my mighty vikings also had a similair if not worse situation last season. but i too was getting very fed up with hemmings banging on about saints. obviously what we dont realise is ITS DIFFERENT when it happens to saints

While I agree that Eddie overkilled the injury situation, the number of injured players isn't the issue - it's where they've occurred. All of our halfbacks are out. Our top 6 halfbacks. That's not a poor squad, it's a freak occurence.

Start of the season, Pryce and Eastmond first choice.

Probably Lomax as back up.

Moore (hooker) or Wheeler (centre) could be used if essential, but it would leave us with gaps elsewhere.

Gaskell could be drafted in from the ressies in a dire emergency.

Instead, we lined up today with a second rower and an injured bloke no-one had heard of until a fortnight ago.
Now Ashe has seemingly been injured also, we're looking at Wilkin and maybe Wellens or Roby - none of whom are halfbacks and all of whom leave significant gaps in their true positions.

Not complaining, though - they are doing themselves proud and it will pay dividends in the long run.

It did get annoying and I'm a Saints fan.

But those above saying we didn't have many out and just have a bad squad need to look at the league table. 2 points off top spot with no half backs. We would be top

The mans a nob.

Phil Clarke?

The standard of commentary is poor and needs a complete overhaul. Phil Clarke is very knowledgeable on the game, but is very biased towards Wigan. Eddie is clueless and chats about inane things with Stevo and does seem to have bias towards St.Helens. Stevo for me can on occasions talk some sense, but he's now like an old record. He churns out the same lines (see Stevo bingo thread) and if he makes a point once - he makes it over and over again. Jon Wells' bit is the only piece I find very interesting.

Leeds had a fair few injuries at the start of the season too.

I actually turned the volume down as it was boardering on the absurb listening to him. He does think that ONLY St. Helens have had injuries. Don't get me wrong it's not nice having that many injuries but every other team suffers at some point.

EDDIE!! STFU!!!

It really doesn't matter what the game is,the commentary is always the same.Every kick from inside the 40,is an attempted 40/20,even if it lands next to the posts,every kick is a great kick,until it runs dead.Why on earth do they need four people in the commentary box,each trying to justify their presence.One of them should be restricted to the studio/presenter role and one should be the analyst - obviously not Stevo.Lets hope that if there is a new Sky RL contact,then they revamp the presentation.

Wonder what would have happened if someone had told him the Giants were missing Mason,O'Donnell,Fa'alogo,Raleigh and Horne from our regular pack and still stuffed them?? i can imagine the poor chap not been able to accept it and having a mental breakdown on air with Clarkey having to rock him in his arms till medical help arrived !!

Completely agree with that. Stevo can sound like a geriatric, and i think its one of the things holding us back. Wells is great though, undecided on Tez and Baz, and Clarke ok but can be very bias.

Also, anyone noticed how Eddie always seems to want to sit on the special guests knee? he always seems about 2 inches from them ?!

If you compare Sky's coverage to the BBC's... there is no comparison.

I can’t work out if you mean that positively for Sky or not?

The BBC have a better host in Clare Balding and usually have a panel of 2 or 3 studio guests so the pre and post game is better on the BBC. During the game, the standard of camera work in the Sky coverage is far better – the part time director at the BBC often cuts back to replays as the game is going on which is infuriating

As for commentary – both as bad as each other for me – Sky have Hemmings and Stevo and on the Sunday matches the BBC have French and Davis (who seems uninterested)

It could be worse though, imagine the hell that would be French commenting and Stevo as the summariser... the whole world would be swallowed by a singularity caused by the critical mass of Northern stereotypes

French and Eddie together in the booth, with Harry Gration presenting and Joanthan Davies and Phil Clarke as analysts and camerawork/direction from the BBC is the nightmare scenario.

Some combination of Balding, Woods, Noble and Wells, with Sky's camerawork, would be a better prospect.