What do you think of George Hook??

thomond2006 · 02-02-2009 06:56PM #1

Always wondered what all you rugby fans think of Hooky? Do you find he is a good pundit?

One thing is certain though, he always talks up the French!!:D:D

Rich1691 · 02-02-2009 06:59PM

What a hero, he might say something or make a prediction that will be completely wrong and when someone brings him up about it he'll somehow turn it around so it looks he was right, what a genius!

monaghanbiffo · 02-02-2009 07:03PM

i love hooky, its the only coverage worth waching, but in fairness i only watch it for the theatre of it all!!!

Hook knows F**k all from some of his crazy opinions but he is funny and he does articulate his viewpoint very well

The thing that really gets on my tits though is when some Norman starts repeating Hooks opinion as if it were fact on a Monday morning following an international. I hate that BS. The whole Tommy "No Pace" Bowe thing really pissed me off, but then that would!!!

villager · 02-02-2009 07:06PM

i think he is brilliant. oh how sky/bbc could do with him to liven their coverage.

02-02-2009 07:16PM

I enjoy his political views and radio show but thats about it.

He has no clue about rugby.
Hates Leinster
Hates Bod
Hates Tommy bowe

He just waxes lyrical about Munster but seems to talk them down at the same time as talking them up,they then win and he makes it out as if he didnt expect it but predicted it right.

Uneeded jibes towards Leinster when Munster were playing the AB's and his hatrid of Bod and Tommy Bowe especially is horrific at times.
Tommy Bowe must have given georges wife one.

Overall a rubbish rugby pundit who would be better giving guides around the natural history museum on a saturday instead of in the RTE Studios doing the rugby.

He also gives the casual fan a distorted opinion and overly wrong views,which is not good for rugby in ireland.

Stev_o · 02-02-2009 07:25PM

One of the worst pundits in the world imo (Even worst then Murray Mexted and he's pure comedy) i very much doubt Hook even watches any rugby these days because he has little to zero knowledge about any Ireland play or infact any Irish players outside the big two.

Podge_irl · 02-02-2009 07:31PM

Stev_o wrote: »

One of the worst pundits in the world imo (Even worst then Murray Mexted and he's pure comedy) i very much doubt Hook even watches any rugby these days because he has little to zero knowledge about any Ireland play or infact any Irish players outside the big two.

Pretty much my feelings too. He has admitted to only watching internationals and HEC rugby (and probably then only when Munster/Ireland are involved). He spouts ill-informed nonsense with great regularity and its ridiculous that he is given a podium to do so. Absolutely appalling pundit.

myflipflops · 02-02-2009 07:58PM

villager wrote: »

i think he is brilliant. oh how sky/bbc could do with him to liven their coverage.

While I agree that the Sky coverage has an enormous amount of bad aspects, I think Stuart Barnes is a very good rugby pundit and a top qulaity journalist generally.

bleg · 02-02-2009 07:58PM

DAVID WALLACE IS NOT AN OPENSIDE FLANKER!!!!!!

themont85 · 02-02-2009 08:04PM

Melon head.

Poor pundit, bad businessman and average on the radio. His redeaming features are is ability to come up with the odd gem of a line about players like Reggie Corrigan, comparing him to a yogurt left in the fridge too long. He's polished on screen too and ALWAYS gets in his preprepared lines, with something said by Winston Churchill a must for nearly every broadcast.

I despise the crap he comes out with about rugby, but one thing RTE do well and know it too, is how they promote entertainment style panels with Dunphy and Hook.

Stev_o · 02-02-2009 08:05PM

pwhite587 wrote: »

While I agree that the Sky coverage has an enormous amount of bad aspects, I think Stuart Barnes is a very good rugby pundit and a top qulaity journalist generally.

See the difference is if you watch Sky's analyst its exactly that some great insights into whats going on and some great opinions from the likes of Greenwood Fitzpatrick Quinnel.

On the other hand if you watch RTE's analyst its just a big circus where nothing gets discussed or nothing use full is said unless Conor O'Shea manages to get a word in between Pope and Hook.

themont85 · 02-02-2009 08:05PM

bleg wrote: »

DAVID WALLACE IS NOT AN OPENSIDE FLANKER!!!!!!

One thing i've agreed with him in the past was Ireland's reluctance to even have an out and out 7 like Gleeson in the fold before retirement.

Sangre · 02-02-2009 08:06PM

I hate him with every fibre of my body. Well, as much you can hate someone who you've only ever watched on TV. I used to be amused by his antics, stories and phrases but not the cons far outweigh the pros:

He knows nothing about rugby.
He never has a good thing to say about Ireland/Leinster. Even in victory he has to get in a cheap shot.
I have to listen to his opinion from poorly informed rugby fans as if it was fact.
He unfairly targets players/tactics and refuses to shut up about them, even in their success.

But the thing I despise him most of all for is he doesn't treat McGuirk with the contempt he deserves. They removed the table because his knee-jerk reactions kept knocking it over. The guy is clueless.

I now stick with BBC for commentary and analysis. Even if its bland at least it doesn't boil my blood. Starting to enjoy Sky analysis. I'm starting to find Barnes and Greenwood's enthusiam and knowledge infectious.

youcrazyjesus! · 02-02-2009 08:09PM

Predictable twat. I'm sick of him. At least Dunphy provides entertainment.

Dob74 · 02-02-2009 08:11PM

He's honest, never talks up ireland or munster.

