www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... gby-league I fully agree on the points about Clare Balding - would much rather have an enthusiastic novice like her hosting the programme, than someone like Inverdale or Rider.

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... gby-league I fully agree on the points about Clare Balding - would much rather have an enthusiastic novice like her hosting the programme, than someone like Inverdale or Rider.

Always nice to see some positive coverage, even if it does skim over the fact that Jonathan Davies is hopeless and given he was part of a Widnes side that wasn't afraid to dish out a few short right hands in its time a bit of a hypocrite when games get tasty.

What does it say about RLFANS (the site and in general) when the first reply is slating off something in the affor mentioned article?

I've been impressed by her, she is genuinely enthusiastic about the game, not just there for the pay packet, the old bbc team needs a shake up, davies is a bafoon! and i think Ray's time has come and gone 20 yrs ago

Good article except for the last few lines Oh and it isn't our 50th Anniversary, that was about 10 years ago.

Clare Balding is fabulous, in my opinion. She is exactly what RL needs because she is everything RL isn't supposed to be. She's posh, she's female and after clearly being unimpressed with 'having' to present live RL, she's obviously taken to the sport and has a great rapport with the people in the studio with her.

And for once, the Guardian is right - BBC's RL coverage has got really good lately. Fast paced, and a bit of imagination; I particularly like the 'tale of the half' segment at half time, and even Robbie Paul is getting a lot better as an interviewer.

All the BBC need to do now, is get rid of Jonathan Davies.

Balding is a winner for me. Just need to get that senile dinosaur French packed-off to a home and most of the 'flat-capped-mushy pea munching-whippet-monkey Northerner' stereotypes will be finally gone. It can't be far off, poor old Ray commentates like he's already suffering from the onset of Altzeimers after a particuarly thorough stroke.

French is about the same age as me and I took retirement like a shot quite a few years ago when I realised that I didn't have much grip on what I was supposed to be doing (overtaken by new technology) and I was offered a good deal. I would say that French reached the same state a few years ago and should be well gone by now.

End of story - no need for gratuitous and inaccurate comments on his health.

Not a bad read - I have to say I forced myself to continue after reaching this gem of a sentence "I accept the game can seem formulaic to the untrained eye and maybe does not always flow as freely as the absolutely very best union games"... I think I may have missed those games!!

I was actually having a dig at his commentary style and general uselessness as opposed to commentating on his health. Let's face it, Stephen Hawking could provide better commentary (And with his wizard-like physics brain give you an accurate response to an iffy forward pass)

I guess it's just time for Ray to sit at home and watch it on the telly, and no offense was meant...

Balding and Dave Woods should be the presenters of a nationwide revamped 'Super League Show', shown every Sunday evening after MOTD2

Could you imagine Inverdale presenting RL to the masses,God forbid that fella is the most useless yawnion loving t00l on planet Earth.

Ray 'ooooooohhhhh!!' French / Ray 'good running' French needs to go. Robbie Paul comes across a bit fick too. Balding can stay. Preferably not on the **C who I see are only showing the CCup final build up via the red button!! The RFL should be having words about that now!!

He has form
However, as already mentioned, [i'I accept the game can seem formulaic to the untrained eye and maybe does not always flow as freely as the absolutely very best union games'[/i let the article down somewhat.

Overall it was quite a good article and reflects positively enough on the game. Clare Balding's enthusiam has been great. I remember about 8 years ago she did a semi-final between Saints and Leeds in place of Steve Rider, which I think was the first time she did RL and I thought what the hell is she doing this for, but her enjoyment of the game is clear and good to see. Thought the Brian Noble 'calibre' moment was quite amusing! Don't know what the need was for the last paragraph of the article though!