Announcing the FOFFFFF

[Johnny Tobin]

There was, back in the dark old days when we had Finch in our side, the Fark Off Finch Foundation.

It had numbers similar to Souffs membership numbers, including the pets. It was a cause for solidarity amongst all Roosters fans and the joy only increased as he was sacked from our club.

It's now time for the Fark Off Finch From Fox Footy Foundation.

Seriously, he is on every second show.

When he calls a game I need subtitles to try and work out what he is saying.

When he is on a panel show all he can contribute are gags about how bad he was as a player and the addictions that almost destroyed him. That was bearable for about the first three minutes of the first show he was on. Now it's totally unbearable.

I understand that he may be a great drinking buddy for Matty Johns and the others that run Fox League but do we have to be subjected to his innane comments and voice that sounds like he's vomiting 24/7.

It has gotten to the point where I just switch off any show that he's on.

Please, Fox, give us some relief!

In other news, piss off Yvonne Sampson too. I don't need to hear any "the NRL is a better place when Souffs are going good" bullshit.

[The Brain]

lol..... I was an avid memeber but President Chook is missing.
I dont watch hardly any league shows anymore .Only a bit of the Sunday show ...the odd Monday I think it is but thats it ..all of them boring as bat Shit.

[Thirteen]

Great thread Tobin.

And they should piss off Buderus as well. That bloke could put me to sleep after an ounce of coke.

[Johnny Tobin]

Great thread Tobin.

And they should piss off Buderus as well. That bloke could put me to sleep after an ounce of coke.

Yep. He's pretty bad too.

Ennis was my most-hated player ever but I love him on the panel shows. He actually expresses his opinion, which according to that nasty column from Webster recently is annoying people there. The ones that never criticise players. It seems they have it in for him and will get rid of him, which is a shame because he is about all the credibility they have. Having said that, when he calls a game it's pretty unbearable because he thinks he has to scream.

Then you get to Johns. When he first started it was great because it was all footy. Then they brought across the producer from The Footy Show and it has become similar drivel. It may be rating better but it's unwatchable for anyone with more than a pea-sized brain.

BTW my biggest problem with almost all of them is that they start sentences with "What" when it isn't a question. Gaz started it and now they all do it. "What a great player he is." "What a game this is". it drives me up the wall. Now it will annoy you as well.

[007]

It's now time for the Fark Off Finch From Fox Footy Foundation.

Couldn't have come sooner.

When he calls a game I need subtitles to try and work out what he is saying.

When he 'played a game' I needed subtitles to try and work out what he was doing.

When he is on a panel show all he can contribute are gags about how bad he was as a player and the addictions that almost destroyed him. That was bearable for about the first three minutes of the first show he was on. Now it's totally unbearable.

Not gags - just stating the truth

I understand that he may be a great drinking buddy for Matty Johns and the others that run Fox League but do we have to be subjected to his innane comments and voice that sounds like he's vomiting 24/7.

That says it all

In other news, piss off Yvonne Sampson too. I don't need to hear any "the NRL is a better place when Souffs are going good" bullshit.

The NRL is a better place when Souffs lose a Preliminary Final

[stringaz]

There is too many talking heads these days, (they had 12 commentators for a groncos game a few weeks back. 12!!) footy is a simple game from the outside, which pleases most fans like myself who never played the game. I do like a little deconstruction of the nitty gritty which you can get from A. Johns from time to time.

I can't stomach the fox footy, kooks getting paid a bunch to mispronounce everything. And the diversity movement chucked in 1:1 for the female to male ratio does not automatically work.

I've heard that M.Johns has an exceptional footy brain which im yet to see. I avoid any of that professor,fletch,hindy,finch crap like the plague. Every second joke is about our salary cap. We get it guys, you're jealous AF.

Move on. Overpaid hacks.

[Louis N]

Nice thread JT. I watched those shows more when footy was scarce, such as now SOO time. The proliferation of Finch is over the top. But even journos like Kent are being dragged down to the fake ha ha ha knee slapping Matty Johns laughter at some former greats 'chuck and chunder'. Last podcast of John's paid tribute to Tommy Raudonokis in the same cliched way that most do. The highlight again was the chunder and the story was an oft told one.

So they followed up another one which showed how Matty Johns is not such a great father waking his kid up from bed at midnight so Mitch Pearce could have a drunken snooze. The the finsihed that one off with Junior having another Barry McKenzie technicolor yawm all over the interior of John's car after a morning McDonald's visit. This was fascinating, not only destroying the reputation of players and the image that league is supposedly projecting...as against projectiles. But also in what John's considers entertainment. Surely a re-enactment would be been a better climax.

Clearly the desperation to secure ratings via footy talk has got to the 'overdose' point. I love getting decent info on players or memories of the past etc. There is an excellent interview on Mark Harris for example that was in part an eye opener for me. Loved it and highly recommend it. And also agree on your call that Michael Ennis seems the best analyst. But now even Yvonne Sampson has gone toward the over the top breathless admiration of ordinary players and adoration of the cliche.

I'm with you John Tobin. And I'd prefer watching a Bears game.

