The 2022 NRL season is due to kick off this weekend and once again every game will be live on Fox League.
Ahead of the new season, Mediaweek caught up with the executive director of Fox Sports, Steve Crawley, about what viewers can expect from Fox League’s coverage this year.
One of the major changes that viewers will notice on Fox League will be in its flagship program NRL 360, with regular host Yvonne Sampson stepping away while on maternity leave, and Braith Anasta hosting in her place. Crawley said that this is a chance to continue to try and develop strong male hosts to complement the stable of world-class women at Fox Sports.
“We’ve been really strong with our women for a long time. And I was determined to get a really strong male host and Cooper Cronk and Jake Duke are showing signs that they will develop into very strong male hosts, and I think that Braith has put in a lot of work over a lot of years. He’s been with us for 15 years. For the last six years, we’ve been working on him becoming a host. And I’m really excited that he’s taking that step. I’m so proud, we lead the world with our women hosts and I think it’s time that we had at least one strong male, but I’m happy for three.
While Anasta is keeping Sampson’s seat warm for now, Crawley said it is hard to tell what will happen in the long term with NRL 360.
“No one knows what will happen. Vonnie is having a baby and that’s life-changing. It doesn’t matter what Vonnie does. Vonni and I will have a chat when she comes back, and I’ll see what she wants to do. But I don’t think that Braith will be treating this like it’s a couple of months’ job.
“He is filling in but Vonnie actually came in yesterday and we had a bit of a chat and I said who knows what happens. She might have the baby and decide she only wants to work only two days a week and she might have the baby and decide she wants to work seven days a week! Who knows.”
Another change to Fox League’s schedule is the addition of the new program Benji, which will be helmed by Benji Marshall. Crawley said that when it came to being on camera, Marshall was a natural.
“Benji has no blood running through his veins, and that’s why he could play footy the way he could because nothing makes him nervous. I remember I used to work at Channel Nine in a similar role to the one I have now at Fox. And he did a Test match with us. We were rehearsing early and I said when this slide comes on the camera you’ll shit yourself and he said I won’t shit myself. Then we’ll do it live and he did it perfectly like he’d been doing it all his life. He’s just made for television.”
Crawley also said that part of the appeal of Benji is that the recently retired Marshal can relate to the players like few can.
“There’s nothing better than someone with the same mindset as the players. The contemporary part of Rugby League is really important. It’s great having experienced guys in their 30s, 40s and 50s but it’s also great having someone fresh out of the game who knows the game better than most people.”
One person who continues to be a major part of Fox League’s coverage is Matty Johns, who after seeing Marshall entering the Fox League launch in a helicopter joked that he had gone from the penthouse to the outhouse, but Crawley said Johns will always be front and centre of the coverage.
“He always makes a joke. That’s the Cesnock coming out in him. He will never be anything but the star of the show. He’s just a big star. He doesn’t want to be a big star but bad luck. That’s what he is.”