Serenity Now! · 02-02-2009 09:28PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

Always wondered what all you rugby fans think of Hooky? Do you find he is a good pundit?

Contrarian, self-obssessed, over-reactive, attention-seeking fool. Guarantees I change the channel when on radio and guarantees that I record BBC coverage of rugby internationals.

eroo · 02-02-2009 09:42PM

Can't stand him, he does my head in!!

Does he actually have any coaching/playing experience?

anonymous_joe · 02-02-2009 09:53PM

eroo wrote: »

Can't stand him, he does my head in!!

Does he actually have any coaching/playing experience?

Coached the USA actually.

He can be amusing, but knows nothing compared to Pope and especially O'Shea.

chupacabra · 02-02-2009 10:10PM

He's a bit of craic really. He might be rather sensationalist in his views and his similes are outrageous at the best of times, but if you dont take things too seriously he makes the rte coverage watchable to be honest.

sm.org · 02-02-2009 10:15PM

Sangre wrote: »

I hate him with every fibre of my body. Well, as much you can hate someone who you've only ever watched on TV. I used to be amused by his antics, stories and phrases but not the cons far outweigh the pros:

He knows nothing about rugby.
He never has a good thing to say about Ireland/Leinster. Even in victory he has to get in a cheap shot.
I have to listen to his opinion from poorly informed rugby fans as if it was fact.
He unfairly targets players/tactics and refuses to shut up about them, even in their success.

But the thing I despise him most of all for is he doesn't treat McGuirk with the contempt he deserves. They removed the table because his knee-jerk reactions kept knocking it over. The guy is clueless.

I now stick with BBC for commentary and analysis. Even if its bland at least it doesn't boil my blood. Starting to enjoy Sky analysis. I'm starting to find Barnes and Greenwood's enthusiam and knowledge infectious.

You're a very angry person. Nice to have a life where George Hook is the most loathsome thing in it though.

Sparky14 · 02-02-2009 10:20PM

Agree with the majority that hes entertaining, the problem is when ppl who don't know any better start taking his views seriously. Sky is so positive about everything but they give a well informed balanced view. BBC is usually pretty good, can't watch it whenever Guscott is on tho.

[Jackass] · 02-02-2009 10:22PM

As a rugby pundit and analysist of the game, he's a completely clueless clown and you'd get about as much insight into the game from a homeless junkie on the streets of Roscommon town.

As a TV personality i like him. Like "Popey", I enjoy laughing at him and wouldn't take a word he says with any sort of seriousness what so ever. Every show needs it's clown. He's to RTE rugby what Ian Wright was to BBC football coverage.

chupacabra · 02-02-2009 10:24PM

Sparky14 wrote: »

Agree with the majority that hes entertaining, the problem is when ppl who don't know any better start taking his views seriously. Sky is so positive about everything but they give a well informed balanced view. BBC is usually pretty good, can't watch it whenever Guscott is on tho.

TV3s RWC 2007 coverage deserves a mention also, simply due to the fact that Matt Cooper is an absolutley dead person inside, you can see it in his eyes, im convinced he has no soul.

Sparky14 · 02-02-2009 10:58PM

chupacabra wrote: »

TV3s RWC 2007 coverage deserves a mention also, simply due to the fact that Matt Cooper is an absolutley dead person inside, you can see it in his eyes, im convinced he has no soul.

I suppose we better give a shout out for Setanta as well. I actually like Daire O'Brien (Spelling?) and Williams. Think Fitzgerald is very dull, find it difficult to believe he was an inspirational captain.

Quint · 02-02-2009 11:19PM

Hook is the Dunphy of rugby. But at least dunphy knows he's talking ****e and is just there for the entertainment, I don't think hook does.
He seems to want to see Ireland lose, just to prove him right.

big dan · 02-02-2009 11:19PM

The gas thing about George is that he's a real gent when you meet him. Nothing like the way he comes across on TV or when talking about rugby on the radio. He doesn't even sound like a grumpy old man!!

He serves his purpose as a WUM on rte.

Sangre · 02-02-2009 11:35PM

sm.org wrote: »

You're a very angry person. Nice to have a life where George Hook is the most loathsome thing in it though.

Spot on. Cheers for the psychoanalysis, I can give me anger therapy a miss this week.

Oafley Jones · 02-02-2009 11:35PM

My uncle was in his class in Secondary school. He was actually cut out of a picture that is in his book as well. "The Greatest Bulls****er of all time" is how he remembers him. He's amazed at Hook's involvement in rugby given the fact that man never touched nor saw a rugby ball in his school days.

D.S. · 02-02-2009 11:53PM

Hook is the most biased pundit ever..if you can get passed that himself and Popey are hilarious and make a dull game v interesting...

chupacabra · 02-02-2009 11:59PM

Quint wrote: »

Hook is the Dunphy of rugby. But at least dunphy knows he's talking ****e and is just there for the entertainment, I don't think hook does.
He seems to want to see Ireland lose, just to prove him right.

He has a bit of Giles in him aswell. Whereas Giles would say "Hold it there", Hook would say "Hold awhile now."

NickNolte · 03-02-2009 12:26AM

I like Hook's show on Newstalk and I think he's an entertaining enough character in most respects. He doesn't seem to have the first clue about rugby though. I avoid his retarded punditry the same way like I avoid Jonathan Davies and Brian Moore's biased commentary.

Will Greenwood's child-like enthusiasm and cringe-worthy gaffs FTW.

What do you think of George Hook??

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