Get Hetherington and JJB on Radio 4 at 7.45am
It just seemed to me to be excruciatingly how not to do it.
If ever it projected flat caps and Whippets and Northern that was it. The idea was good, and It was great how they tried to emphasise the inclusivity, the womans RL and the wheelchair sport etc, but those two was not the way to widen the appeal. just listening to them made my squirm in my seat. The guy speaking to them didn't help as he was clueless about the game and seemed to delight in telling them so - was it just me? what did you think?

JJB great player but never in a million years a presenter .

Didn’t hear it, but cringing just at the thought of it tbh.

Agree but it appears Sky don't

Why do we get so insecure about being northern?

It’s more an accent thing with Gary and simply incomprehensible mumbling from JJB. That’s the issue.

I am not insecure about being northern - I’m concerned about RL being seen as ‘just’ a northern sport with no appeal or interest in outside of the North and that idea being reinforced.

JJB should be nowhere near a Mic.

Agreed. It's not about insecure however the presentation of the sport to the masses.

I do think that the host commentators should ideally be accentless like the BBC news people the guests are primarily ex players n coaches so they are going to have accents.

Really hope jjb is getting the post match interviews !! We will get some real belters I like his exuberance and exitment about the game and he will probable get better responses from players too rather than their media dept approved replies.

There's no such thing as bad publicity, so the saying goes. As for being inclusive, that's a good thing, and there are many millions of ladies in the UK that the sport needs to try and attract to either playing the game, supporting a club, or both. They also may well encourage their partners to get involved, so the message of widening the appeal of RL makes sense.