Skys english Bias

Dont get me wrong i can understand Sky is a fee paying terrestrial network with probably 10 times the amount of customers in england than in wales but covering the commentators box with english roses is kinda step to far!!!! i mean come on, really?.

Well to be fair England do have a contract with them, while the WRU have never had good relations with Sky.
Firstly Sky split the old 5 Nations up by negotiating only with England and the idiotic and greedy RFU at the time sold the 5 Nations rights without the other nations permission, leading to a massive argument and England's ejection from the 5 Nations.
Then Sky insulted the Celts by offering the Celts half of what they paid England for their 5 Nations games. Naturally the Celts told Sky to shove it.

Sky don't like being told "No" and the Magners countries refusal to deal with them for television coverage means Sky will never treat us kindly.

It is a strange one this and I'm not sure if its a Sky bias or just an english bias. There was an awkward moment after the game yesterday when the 4-5 on the panel spent about 4-5 minutes talking about Englands performance stright after the game when Quinnell said "shall we talk about Wales" - There was a brief silence and then an "of course" - The host was mildly embarassed but I think that moment spoke volumes.

RubyGuby wrote:It is a strange one this and I'm not sure if its a Sky bias or just an english bias. There was an awkward moment after the game yesterday when the 4-5 on the panel spent about 4-5 minutes talking about Englands performance stright after the game when Quinnell said "shall we talk about Wales" - There was a brief silence and then an "of course" - The host was mildly embarassed but I think that moment spoke volumes.

Yeah I noticed that, I also noticed no one wanted to argue with Quinell

Scott has gone Hollywood. Couldnt help but laugh at his show biz smile and posture as he was being introduced on the touch line yesterday. Classic. Best was when Dewi kept trying to talk and Scott tept stopping him. Dewi clearly not used to coming off second best in a ranting contest.

Maybe Quinnell should have just said to Dewi, "you should be proud of that welsh performance, lad from Crickhowell like you" that would have put a nice spanner in the works and probably ended Quinnells Sky contract to boot. .

Yep the way the SKY commentators only talk about England and how they are the sleeping giants in world ruby really does my nut in, but its almost worth it because when they lose watching them with egg on the face it very amusing.

I don't see why they have to go on about 2003 all the time. How about mentioning the time you got drubbed 36 nil by SA in 2007, at least it's more recent.

nottins_jones wrote:I don't see why they have to go on about 2003 all the time. How about mentioning the time you got drubbed 36 nil by SA in 2007, at least it's more recent.

Or they could have mentioned Wales failing to get into the knockout stages of RWC 2007.

I doubt it, nottins. They're only concerned with England versus Australia it seems, two matches in particular. It's like they're pretending they're on the same level and that Aus have never thrashed England, hence no discussion of the 76 nilling.

Still, England have actually managed to beat Australia home and away. Perhaps it's something that Wales need to aspire to ?

it was incredibly biased (going back on topic) i found it funny that the english front row were being applauded for basically illegally pushing while the commentators criticised wales for collapsing due to the illegal pushing, but i was glad i just got to see the match- i would have settled for desmond tutu giving commentary (actually saying that, it would incredibly fun to listen to)

nottins, you're desperately going off topic now, that's not unusual to see. We've never played SA in the world cup so they wouldn't have, plus this article has already highlighted how they rarely talk about anyone other than England. It's 2 all between England and Australia head to head in world cups yet the England fans and Sky commentators think their rugby team have the better of the Wallabies. Hit reality because nobody, especially your world cup group opponents will be concerned with England's lack of penetration displayed at the weekend.

nottins_jones wrote:I doubt it, nottins. They're only concerned with England versus Australia it seems, two matches in particular. It's like they're pretending they're on the same level and that Aus have never thrashed England, hence no discussion of the 76 nilling.

You're going desperately off topic now, please do stay on topic.

Sorry fake nottins but you are wrong. It's 3-2 to England in world cups vs Australia.

England's wins are 1995 quarter finals,2003 final and 2007 quarter final.

I think most England fans know that England aren't a great side. Neither are Wales though. Both are distinctly average.

