In case the lead image hasn’t already tipped you off, this yarn (sadly) isn’t about the objectively terrible AFL incarnation of The Footy Show, much as we’re loathe to say.
Rather, today’s news concerns the slightly-less-talked-about NRL Footy Show.
Channel Nine is reportedly set to swing the axe on the long-running rugby league show after 24-years on the air, with producers reportedly telling host Paul Vautin that the network will instead produce a revamped league show, and that Vautin will not be a part of it.
A report published by Fairfax Media this afternoon states that the timeslot (in states above the Barassi Line) will be filled by a one-hour program hosted by current Footy Show host Erin Molan.
This decision also leaves the futures of Darryl Brohman and Beau Ryan up in the air. While Vautin is expected to run out the remainder of his contract in the Channel Nine commentary booth, what’s to become of Brohman and Ryan’s roles is decidedly less clear.
There’s also the quiet word that Nine will attempt to launch a Monday night NRL panel show, the equivalent of the network’s existing AFL-based Footy Classified.
The Sunday Footy Show with host James Bracey is not affected by this move.
The axing comes at a particularly curious time, given that the network championed its return in 2018 a mere week ago. But despite historic success and 11 Logie Awards, ratings for the show had experienced a sharp decline in recent times. Add to that the fact that Nine plans to broadcast 23 Thursday night NRL games live next season, and the future of the program is virtually untenable.
Instead, a leaner, tighter, sixty-minute show with Molan at the helm will be developed, with details to be confirmed at a later date. Though it’s not confirmed, today’s news suggests it’s a virtual certainty that new programme will not carry the Footy Show moniker.
Now then, if we can get a repeat of this decision down in Melbourne we’ll really be cooking with gas…
