Speaking up about rugby league commentators

The good thing is that it means I can now watch my favourite team play - that would be the Dragons. While I don't expect great things from them this year, seeing them end up on the right side of the scoreboard sometimes does make me feel happy.

Almost as happy as if my team managed to work out how to avoid stumbling from one controversy to another. Because that would be amazing.

While I tell myself - and those around me - that I have no interest in watching games that don't involve the Dragons that's not really true.

If I'm at home over the weekend, I'll flick on the TV and have a game going in the background. Inevitably, I'll stop whatever else I'm doing and start watching the game.

And if there's a late game on when I climb into bed, chances are pretty high that I'll turn on the TV and watch a game until I nod off.

Whether watching a Dragons game or any other match, it means I'm exposed to one of the bad things about the start of the season - the dread of ex-players turned commentators.

In terms of ex-players behind the microphone I could count all the good ones on the fingers of one hand - and still have digits left over.

I get why players pounce on the chance to become commentators, because it stops them having to go and get a real job.

After spending a decade or more playing footy, it's not like they're qualified to do much of anything else. The ability to tackle hard or throw a cut-out pass isn't really something that fits into an office situation.

But what works for them doesn't really work for us as viewers.

Just because someone played footy for a while doesn't mean they'll be good talking about it.

They are two completely separate skill sets; being good at footy doesn't mean they're good at communication.

An ex-player is in the unique position of being able to give the footy fan some context around what they're seeing.

Why did the player do that? What are they trying to achieve? What will the team be planning on doing in this set of six close to the line?

Instead, the ex-player so often grabs for generic comments about how they need to back their defence, hold onto the ball or the dreaded phrase "lay a platform".

Phil Gould used to be good at it once upon a time. I still remember a moment when a forward had the ball on the edge and there was only one defender in front of him. Instead of trying to step him or otherwise evade his opponent, the forward ran straight at him.

It made no sense to me, until Gould mentioned that forwards are primed to look for contact so their instinct is to hit someone rather than run around them.

It was an insight into the game that broadened my understanding.

It's something Gould doesn't do much of these days, preferring to complain about refs and say "No, no, no, no" a lot.

He's far from alone; hardly any ex-players give us information about the game beyond what the viewers can easily see with our own eyes.

Largely, the only exceptions have been Peter Sterling and, more recently, Cooper Cronk. The rest are very much in the "laying a platform" category.

The other key gripe I have with ex-players is that they never declare an interest in a match they're commentating on.

While it can be taken as common knowledge about the teams the ex-player suited up for, the viewer may not know the player is now working for the team as an assistant coach, may be on the board of directors or has been hired as a consultant.

They're certainly allowed to take on those sorts of roles, but the viewer should know about them right at the start of the broadcast so they're aware of any possible issues of bias.

Better yet, the networks could simply ensure such ex-players aren't commentating on teams with whom they have a business relationship.