Continuous Call Team

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The Continuous Call Team is an Australian radio sports program, covering the news and live games of the National Rugby League. It is produced and broadcast by 2GB Sydney, and is relayed to stations in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and Papua New Guinea. The team have exclusive commercial radio rights to the National Rugby League (excluding Monday Night matches) until the end of 2009. Commentaries of games are broadcast on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, with a talkback/humour programme broadcast on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Contents

[edit] Team Members

[edit] Current Team Members

(The team are also known as "The Gibberers" as self-parody.)

  • Ray Hadley (football commentator, and 2GB's morning show presenter). Ray has a plethora of nicknames,some of which are: Bolts, Horse, Horsehead, Dancing Gums, the Satin Rocket, Mr Ed, two-bites and Raaaay.
  • Steve "Blocker" Roach (football commentator, and former Balmain player and Australian representative)
  • Bob "Bozo" Fulton (analyst, Australian and New South Wales selector, former Manly coach, former Australian coach, former Australian football representative, former Manly player, representative in 60's and 70's team of the decade)
  • Darryl "The Big Mahn" Brohman (ex-Bulldogs and Penrith player, football commentator and ex-Channel 9 presenter)
  • Andrew Moore (football commentator, and substitute for Hadley)
  • Dean "Bulldog" Ritchie (The Daily Telegraph reporter, team news updates reporter, and sideline commentator for Saturday night matches)
  • Tommy Raudonikis (former Western Suburbs Magpies and Newtown Jets player, raconteur and commentator)
  • Mark Braybrook (casual commentator) commentated the 2007 Jersey Flegg Grand Final
  • Laurie Daley (fill-in) commentator and former Canberra, New South Wales and Australian representative who has an association with the team. He filled in for Steve Roach for the round four clash between the St. George Illawarra Dragons and North Queensland Cowboys as he was away with Ray, Darryl and Bob in Singleton.
  • Paul Sironen (Former Balmain Tigers great) Fills in for Blocka when he is away. Also known as the "Doughnut Puncher" as he works with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. He is also known for his television endorsements for Lowes menswear.

[edit] Former Team Members

[edit] Coverage

See Also: Continuous Call Team network stations

Stations that carry the broadcasts include those owned by Macquarie Regional RadioWorks, Grant Broadcasters and some independently owned stations (such as 2BS Bathurst).

The show, also known as "Weekend Detention" is transmitted on Fridays from 7pm to 9.45pm, Saturdays from 12pm through to around 8pm, and on Sundays from 12pm to 6pm. Some stations carry all days, some carry only one or two of the three days. Some stations like KOFM in Newcastle take coverage of other teams in place of the 2GB broadcast (KOFM for example carry games of the Newcastle Knights). The team also covers respresentative and finals matches, such as the State of Origin and the NRL Grand Final.

In 2006, the program lost major coverage with the Broadcast Operations Group failing to come to terms with Macquarie and the NRL to broadcast games, which lead to 2SM's own Talking Sport program being relayed in its place.

[edit] Format

The program is popular and is a ratings winner for 2GB. Thanks to live streaming on the Internet, the program can be heard in other states of Australia and throughout the world, and many ex-pats living overseas email the team to have their say.

The team is backed up by around-the-grounds reporters including Don Moseley and Michelle Keighran, who is the first female sports reporter in the history of The Continuous Call Team. She also doubles up as a general sports reporter during the week as well as a producer for "Sportzone" hosted by Andrew Moore.

The team also have a number of regular callers to the program. Elsie, a pensioner from Maitland, who always had pieces of advice for the boys along with anecdotes about greyhounds as well as her ardent support of her beloved Newcastle Knights, was a regular caller until her death in 2007. "Burnsie", an unlucky-in-love guy who always seems to be 'on the drink' is another regular, as is a singer called Dooma.

Another feature of The Continuous Call Team is a plethora of phone calls from people wishing to seek some counselling, to which they are none the wiser with no help whatsoever from the team who are only qualified in football related matters. For their troubles, they receive a Continuous Call Team Showbag that consists of novelty items. Although they are of no worth at all, they serve as a reminder and a great souvenir of when they have been counselled by "The Gibberers".

A memorable counselling call came from a young lady named Kelly, who came from Hervey Bay and was dating a footballer's father twice her age. Hilarity erupted when Kelly attempted to put him on the phone but he wouldn't get off the lounge simply because he was old and lazy.

The show also specialises in trucking and features the "10-4 big buddy" theme song "Convoy" which was a massive hit for C.W. McCall. The song is featured as a small snippet to indicate the time is 3.50pm (or ten to four, big buddy - hence "10-4 big buddy") or whenever the football score is 10-4, but is also played in full at the request of listeners.

The team offers podcasts via its website, featuring highlights of the program over the weekend, but not games.

[edit] Fridays

The Continuous Call Team broadcasts Friday Night Football from 7.00pm (with the kick-off at 7.30pm) till 9.45pm. Ray Hadley calls the selected scheduled game that's on the Nine Network in sydney with Steve Roach, and Darryl Brohman on the sidelines.

[edit] Saturdays

Between 12pm and 5pm, the program is broadcast from the 2GB studio in Pyrmont with Hadley, Fulton, Brohman, and Roach. The program consists of reviews of the previous night's match, short reports on the night's upcoming match, combined with large amounts of comedy, including stories of the team member's private lives, humorous songs about the team members and issues in rugby league, as well as discussion on unrelated issues. However, much of the program is focused on the open line calls of the program's listeners.

From 5pm-8pm (the program runs longer during the Finals series), the program moves to a live broadcast from wherever the 5.30pm NRL match is being played. The program is hosted by Moore, with Roach and Dean Ritchie. The team review what has happened so far that weekend, and preview the match, before calling it. After the match, for around 50 minutes, they interview players and coaches, and get comments from listeners on what occurred during the match.

