Graeme Hughes has managed to avoid both Twitter and Facebook – the world of social media simply didn’t exist when he began calling cricket and rugby league for Channel 10 over 30 years ago, and he has yet to wrap his head around its place in his life now.
What’s certain, however, is that he would have been very pleased with the comments made by Fox League viewers after his Friday night comeback. The positivity of the tweets sent through flooded the @FOXNRL account, as viewers delighted at the return of his silky voice.
Graeme Hughes Thrilled with Positive Reception
Hughes did not miss a beat as he settled in and called South Sydney’s frenetic victory over St George Illawarra at the SCG. Seated alongside him were two of the athletes he called when their playing careers were still active, Greg Alexander and Steve Roach.
Hughes told Fox Sports that he was really grateful to everyone who had come aboard to support him, singling out those who had done so on social media networks. He went on to say that the only problem that he was facing these days is that he required lessons in how to use the various platforms from his kids!
More Good News for Fans of the NRL
The good news for those who enjoy watching the games and those who even place NRL bets here and there, is that they will not need to wait until the Retro Round of 2018 in order to hear Hughes again. He will, in fact, be in the box to call the Pepper Stadium clash between North Queensland and Penrith on Saturday.
One Game at a Time
Hughes has not, however, promised a full-time comeback yet. He shamefacedly resorted to a phrase he says he hates when he interviews players and coaches and said he was taking things one game at a time.
He was happy to have been given another chance by Steve Crowley, the Head of Fox Sports Television, and was especially grateful that the opportunity fell in with a game between the Cowboys and Penrith since these were two teams that were his favourites.
Hughes Never Officially Retired
Hughes went on to state that over the course of a 35-year career in media, he had never officially retired. This was because, he said, he simply loved the game too much, and added that he still drives his wife mad on the weekends by insisting on watching all of the rugby league games on TV.
Hughes remains a self-described rugby league nut, and his weekly 2SM radio chat show often sees the NRL as a topic of discussion.
Of course, there have been changes to the game since he debuted for Canterbury back in 1974, and even more since the last time he called the game on a full-time basis. Hughes has said that the biggest changes he has noticed is that the pace is much faster these days, and the fact that the defensive line has been pushed back by ten metres has changed the role that certain players take.
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