Sean Maloney: After 15 Years Commentating Rugby, I’ve Finally Lost My Voice Live on Air

After 15 years of commentating on rugby, it finally transpired on Saturday night.

My voice went completely on air. Vanished, just like that. There had been close calls in the past.

A rather unfortunate encounter with chain-smoking French cameramen at the 2018 Under-20 World Championships had catastrophic effects a week later during the London Sevens.

On that day, while attempting to commentate on Semi Radradra, I found myself hoarsely shouting “Go get ’em, Semi” before my producer had to step in and take over.

There was also an ill-fated satay stick responsible for a bout of food poisoning in the commentary box during the Brisbane Tens at Suncorp Stadium, which had me swiftly exiting the scene.

More recently, I’ve watched voice gremlins plague my colleague Nick McArdle on Sports Sunday, and I remember Tony Johnson from Sky NZ had to step back just before an All Blacks Test last year.

But to lose my voice just 20 minutes into a Super Rugby Pacific match? That’s absolutely shocking. Thankfully, my good mate Andrew Swain, who I shared a ride back from Canberra with the night before, was in the producer’s chair and he made a seamless switch to the headset.

The entire incident nearly sent expert commentator and former Wallaby Cam Shepherd into a tailspin, causing him to turn pale at the thought of needing to step into the play-by-play role.

Swain, who’s managing his Olympic curling aspirations alongside commentary and production, will be back again this weekend for the Queensland Reds vs Western Force match in Brisbane.

THE HBF PARK CURSE

The resilience of the Force and the quality of their squad and staff are beyond doubt.

However, what’s currently becoming concerning for the Perth team is their inability to score points at HBF Park. In their last five matches at the venue, they have only managed to score 14, 24, 17, 14, and 17 points.

This past Saturday, a noticeable frustration could be felt from the ever-supportive ‘Sea of Blue’ fanbase.

Throughout the world of sport, other teams have broken performance curses through some unorthodox methods.

The Boston Red Sox, for instance, once enlisted the help of a witch doctor to lift the infamous ‘Curse of the Bambino’, ultimately winning the World Series in 2004.

I’m not sure if any such assistance is on offer before the Force’s next outing at HBF, but it might be worth asking around.

THE COLD-BLOODED ‘NARRABRI KID’

Waratahs fullback Sid Harvey was on fire with his kicking and unflappable under pressure, leading the Waratahs to a stunning victory against the Brumbies on Friday night.

This win is especially significant as the Waratahs had stumbled in 17 of their previous 19 encounters against the Canberra side.

To highlight the magnitude of Harvey’s performance, he was merely 12 years old the last time the Waratahs triumphed at this venue.

A proud resident of Narrabri—assuming that’s the right term for those from the beautiful town situated 520km northwest of Sydney—Harvey had long dreamed of representing the Waratahs, and his flawless kicking performance helped secure a potentially season-defining win.

The 20-year-old also boasts impressive skills as a cricketer.

In any imagined Aussie rugby XI, he’d undoubtedly vie for first pick alongside Harry Wilson and former sevens teammate Aden Ekanayake.

REDS SWEEPED AWAY IN WELLINGTON

As the Waratahs broke their long-standing drought in Canberra, the Reds sought their first victory at the Cake Tin in an agonising 28 years.

Trailing 24-14 at half-time, Queensland fans held out some hope. However, a poor performance in the second half saw the home side score 28 unanswered points, sealing an easy win.

One silver lining for the Reds was the return of Tom Lynagh, who had been largely absent throughout the 2026 season.

The Wallabies fly-half, who has battled through a series of head injury assessments and injuries over the last couple of seasons, made a solid appearance off the bench.

Here’s hoping he continues to regain his stride and enjoys uninterrupted rugby moving forward.

The Canes’ convincing win has positioned them as tournament favourites, overtaking the Chiefs.

VICTORIOUS WALLAROOS

The Australian women kicked off their Test season with a splendid performance, defeating Fiji 33-15 in Canberra on Friday. Interim coach Sam Needs introduced six new players into the mix, including the promising sevens player Piper Simons, who had never previously played XV-a-side rugby.

True to expectations, the Fijians kept the score competitive before Australian speedsters Desi Miller and Maya Stewart sealed the game for the Wallaroos.

Stewart, who made her debut in the sevens world series in Singapore earlier this year, is already the leading try-scorer in Wallaroos history and looks poised for an impressive 2026 if her recent display is anything to judge by.

‘GOOG’ ON FIRE

Stan Sport commentator Justin Harrison has been delivering some absolute gems in his commentary lately.

His finest moment yet came when he described the Brumbies’ Rob Valetini, who was back at his punishing best in Canberra. “He’s terrifying. The kind of guy who shows up in your nightmares and you wake up bruised,” ‘Goog’ quipped.

ROYALS TRIUMPH OVER WHITES

In a departure from tradition, the Canberra Royals faced off against the Queanbeyan Whites during their joint golf day last week, with the Royals emerging victorious.

Guided by Brumbies star Andy Muirhead, the Royals secured a comfortable win on the beautiful and challenging layout. Muirhead was joined by teammate Hudson Creighton and former Wallaby Sam Norton-Knight for this first of many matches between the two clubs.

Each of the trio delivered commendable golf shots, with the day being led by pro Jake Nagle, who played alongside ex-Wallaby Rod Kafer last year, when the former fly-half famously achieved a hole-in-one at Federal. “It was never in doubt,” Nagle exclaimed.