Channel 4’s brilliantly biased punditry a breath of fresh air in rugby league

To many rugby league fans, Channel 4’s Super League coverage over the course of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 has been a breath of fresh air.

Between them Adam Hills and Helen Skelton no doubt attract a lot of casual fans given their fame outside of rugby league and the overall coverage is a new direction for the sport and a nice contrast to Sky Sports’.

This was summed up yesterday when they had perhaps the two most biased pundits in rugby league history.

As Leeds Rhinos took on Catalans Dragons yesterday Adam Hills was joined by former Rhino Danika Priim and Catalans Dragons star Sam Tomkins.

To their credit they were open from the start about their elegancies with Tomkins even sporting a Catalans jacket and with Hills saying: “We are perfectly impartial today with a representative from each side.”

It was refreshing to see almost a fan element in the coverage of the game and it is something football fans have grown accustomed to with the likes of Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville never being shy about their love for Liverpool and Manchester United and it was in contrast to the usual punditry in rugby league and added an extra element.

Especially when it came to predictions with Priim tipping Leeds to begin “their streak” saying:

“Leeds are going to begin their streak today, Leeds by four.”

Before Tomkins came up with a bizarre prediction that if it had come true would have sent the Dragons top:

“Danika knows nothing. You said we could be mathematically top of the table with a win so I’m going Catalans by 47 points.”

If that wasn’t funny enough for you, Hills then confirmed the prize:

“The winner gets a baguette covered in gravy.”