[edit] Sundays

The program airs from 12 Noon- 6pm and is broadcast live from the ground of a selected Sunday match. Progress scores from other matches are provided by reporters live at those grounds. The team review the Saturday night match, and discuss the upcoming matches for that day. There is less of a focus on comedy on Sundays, however it is still evident. From 2.30pm or 3pm, Ray Hadley or Andrew Moore with Steve Roach and Darryl Brohman broadcast the selected match. After the game, players and coaches are interviewed, listeners give their opinions on the day's matches, and the premiership ladder is updated.

[edit] History

The program began in 1987 when Ray Hadley and Ray Price took over the commentary duties on 2UE. When 2UE lost the rights to broadcast NRL games in 1999 to 2GB, the station asked commentator Ray Hadley to present a six-hour rugby league program, without having the rights to the actual games, nor having access to their reporters inside the ground. Several 2UE commentators, including John Gibbs and Darryl Brohman, joined 2GB.

The program was renamed The Talking League Team. The team consisting of Ray Hadley, Peter Frilingos, Bob Fulton, Steve Roach, Tony Megahey and Greg Alexander astounded industry insiders when they beat 2GB and ABC Radio, both of whom had the actual rights to NRL games in 2000 and 2001. Many network stations dropped 2GB coverage and switched to 2UE's coverage. At one stage, rival 2GB campaigned for Foxtel to cut off 2UE's access to the service, as they were calling games off their coverage. The team stopped the practice soon after the threat was made.

In 2002, when Ray Hadley moved to 2GB, he brought his team over with him (with the exception of Alexander) to bring their exceptional coverage of live NRL games, and continued to win the ratings since then.

In 2004, the team lost long time member Peter Frilingos to a heart attack, and his spot was not filled for the rest of the season, to be eventually replaced by Darryl Brohman in 2005.

[edit] Songs

Throughout the history of The Continuous Call Team, music has been an integral part of the program with send ups of popular songs of any era and genre. Lyrically, these songs have been directed at anyone or anything related to rugby league (be it referees, clubs, players, coaches and the like). Additionally, Dean Ritchie (aka "Bulldog") has his own intro to his segment with the appropriate song "Who Let The Dogs Out?" (dance remix) by The Baha Men.

Usually on Saturdays, 'Convoy' by C.W McCall is played around 3:50 in reference to the 10:4 notation used by truckers and is also used when there is a 10-4 score line in a match.

There have been other songs of mostly novelty value that also feature prominently. They include the Danny McMaster rugby league anthem, "U.G.L.Y." from Daphne and Celeste, "Football, Beer And You", "Man Boobs", "The Man Song", "Ain't No Ugly People After 2am", "I'm My Own Grandpa", "The Day My Wife Met My Girlfriend" and "Mama's Got Her Boobs Out" to name a few.

Members of The Continuous Call Team are also targeted with numerous songs collectively about them with each stanza dedicated to each member. However, Ray racks up the most songs written about him including "Mr Ed" (Captain Ed), "Blue Suede Shoes" (White Horselike Teeth) and "Piano Man" to name a few. These songs and more are in reference to Ray's distorted features including having no neck, no bum; and teeth that resemble a horse and a piano, and a head that also resembles a horse.

There have also been songs written about The Big Mahn in reference to his portaryal as being fat, jolly, disloyal and a backstabber. He also recorded a few songs himself (albeit rather badly with no melodical grasp) - including "Great Balls Of Fire" (Big Mahn's On Fire), "Mamma Mia" from his favourite band ABBA (Don't Pick On Me-a), "I'm Too Sexy" and "Summer Holiday". Lyrical emphasis has been placed on his self-promotion and bagging the other members of The Continuous Call Team.

Following the lead of The Big Mahn, the other members decided to follow suit. Firstly, a very 'Spicey' duet from Bozo and Blocker (aka Bozo Spice and Blocker Spice) performing "Wannabe" dedicated to the big blancmange. While Bozo might not have melodical concept, Blocker is surprisingly a great singer! After much persuasion, Ray also hit the recording studio by recording a dedication to the 150kg white ant with the song "Achy Breaky Heart" (Eeny Weeny Heart), under the pseudonym "Billy Ray Hadley." It is a well-established fact that, as a great commentator and broadcaster, Ray is tone-deaf.

A perennial favourite has been a dedication to hard-hitting Parramatta player Fuifui Moimoi simply titled "Fuifui" (to the tune of the ABBA song "Honey Honey").

New Zealand Warriors winger, Manu Vatuvei has two songs made about him which are popular in the 2008 NRL season. They are both a rendition to Every Breath You Take by Sting and The Police which outline Manu's poor and great form in Rugby League.

All these footy songs are written and many are also performed by The Robertson Brothers who are exclusively commissioned by and to The Continuous Call Team, as well as other aspiring performers.

There have also been contributions by listeners including a young boy with his rendition of the Slim Dusty hit "G'day, G'day!" (G'day To Ray) as well as a few from avid Sydney listener Dorita. Her self-penned contributions include "Amazing Grace" (Amazing Blokes) (which was performed acapella over the phone), the Guy Sebastian hit "Angels Brought Me Here" (I'll Wait Until Next Year), as well as a dedication to Billy Slater stemming from his try-fest in State Of Origin with the Delta Goodrem hit "Born To Try" (Score A Try), along with the Michael Jackson hits "Beat It" (which was completely ruined by Australian Idol reject Flynn) and "The Way You Make Me Feel" (The Way They Make Me Feel).

[edit] External links