NRL commentators will have little excuse should they get the pronunciation of Canberra Raiders' player names wrong this season.
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After the All Stars game, broadcast professionals and their ability to pronounce player names correctly became a hot topic once again this pre-season.
In response to some criticism, several commentators spoke up on social media defending their craft and urging clubs to do more to help them get name pronunciation right.
Some players were quizzed during media obligations in the week that followed to provide clarity on their names, and the Raiders published a timely video online on the subject too.
Every player in the top NRL squad stood in front of camera and clearly said their name, providing commentators and fans a valuable reference point for this season and beyond.
"I used to go record them say it on my phone then share with other networks at game," rugby league commentator Joel Caine tweeted in response to the Raiders.
"I'm sure I wasn't the first but hallelujah.
"We still need to have it all housed in one spot for all teams and players [but] great what the Raiders have done here though."
![Canberra Raiders veteran Josh Papalii. Picture by Keegan Carroll Canberra Raiders veteran Josh Papalii. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/870eadd2-f83b-486b-9674-42414170c315.jpg/r0_389_5000_3211_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Young gun forward Ata Mariota (uh-tuh muh-rio-tah) along with Josh Papalii (puppa-li-ee), and Matt Timoko (tim-or-ko) highlighted the correct pronunciation for some Raiders players of Pasifika heritage.
But there were also some other eye-openers in Xavier Savage preferring a hard X ('ex-ay-vier') on his first name, and Nick Cotric (kot-rick) who last year actually back-flipped on his 2019 insistence to go with his surname's traditional Serbian pronunciation.
However players want it, media professionals and fans should be glad to have a clear understanding of how names are said.
"I thought that was pretty awesome seeing it straight from the horse's mouth," former Raiders forward and current wellbeing officer at the club, Sia Soliola, said.
Last year Raiders and ACT Brumbies players spoke to The Canberra Times about the bumbling efforts they'd endured over the years from commentators, and how it is appreciated when their name pronunciation is given greater attention.
Soliola said one year on, it's good that it's still an issue that is being respectfully discussed, and the standard of broadcasting and promoting the game's stars has improved.
"It's more for family back home, wherever that player's heritage may be. It's nice we've started to break down those barriers. Things are a lot better and are definitely improving," he said.
"For a lot of us, it can feel like the name is too complicated so we go with the flow and what is convenient for everybody.
"But it's nice to have that acknowledgement. It makes players feel more comfortable to say their name properly.
"If people see and hear conversations from families back in the islands for example and how much it means being recognised ... it really means a lot.
"People can still get it wrong, but it's about the effort of actually trying. That really means a lot to players."
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