Roy and H.G. back for 2014 grand finals

Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson will return to the commentary box for the 2014 NRL and AFL grand finals, bringing their unique brand of coverage to ABC Radio for the ‘Festival of the Boot’.

Much loved in days past for their humorous and critical State of Origin commentary, Roy and H.G’s days behind the mic at iconic footy games are often reminisced upon with a smile.

A return to the commentary box for the inaugural ‘Festival of the Boot’ in 2012 was welcomed with open arms, and the success carried on to the 2013 grand final season.

It has now been confirmed that the duo will return in 2014.

The pair made their name on the national scale during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, with their nightly show ‘The Dream with Roy and H.G.’. The success of which saw them follow up at proceeding summer and winter Olympic Games.

Most recently, they were invited to join Network Ten, hosting a nightly recap show titled ‘Roy and H.G’s Russian Revolution’ during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Now, a place on the air for two of the nation’s most iconic sporting events provides a perfect opportunity for fans to rekindle their love for the pair’s distinctive style of sporting commentary every year.

H.G. shared his excitement for the upcoming broadcasts, stating that “2014 could be the best Festival ever. With everyone rooting for Team Australia, the nation is united as never before, under the banner of the Boot”.

And Roy also shared some insight: “Team Australia is the side they all want to be in, because it is chockablock full of grunt and poke with not a pillow in sight. Just ask the Brick with Eyes”.

Coverage details:
The Boot Part One: the AFL Grand Final from 2:00pm AEST, Saturday 27 September, live from the MCG.

The Boot Part Two: the NRL Grand Final, 7:00pm ADST, Sunday October 5, live from the Olympic Stadium.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/09/15/roy-h-g-back-2014-grand-finals/

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  • Great news.

    Mute the TV and have a listen.

  • "Made their name on a national scale during the 2000 Olympic Games..." No, they were on the ABC a long time before that.
  • 1996 GF when Manly ran out they were talking about Nazi's and when the Dragons ran out, "here come the allies". Lol
  • What about "the brick with eyes"? lol

    Was that Gillespie?

    Great stuff.

    • Jamie Ainscough The Cough Drop A play on the pronunciation of Ainscough's surname. He was also called 'the prettiest sight in rugby league,' due to his bizarre running style.
      Braith Anasta The Black Hole Roy and HG noted during one match that Anasta's effectiveness in the New South Wales defence was like a hole that Queensland players could break through with little trouble. "There's a hole out there, and it's called Anasta".
      Braith Anasta Death and Poison A nickname picked up during the 2007 origin series. Anasta made several errors with the ball, after which Roy and HG suggesting that everything he touched turned to Death and Poison.
      Braith Anasta The Car Horn Given to Anasta during the 2007 series, as Roy and HG point out, the horn doesn't do anything for the car except make noise.
      David Barnhill Mockers To "put the mocker on someone" is to similar to a curse or a bad luck wish. Roy and HG named Barnhill "Mockers" because of the numerous losing grand final teams he had been a part of.
      Greg Bird Tweet Tweet Occasionally named Tweet Tweet because of his last name "Bird."
      Greg Bird The Personality For growing a moustache and therefore having more personality than anyone else on the field
      Tim Brasher The boy/man on the bike Brasher entered first grade while still at school.
      Danny Buderus Butterball Buderus Possibly because of his poor ball handling in a State of Origin match.
      John Cartwright The Burning Map The TV series Bonanza, whose protagonists were the Cartwright family, featured a burning map in its intro sequence.
      Matt Cooper The Brown Polish Cooper was tackled several times in the first and second games of 2007 on top of some of the advertising paint on the playing field, most of which was black or red in colour, causing Cooper's face and legs to get covered in a black/red/brown "polish." Most of the other players ended up with this as well. This nickname also alludes to the coaching polish put on Cooper by his St George-Illawarra club coach Nathan Brown.
      Laurie Daley Tooley In reference to an alleged dressing room incident following the Canberra Raiders' first grand final win in 1989, where Daley celebrated by allegedly popping his own "magnum" of champagne, in full view of his team mates and then Prime Minister Bob Hawke. "Tool" is a slang word used often by Roy and HG for penis.
      Jim Dymock The Doctor's Feet Dymock suffered foot problems during his career.
      Ben Elias Backdoor Benny Often shortened to just "The Door." 1. Benny Elias occasionally attempted to pass the ball behind his back, or "through the back door," with mixed success. 2. This nickname alludes to Benny's alleged sexual predilections.
      Ben Elias The Crimea look During a 1990s State of Origin appearance, Backdoor Benny suffered a nasty head gash during the game which required a bandage. By the end of the game, the wound was so bad that a lot of blood had seeped through the bandage and was all over his face and jersey. The Blues ended up winning the game and Elias's mother ran on the field to congratulate him. This post-match hug resulted in his mother being covered in blood also. The Roy and HG nickname is derived from Elias's appearance more resembling a warring soldier than a sportsman.
      Andrew Ettingshausen The Nudist After nude pictures taken of "ET" in the shower were published by Blue Magazine, Ettingshausen sued for invasion of privacy. Also referred to as The Flathead in response to the nude dressing room photo. The flathead fish observed from above is said to have a similar profile to a man's penis.
      Brad Fittler Captain in a cab While captaining New South Wales, Fittler was found unconscious and incoherently drunk in front of a police station, unable to communicate his name or address. After three hours he was sober enough to remember his address and he was loaded into a cab by police officers.[1]
      Craig Fitzgibbon Raw Bones Named because of his bald head and thin bony physique, resembling a skeleton.
      Bryan Fletcher Old Man River The nickname was given as a reference to his age, being one of the oldest players on the team.
      Mark Gasnier Fire Up Bitch! Gasnier was fired from the 2004 New South Wales State of Origin team for leaving an obscene voice mail message on a woman's mobile phone after a 'bonding session'[2]. The transcript of the phone message is as follows:

