described as a non event.

Sorry. 62-0
Didn't realise they played for 85 mins!

64-0 you forgot the 2 point conversion.

Yup. Try, conversion and nineteen penalties

I'd turned off.

Hopefully our venture into Canada next year (and then into the U.S.) might mean we can see a serious expansion into North America and a boost for our international game. Although I remember USA did on in RLWC from memory.