Should Sky talk about England so much? Probably not - we aren't that good. None of the other sides in the Northern Hemisphere are any better though.

Fake Nottins why do you copy one of 606's most notorious wums? You do know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

nottins_jones wrote:nottins, you're desperately going off topic now, that's not unusual to see. We've never played SA in the world cup so they wouldn't have, plus this article has already highlighted how they rarely talk about anyone other than England.

And you're straying even further off topic.

nottins_jones wrote:It's 2 all between England and Australia head to head in world cups yet the England fans and Sky commentators think their rugby team have the better of the Wallabies.

But as you're still off topic, I'll reply.

Which England fans are these ? The facts are that in the last two meetings between the two sides England have won them both and also it's 3-2 to England in RWC's.

nottins_jones wrote:Hit reality because nobody, especially your world cup group opponents will be concerned with England's lack of penetration displayed at the weekend.

You're off topic again, but I'll reply to it.

You should hit reality as well. If a poor side like England on Saturday can get so much possession and territory against Wales, I imagine your RWC opponents won't be too concerned at playing Wales.

I think the the point is that if you're a Welsh (or Scottish for that matter) Sky sports subscriber it's a little annoying when none if the features and focus of the programme are about your country when they are one of the teams playing. Yes, they've got a welsh pundit for an oppositions view, but no features or analysis, background, etc. on Wales. If Sky was just an English medium and I was picking it up illegally cross-border then I could understand.

However, and this is THE most important part! As someone else mentioned Sky does not have a contract with Wales rugby. Therefore, why would they have access to players for interviews, features, analysis, etc. It doesn't make sense.

Therefore, while it is a bit annoying that I pay money to Sky but they do not cover Welsh rugby, without a contract with welsh rugby then they are unlikely to do so. The only thing that scuppers this argument though is that the recent game was at the MS, so they must have had some sort of contract???

Griff, they do have access to players, however they do what they think will get them more viewers. Sky carries some english premeirship, HEC, England internationals (non-6N) and SH rugby. They're the exclusive holders of the HEC in Britian (not sure if NI get RTE with some coverage). Therefore Scottish and Welsh fans would get it for that. For the rest of the UK rugby it's English so they target their fans. If they got coverage of the Pro12 I'd expect them to give those sides more coverage (not because of deals but to interest their fans).

Sky or not I think all fans would want a balanced appraisal of how the game went . Knowing what your opponents did and how they did it is all part of that. A lot of english fans on here seem to have a healthy interest in Warburton for example - that should have been elaborated on more. We are welsh and english rugby fans but primarily we are rugby fans and maybe the english Sky fan is being short changed in a perverse way. It's just a different perspective on it and England fans may well be being cheated out of a rounded appraisal and post match analysis as much as Wales being ignored to a large extent. God forbid if England had won, the neutral viewer would have been saying "who did they play against?"

In fairness to Sky, they made a big deal of the game being in Cardiff in the build-up to the match. The analysis beforehand certainly wasn't as Anglocentric as it was before the game at Twickenham.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:In fairness to Sky, they made a big deal of the game being in Cardiff in the build-up to the match. The analysis beforehand certainly wasn't as Anglocentric as it was before the game at Twickenham.

I didn't catch much of the buildup, but didn't they do some Welsh player analysis on the video board ?

They did, Nottins - when their touch-screen display worked, anyway! There was still a leaning towards England in the coverage, but that's understandable.

More "Sky's England bias" rubbish.
My oh my how borning...

When we stop bankrolling you lot, then you can moan.

RubyGuby wrote:Maybe Quinnell should have just said to Dewi, "you should be proud of that welsh performance, lad from Crickhowell like you" that would have put a nice spanner in the works and probably ended Quinnells Sky contract to boot. .

It's "Dawi". The commentators always say it wrong and Dewi Morris being non-Welsh never cares to correct them. Dawi Morris - what a hideous contemptuous man.

I see the cabbage is a little off following the weekend - Leaf it alone munn!

cabbagesandbrussels wrote:More "Sky's England bias" rubbish.
My oh my how borning...