      "Where the fuck are you? There's four toey humans in the cab with sausages ready to spurt sauce. It's 20 to four...and you're in bed, fuck me. Fire up, you sad cunt."[3]

      Roy and HG also shorten this nickname to variations such as "the F.U.B.," "fubby" and "the fubster."

      Mark Gasnier Shimmy, Shimmy, Whoosh! From an NRL Pog describing Gasnier's step maneuver as the Shimmy, Shimmy, Whoosh.
      Mark Geyer The Tap He can run hot and cold, or "turn it on" i.e. on-field violence. By extension, Geyer's younger brother Matt is "Tap II."
      Kurt Gidley Giddy-up Gidley The younger brother of Matthew Gidley, and has had the nickname handed down to him.
      Kurt Gidley Newcastle's finest slicer Often shortened to just 'The Slicer.' Named after one particular match where Kurt constantly broke or 'sliced' through Queensland's defensive line. Also prior to becoming a first grade footballer, Gidley was an apprentice butcher.
      Matthew Gidley Giddy-up Gidley See above.
      Ryan Girdler 'No Sex Please' I'm Ryan Girdler Often shortened to No Sex Please. A reference to the play No Sex Please, We're British. Taken from Girdler's reluctance on The Footy Show to interact with any females, when engaged to be married (Girdler ended up not marrying).
      Craig Gower The man in the taxi After Gower was involved in an off field incident involving a taxi.
      Jarryd Hayne Hip Head Hayne In the 2008 State of Origin Hayne was briefly knocked out because he hit his head against another player's hip.
      Terry Hill Fizzer During a particular game, Roy and HG noted how most plays involving Terry Hill "fizzed out" due to factors such as his poor ball-handling skills. From that point onwards he was dubbed "Fizzer Hill," with the pair shouting "FIZZ! FIZZ! FIZZ!" whenever he was passed the ball. During his final appearances for New South Wales, the older Hill was lampooned by Slaven for being "too old, too slow, too stupid" whenever he was brought into play. Slaven and Nelson surmised that Hill wasn't in the New South Wales side for his sporting talent, but rather for his personal qualities (calling him "the funniest man in rugby league"). In his 1996 book Petrol, Bait, Ammo & Ice, HG Nelson mused "imagine the mayhem the world would have to endure if Terry couldn't find an outlet for his enthusiasm in the League."
      Terry Hill The Lobster Fisherman/Lobster Expert Derived from an incident after his playing days when Hill was caught stealing lobsters from pots that didn't belong to him, resulting in Hill facing the Magistrates Court.
      Nathan Hindmarsh Money Box Man This nickname is drawn from the term 'coin slot' to describe an 'arse crack' or buttock cleavage. Hindmarsh's shorts would often be worn low, with his coin slot exposed to the TV cameras.
      John Hopoate Stinkfist Although he was described by a 2005 newspaper story as "the most suspended player of the modern era"[4], Hopoate is best known for the incidents that lead to his sacking from the Wests Tigers in 2001. During a 2001 match against the North Queensland Cowboys, Hopoate attempted to insert his finger into the anuses of Paul Bowman and Glenn Morrison in an effort to unsettle them. This incident, and the following rugby league judiciary decision to ban him for 12 weeks, was widely publicised by the sporting and mainstream media and left Hopoate humiliated. The Roy and HG nickname is drawn from the 1996 Tool song "Stinkfist" and is a result of Roy and HG asking their listeners what his boxing name should be (as he left rugby league to pursue a career in boxing). "Stinkfist" (often shortened to "Stinky") is one of the suggestions. Another was "Dr. Digit."
      Rodney Howe Needles/The Chemist In 1998, Howe was suspended for 22 weeks for using a prohibited steroid in the treatment of a leg injury.
      Andrew Johns The Unmade Bed Roy and HG once read a feature story which detailed some of Johns' on-tour habits. Specifically, the article mentioned Johns' technique of going to bed fully dressed in his traveling clothes following a late night out on the town. This allowed him to get an extra 15 minutes sleep the next morning, although his crumpled clothes took upon an "unmade bed" appearance for the following day. While playing in the 1997 Grand Final with a punctured lung, he was also granted the name "One Bung Lung." Was also called 'the third chair' - reference to band Silverchair from Newcastle.
      Ben Kennedy The President The nickname was given after a comment made by Slaven or Nelson remarking how much Kennedy looks like his namesake, former US President John F. Kennedy. In reality the burly, bald-headed Kennedy looks nothing like JFK, but Roy and HG ran with this joke by making references to Air Force One and The White House when Kennedy had possession of the ball. Other nicknames include "Ken Bennedy" and "Dead Kennedy" (in reference to the punk band Dead Kennedys).
