- 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 (apart from Monday Night matches) until the end of the games are broadcast on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, with a talkback/humour programme broadcast on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Contents
Team Members
Current Team Members
- Ray Hadley (football commentator, and 2GB's morning show presenter).
- 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 Marn" Brohman (ex-Canterbury Bulldogs and Penrith Panthers player, football commentator and ex-Nine Network presenter)
- Andrew Moore (football commentator, and substitute for Hadley)
- Other team members include Don Moseley ('Around the Grounds' reporter), Joel Caine ('Around the Grounds' reporter and fill-in co-commentator)
Former Team Members
- In 2004, Peter "Chippy" Frilingos, who was a member of the team, and chief rugby league writer for The Daily Telegraph, died of a heart attack while working for the Telegraph. His spot was not filled for the remainder of the 2004 NRL season. A replacement was found in former rival, and ex-2UE commentator Darryl Brohman.
- Tony "Magoo" Megahey (sideline commentator, and rugby league writer)
- John Gibbs
- Peter Jackson
- Andrew Voss
- Wayne Pearce
- Ray Price
- Laurie Daley
- Greg Alexander
- Paul Sironen
- Dean "Bulldog" Ritchie
Coverage
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 7 pm to 9:45 pm, Saturdays from 12 pm through to around 8 pm, and on Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm. 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 representative 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.
In 2008 and 2009, the network carrying 2GB's coverage has grown, with stations in Northern Queensland, Northern Territory and the Central Coast carrying the program.
Network stations
New South Wales
- Sydney - 2GB
- Newcastle - KOFM
- Orange - 2GZ
- Port Macquarie - 2MC
- Coffs Harbour - 2CS
- Lithgow - 2LT
- South Coast and the Southern Highlands - 2ST
- Muswellbrook - 2NM
- Bathurst - 2BS
- Bega - 2EC
- Gosford - Star FM
- Cooma- 2XL
- Goulburn - 2GN
Australian Capital Territory
Queensland
- Brisbane - 4BC
- Kingaroy - 1071AM
- Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Fraser Island - MIXFM
- Charters Towers - 4GC
- Toowoomba - 4GR
- Emerald - 4HI
- Townsville - 4K1G and HOT FM
- Charleville - 4VL
- Mount Isa - 4LM
- Roma - 4ZR
CAAMA FM Central Australia
- Ali Curung 103.7
- Alice Springs 100.5
- Amilatwatja 107.7
- Batchelor 93.7
- Bathurst Island 95.3
- Ceduna 99.9
- Coober Pedy 102.9
- Daly River 102.9
- Ernabella 102.9
- Finke 102.9
- Groote Eylandt 102.1
- Hermannsburg 103.7
- Kalkaringi 102.9
- Katherine 104.5
- Kintore 102.9
- Lajamanu 102.9
- Maningrida 105.3
- Mataranka 104.7
- Mount Todd 95.7
- Ngukurr 102.9
- Oak Valley 106.5
- Papunya 102.9
- Penong 102.3
- Santa Teresa 103.7
- Tarcoola 102.9
- Tennant Creek 102.9
- Titjikala 97.5
- Willowra 102.9
- Yuendumu 102.9
- Yulara 102.1
Western Australia
- Perth - 91.3 SportFM
Victoria
Papua New Guinea
- Port Moresby - FM 100
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, Joel Caine and Peter Psaltis.
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. Another regular, "Burnsie", is known for his interesting love life, which he is always reluctant to discuss.
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 programme over the weekend, but not games.
The Robertson Brothers are a band who help with creating many songs for the show.
Fridays
The Continuous Call Team broadcasts Friday Night Football from 7.00pm (with the kick-off at 7.30pm) till 9.45pm. Andrew Moore calls the selected scheduled game that's on the Nine Network in Sydney with Steve Roach, and Darryl Brohman on the sidelines.
Saturdays
Between 12pm and 5pm, the programme 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 programme runs longer during the Finals series), the programme moves to a live broadcast from wherever the 5.30pm NRL match is being played. The program is hosted by Moore, with Roach. 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.
Sundays
The programme 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 2pm or 3pm, Andrew Moore with Steve Roach and Darryl Brohman broadcasts 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.
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.
In 2011, Hadley gave up commentating games with Moore calling all three weekend games.
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). The 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.
CCT TV
In 2008, a 30 minute program known as CCT TV - Weekend Detention, featuring video of the team in the studio of a Saturday afternoon was produced for the RugbyLeagueLive.com website.
External links
Categories:- Continuous Call Team
- Australian rugby league commentators
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