When we stop bankrolling you lot, then you can moan.

hmmmm, would love to answer this rubbish properly, but I'd probably get banned, so I'll just let it slide.

cabbagesandbrussels wrote:More "Sky's England bias" rubbish.
My oh my how borning...

When we stop bankrolling you lot, then you can moan.

Who's being bankrolled by who? are you suggesting that the RFU are paying the other home nations unions?

I don't care about the coverage or how biased it is as long as wales and scotland win. surely that is the only important thing...

RubyGuby wrote:I see the cabbage is a little off following the weekend - Leaf it alone munn!

I actually could not give two hoots about an England 2nd team losing a friendly to a strong Wales side. It's more the manner of the defeat that irks...
I'm sure come WC Quarter Finals, we shall be celebrating whilst you guys are touching down in Cardiff International airport..

I'm still not sure how the English side was '2nd string' whilst Wales was their '1st choice' ....

Sky have an English bias ?? well what the hell do you expect them to have !! A welsh bias!! I mean, come on lets be serious

english warrior wrote:Sky have an English bias ?? well what the hell do you expect them to have !! A welsh bias!! I mean, come on lets be serious

50/50 would be nice, but you're probably too English to see that.

Turkster wrote:

english warrior wrote:Sky have an English bias ?? well what the hell do you expect them to have !! A welsh bias!! I mean, come on lets be serious

50/50 would be nice, but you're probably too English to see that.

It's impossible to be TOO English

SafeAsMilk wrote:

Turkster wrote:

english warrior wrote:Sky have an English bias ?? well what the hell do you expect them to have !! A welsh bias!! I mean, come on lets be serious

50/50 would be nice, but you're probably too English to see that.

It's impossible to be TOO English

but highly unfortunate to be as English as he obviously is.

English bias. Wow. I had to listen to the match while driving and could only find BBC Radio Wales. The commentators were Phil Bennett, I think, and someone he kept calling Garr. Now if you really want to hear bias in spades then you should try and get a copy of the radio programme.

i think most commentators will be biased towards their own team e.g JD screaming when wales scored the late try against scotland to win. but the sky commentators were applauding the english scrum for shoving illegally and post match (in a match wales won) the whole talk was about england and how did they lose that match rather than wales winning it through determination

I think this was a bit unusual though and some anglo posters have pointed that out. To spend 5 minutes talking about the team that lost and then looking a little embarassed when Quinnell pipes up "shall we talk about Wales" was a bit unique for me.

Anyways All Sky Reporters are Bus Waxkers!!!

RubyGuby wrote:Anyways All Sky Reporters are Bus Waxkers!!!

It's true, most of them are complete donkey fuppers. Its all 'style' and no substance despite the over complicated TV screens they use

A tiny principality versus the Motherland. Of course there will be bias!

Motherland implies people were born there then moved away....

munkian wrote:Motherland implies people were born there then moved away....

Like George North?

Yes. An actual factual example, ye Gods !

George Norths wiki page is quite amusing.

{Qualified by birth to play for England, when asked if he would ever consider wearing the white of England as opposed to the red of Wales North’s answer was simple: “No”}

cabbagesandbrussels wrote:George Norths wiki page is quite amusing.

{Qualified by birth to play for England, when asked if he would ever consider wearing the white of England as opposed to the red of Wales North’s answer was simple: “No”}

Would he have considered the "black of England"? Maybe he just doesn't like white?

cabbagesandbrussels wrote:A tiny principality versus the Motherland. Of course there will be bias!

Wales is no longer a principality. It is now officially a nation...check yaself!

mckay1402 wrote:

cabbagesandbrussels wrote:A tiny principality versus the Motherland. Of course there will be bias!

Wales is no longer a principality. It is now officially a nation...check yaself!

"It is now officially a nation" I know! You guys never tire of banging on about it!

Cabbage - Ive told you once just leaf it alone, you have another chance against Ireland soon, I know you struggled against them in the 6 nations so now is the opportunity to go at them from the start and you can then unleash your backs on them

Erm, Wales is still a principality.