      Glenn Lazarus The Brick With Eyes The nickname is because of Glenn's large, solid physique. Roy and HG have also called him "Dr Death." The United Kingdom's The Sun newspaper once got this name wrong and called him "The Brick with Ears."
      Adam MacDougall Mad Dog MacDougall, Drugs Was referred to as "Drugs" after testing positive to performance enhancing drugs in 1998.
      Willie Mason The Brains Trust The nickname originated in the aftermath of the 2004 Canterbury Bulldogs sex scandal, in which Mason was labeled a central figure. His club later claimed that Mason has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). [5]. After his move to the Sydney Roosters, also labelled the New face of the Eastern Suburbs.
      Steve Menzies Methuselah Menzies played in the New South Wales team until 2006, when he was aged 32 years old. During his final appearances, having played professional rugby league since 1993, Roy and H.G. made exaggerated references to Menzies' age, such as calling him "Methuselah" and claiming he was around 800 years old and had made 400 origin appearances.
      Steve Mortimer The Prince of Darkness A play on his sinister appearance and demeanour.
      Mark O'Meley Dencorub Man A reference to the rumour that O'Meley rubbed Dencorub (a deep heat cream) on his bald head before the game to fire himself up. More recently they have referred to him as "Mad Dog O'Meley" in the absence of Adam MacDougall.
      Michael O'Connor Tiberius In reference to his nickname, "Snoz," and the famous Roman nose.
      Tommy Raudonikis Pronounced "Ra-donny-kiss", Roy and HG render Tommy's name as "Raw-don-neek-us", which they claim to be the correct Greek pronunciation. Raudonikis is Lithuanian. Also known as "Tom Tomato" due to his tomato-growing prowess.
      Steve Roach Blockhead A variation of his normal nickname, "Blocker."
      Ian Roberts "Totally" Ian Roberts Named after a fictitious fashion label that Slaven and Nelson invented for the well dressed, homosexual Ian Roberts.
      Paul Sironen The Buttocks Sironen's short shorts made his buttocks look quite prominent. Another memorable feature of the commentary was HG saying "don't the poms hate Sirro, Roy?" - a reference to the fear he struck in the Englishmen when representing Australia.
      Jason Stevens Stupid Stevens A crude nickname which was used after Stevens made a number of mistakes in a match.
      Jason Stevens Praise the Lord Pastor Stevens A reference to his Christian faith.
      Brett Stewart The Try-scoring Wizard Due to his impressive performance in scoring a try in his debut match in 2007. The name is taken from his NRL Tazo. This is sometimes shortened to "The Wizard" or interchanged with "The Try-scoring Machine." He was also lampooned during the 2008 Origin series for failing to break tackles, something he is ordinarily a master of.
      Timana Tahu Tim Tam Tahu Named after the Australian chocolate biscuit brand, Tim Tams.
      Shaun Timmins Tea bag Timmins Named so due to the phonetic sound of Timmins and its similarity with Tea bag.
      Anthony Watmough Sponge-kiss During his first Origin appearance in game 1 2005 Watmough was used only sparingly off the bench and played little game time. He also had a very little impact in the second row. After the game he was dropped and replaced by Steven Menzies. Ever since that poor performance Roy and HG have dubbed him the Sponge Kiss to signify his lack of impact. Also known as AVO Watmough
      Rod Wishart The fastest man in league Made after Wishart, a winger, was chased down by the 'Ungrateful Head,' a front row forward, after breaking away. Roy and HG also suggest that people should 'put the kettle on' or 'put the cat out' when Wishart gets the ball - implying that nothing happens when Wishart is in possession.
      Craig Young Constable Craig, Fat Albert Contable Craig is a reference to his employment in the New South Wales police force. "Fat Albert" results from combining his actual nickname "Albert" with his girth, and the resulting facial resemblance to the cartoon character of the same name
    • Thanks for posting that. So many memories. It had me laughing. There were some I couldn't believe I had forgotten!
  •  A great day (night?) awaits us. As PF says, turn the sound on the TV off and listen to Roy and HG. Much better than the TV commentary.

  • Woo Hoo, great stuff.

  • Unmade bed,
    Cough drop,
    Back door Benny,
    Brick with eyes,
    Prune,
    Cumquat,
    Salt and vinegar,
    Datsun 180B man,
    Fireup bitch,
    Adolf (fittler)
    • Yobz:    One I remember with affection, relating to SOO : "Terry Hill is hopeless, . Good for Flegg! Useless for SOO!!

This reply was deleted.

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