So in recent months I have binge watching a lot of rugby league footage from the 80s and 90s via Youtube and I come across an excerpt of a show from 1979 called "Controversy Corner" which was hosted by Rex Mossop and I couldn't get past how intelligent the insight was into rugby league where they talked about a semi final between Canterbury and Cronulla where everybody on the panel gave their thoughts on the game concisely and as a viewer you could understand what was being said, there was a reason why so many rugby league fans loved it back in its time on Channel Seven. Point is I learnt from what Steve Rogers said.
Here's the blast from the past:
Now contrast the above video with Fox League's version of Controversy Corner which originally had Bulldogs legend and former rugby league commentator Graeme Heughes as host but this season replaced by commentator Andrew Voss with Tigers legend and co commentator Steve Roach, former Sea Eagles player and coach Geoff Toovey and Daily Telegraph sports editor at large Phil Rothfield. It returned tonight with the NRL facing a range of issues ahead of round one including the fall out from the new ad campaign, dealing with any potential coronavirus outbreak, attempts by some within the game to remove CEO Todd Greenberg and the announcement of round 1 teams tomorrow afternoon.
So unlike the original version and taking turns to speak and listening calmly while another puts their point across, the 2020Controversy Corner often devolves into incoherent yelling that makes it difficult for viewers to understand the points being put across, granted it's the same sort of thing that went on last season but it feels like the point of the debate gets lost in all the incoherent yelling that I wonder what I actually got out of all of it anyway. I get they all want their voices to be heard but how about shutting up and letting one person speak at a time, it makes for more interesting TV.
Although even when there is no yelling, some of the opinions stated are incredibly irresponsible or not well thought out take Phil Rothfield's suggestion that the NRL Integrity should release information about cases still awaiting court outcomes to the public for example, if the NRL Integrity Unit did what Mr Rothfield suggests than that would be seriously prejudicing the court case. Think before you open your mouth for goodness sake.
Look, if you enjoy four men yelling at the sky like Abe Simpson from The Simpsons than Controversy Corner is the show for you but it you want rugby league discussion that is thought provoking and well reasoned, I'd just be organising petition for the return of League Life or perhaps the ladies could replace the men for a week so Controversy Corner might see a miracle of some well reasoned, rational and calm discussion about rugby league while apologising to Rex Mossop for turning what he created all those years ago into a cacophonous half hour of noise.