[Johnny Tobin]

I’m glad you mentioned the podcast.

The first couple of episodes (when it was just a podcast) were great. They had Johns, Hooper and Kent and they talked footy as well as interesting stories from history (not just about footy). Johns turned me on to a couple of great books and also a great podcast. It was seriously a great podcast that I loved.

Then they dumped Hooper and brought in Finch and, just like the other shows, it immediately descended into the toilet.

A shame because it had real potential and it’s especially bad as a TV show.

I dare you to try the Fletch podcast. I lasted about ten minutes.

Glad you mentioned Tommy. How many years to do have to put up with stories of that uncouth lout as though he is worthy of sainthood. And in a society where addictions are a real issue do we really have to glorify people’s antisocial behaviour when they are either stoned or drunk or both?

Our game has to grow up. It’s not just for louts anymore.

FOFFFFF!

[Johnny Tobin]

Talking about people who only seem to have a job because of connections - Paul Crawley.

He’s such a clown he can’t even hide his agendas.hes for Bennett, Sticky and anyone managed by Isaac Moses. His whole crusade to get that mediocre Gutherson superstar money from Parra was a disgrace.

Did anyone follow that “FranEl” twitter debacle. It was hilarious.

[stringaz]

I watched a show the other day that had Freddie, a.johns and James Bracey on it, it was pretty good

[Johnny Tobin]

I watched a show the other day that had Freddie, a.johns and James Bracey on it, it was pretty good

That’s Channel Nine. They still have a little respect for the viewers.

[Louis N]

I’m glad you mentioned the podcast.

The first couple of episodes (when it was just a podcast) were great. They had Johns, Hooper and Kent and they talked footy as well as interesting stories from history (not just about footy). Johns turned me on to a couple of great books and also a great podcast. It was seriously a great podcast that I loved.

Then they dumped Hooper and brought in Finch and, just like the other shows, it immediately descended into the toilet.

A shame because it had real potential and it’s especially bad as a TV show.

I dare you to try the Fletch podcast. I lasted about ten minutes.

Glad you mentioned Tommy. How many years to do have to put up with stories of that uncouth lout as though he is worthy of sainthood. And in a society where addictions are a real issue do we really have to glorify people’s antisocial behaviour when they are either stoned or drunk or both?

Our game has to grow up. It’s not just for louts anymore.

FOFFFFF!

I can imagine what the Fletch podcast would be like. Those guys don't seem to have grown up. It may be funny once or twice and I am certainly no wowser, But it's all so predictable. I know I tune in to hear something I haven't heard before, or to get some insight into an ongoing issue.

I can take a bit of clowning but not when every second show is reduced to that format. The Professor characters are right off my radar after one or two episodes.

Probably one of the reasons Finch appears prolifically, is that he has all the chuck chunder episodes in his personal history. Which is one of the big reasons he was such an under performer for us. I recall one absolute hammering we got off Canberra only to find that Finchy and Minny were still celebrating at 4 am at the Bourbon and Beefsteak on what is now recovery day. Finch was talent wasted. Played his best footy for the Raider before we bought him.

I know he has genuine problems with dependence and I hope he overcomes them. But to any young footy fan the proliferation of these stories is not setting the greatest example.

I well remember hearing the stories of Johnny Raper's drinking escapades but the difference was that the same guy was running the hills of a golf course, running it out. And Raper was pretty well restricted to Toohey's. Plus he actually performed.

Long post but true story when I was doing part time security for Revesby Workers. In walks Johnny. His brother Terry was a regular but I hadn't seen Johnny there. He asks if Terry is around and I say no. So Johnny walks over to the phone and dials our receptionist. Asks her to page Johnny Raper to the foyer. She does and while he loiters around the heads begin to appear. I don't know how many beers he had but the afternoon only cost him a 20c phone call.

[Intercept]

For a while now, Matthew Johns has been unwatchable for me. He believes his own bullshit. Thinks he is part brilliant football brain (cue the exaggerated hand gestures his media coach has pushed to him as a sign of intelligence) and part funny man. Reality being he states the bleedingly obvious and rolls around on the couch, wheezing with laughter at his own jokes. Muttley comes to mind.

Throw in Finch and Fletcher and all we are left with is cheap jokes about getting shit-faced on coke or grog, running around in the nude, being a shithouse footballer, rooting Garlo's missus, Hindmarsh never winning a premiership or the Roosters "salary cap sombrero". Week after week after week. Then they roll out the baldy dope and his security blanket whose name I don't even know (don't give up your day job champ). These blokes beg to be taken off TV, then ask/allow Emma Lawrence to embarrass herself and her family with a foul mouth and more base humour.

Rights, rant over. Thanks Tobin for opening, I've wanted to get that shit off my liver for some time!

[ROC181]

Finchy is back to haunt some of his old fans...

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Shithouse thread....sorry.

I was embarrassed as an Easts fan at the pack mentality to target and villify one of our own players. It nearly made me "walk" from Easts social media at the time. Fortunately some of the main protagonists don't come here much now.

As for the commentary side of things, Finchy is no great entertainer or informant but I find Tallis and Hindmarsh far far more objectionable and out of their depth.