Buzz Rothfield.
Channel 9 obviously don’t rate the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Tigers get 5 Thursday or Friday night free to air games and Dolphins get 6. The Bulldogs get Zero.
While most are expecting highly regarded new coach Cameron Ciraldo to lift the club into finals contention, the free to air network doesn’t.
How else can you explain the fact that Canterbury is the only club in the competition not to get a prime-time TV slot on Thursday or Friday nights in 2023. Not even one.
We wonder what the Dogs’ general manager of football and Nine’s veteran commentator Phil Gould thinks of the snubbing. Maybe he’s lost his sway at the network.
Even the Warriors, Knights and Titans, three clubs expected to be wooden-spoon contenders, have scored a match in the best timeslot for their sponsors.
The Dogs are entering the season with huge expectations following the signing of second-rower Billy Kikau from the Panthers and Reed Mahoney from the Parramatta Eels.
While the Dogs have been left out of the picture, newcomers the Dolphins have been given six matches in prime time on Thursday and Friday nights.
That’s why the draw is now called a TV schedule. It’s to get Nine more viewers in Queensland.
All up Wayne Bennett’s team has 10 games on Channel 9 – two Thursday nights, four Friday nights, three Sunday afternoons and a Saturday night late in the season.
Interestingly the Bulldogs are not blowing up about it.
“It’s a necessary evil and it’s where we’re at,” said chief executive Aaron Warburton.
“I actually reckon Fox Sports will be happy about us getting the raw end.
“I’d love two or three in prime time but it’s all about where we’ve been the last few years.”
Warburton says it can actually be a bonus for their army of Bulldogs supporters.