Of course the fact that Des's notes on Sligo probably consisted of "Sligo, also known as Yeats county, and this guy..? O'Hara used to play for them", were of no help, hence the amusing look of bemusement!!

ha! Ha! this is very true offally man. The show needs a revamp. it needs to be a match-of-the-day style show. By that I mean show every game that is played that day. They have cameras there and they own the rights so they can show them. If you missed the live match during the day then you can always record it. most people dont want to see it taking up the whole highlights program too (and with the same analysts making the same comments as earlier in the day). I think there should be proper professional analysts , not necessarly ex-players who have proper jobs and don't have time to do research. why not employ someone with some proper sports journalist credentials who wouldn't be tied or affiliated to any county team. someone from say the independent,Times or another newspaper. or give someone new a break. Frankly I'm fed up with Brolly,Spillane and O'Rourke . While I like Des as a person. I think he could improve on his presentation too.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 31/05/2013 12:32:34    1395813

Unfortunately, Cahill can't improve, he's radio material, end of. It was better when Spillane anchored it, at least it was funnier, maybe Brolly for Anchor, no? lol

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 31/05/2013 13:39:14    1395879

I agree with previous poster Whelan and Brolly offer alot, Spillane and O'Rourke just there to create a media profile for themselves,

Not many gaels will know that Brolly gives away his massive RTE salary each year to charity or to GAA clubs

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1691 - 31/05/2013 14:05:51    1395912

We are not going to see any changes made to The Sunday Game. Eamonn O Hara is a dream come true for them. He is controversial. He will divide opinion. He will draw criticism from most reasonable people which can only mean one thing- he will bring in ratings. You will not see him shipped out. His rant against Kevin Walsh was gold. It doesnt matter that Kevin Walsh could not defend himself.

Controversy is needed to produce a good sporting analysis show. But a real insight should go hand in hand with that. I have seen very little coherent analysis from Joe Brolly since he joined the team. He has heralded the end of kerry football from the word go. There is no problem with criticising kerry and long may it remain that way. I have criticised them as much as anyone. But Brolly is the worst I have seen. He is more interested in outraging Kerry, and Pat Spillane, than providing good analysis. I cannot recall many incidents of Joe Brolly producing examples and analysing footage and providing any real insight. He is more interested in making grand statements. He was spot on in predicting Donegal to win last years all-ireland. But, he was embarrassed when Cork beat Tyrone in 2009. He was reduced to a laughing, guffawing bystander after Kerry destroyed Armagh in the second half of their 2006 quarterfinal. I am not criticising Armagh or Tyrone. It is not their fault that Brolly was there main cheerleader and they had some great days (some against Kerry). Brolly is not a good analyst. But he is a good ratings winner.

Thats the problem. RTE cant see past that. Brolly (and so far Hara) has never impressed me or many others but hes still there, and it looks like he has a job for life. But look at Donal Og Cusack. He will be a magnificent addition. Cusack will be controversial. He has never shyed away from having an opinion, a controversial opinion. But he has already shown that he has a serious GAA brain, and highlighted some wonderful pieces that many would have ignored in relation to the work of Henry Shefflin off the ball. It was not bull* analysis, it was proper.

Anthony Tohill was a very good analyst and as we all know in Kerry he wasnt afraid to speak out. We were very good at pretending he did us an injustice in 2010 but of course he was right to highlight Paul Galvins misdeeds (galvin himself never denied that).

Pat Spillane is not brilliant, but he does a decent enough job of highlighting good play of the way he believes football should be played and can be played to counter the blanket defence. I think he is disrespectful to Northern teams at times but no way more so than Brolly is to Kerry. (and Dublin and Cork).

Kevin McStay and Dara Cinneide are good analysts but are not likely to have that bite that makes for good television. Match of the Day is a dull show and the Sunday Game should never be like that. It should not be an inoffencive sit on the fence show. But it doesnt need to be. There are good opinionated analysts who will provide for good viewing and good analysis. But we dont need to be watching a circus every Sunday.

What will change? Nothing. O'Hara might join the big three though. That might change.

moomoo (Kerry) - Posts: 4023 - 04/06/2013 20:46:45    1398830

Great post moomoo.

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 04/06/2013 21:02:39    1398844

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 1293

1395879 Unfortunately, Cahill can't improve, he's radio material, end of. It was better when Spillane anchored it, at least it was funnier, maybe Brolly for Anchor, no? lol

Id say brolly would want a more michael Parkinson type show. His first guest would prob be JMG and he would probably drool over him like a love struck teenager. :)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 04/06/2013 21:05:54    1398854

Moomoo

With that last post, would put you on it!

Serioussly good balanced post. I agreed with every single word you said. I was a massive fan of Anthony Tohill when he was there. A massive loss to the show.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 04/06/2013 21:09:41    1398859

LOL realdub, I have seen Joe in action in the court room,
and I can tell ya this, he is wasted on the Sunday game!
RTE should grow some and put him on primetime, let
Joe tear into the politicians and leave the volunteers
alone! RTE would have some ratings then I tell ya.
Say what ya want about him (and I have), but the man has
balls of brass! Just a thought! ;)

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 04/06/2013 21:20:05    1398870

The problem with Brolly is the same as with Dunphy. Behind all the nonsense he is usually right when it comes to analysing games or teams, but goes away over the top in making his point with the camera on him. Instead of saying something like he thinks Kerry will get beat today - he'll say they're useless, finished and a disgrace to football!

Tohill should have been an example to him as someone who can have his own opinion without turning it into a circus. I don't mind Spillane and McStay they have good footballing brains but O'Rourke is dead wood.

SeanieSense (Donegal) - Posts: 328 - 04/06/2013 21:40:00    1398897

I thought Dermot Earley was quite good on Sunday evening,
good honest fella who knows what he is talking about and no
agenda!
Bring back Tohill, he was the best analyst that show ever had.

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 06/06/2013 19:09:44    1400648

06/06/2013 19:09:44
TheGateKeeper
County: Tyrone
Posts: 1747

1400648
I thought Dermot Earley was quite good on Sunday evening,
good honest fella who knows what he is talking about and no
agenda!
Bring back Tohill, he was the best analyst that show ever had.

Don't be silly, he talks too much sense, and for that reason alone RTE won't bring him back. They prefer to feed the GAA viewing public with Spillane's drivel.

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 06/06/2013 19:18:21    1400658

s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 2047



The show needs a revamp. it needs to be a match-of-the-day style show. By that I mean show every game that is played that day. They have cameras there and they own the rights so they can show them. If you missed the live match during the day then you can always record it. most people dont want to see it taking up the whole highlights program too (and with the same analysts making the same comments as earlier in the day). I think there should be proper professional analysts , not necessarly ex-players who have proper jobs and don't have time to do research. why not employ someone with some proper sports journalist credentials who wouldn't be tied or affiliated to any county team. someone from say the independent,Times or another newspaper. or give someone new a break. Frankly I'm fed up with Brolly,Spillane and O'Rourke . While I like Des as a person. I think he could improve on his presentation too.

Oh God no !! however bad the current group on The Sunday Game is please don't inflict press journalists on us. They are quite simply woeful.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6199 - 06/06/2013 21:16:34    1400770

Pat Spillane is not brilliant, but he does a decent enough job of highlighting good play of the way he believes football should be played and can be played to counter the blanket defence. I think he is disrespectful to Northern teams at times but no way more so than Brolly is to Kerry. (and Dublin and Cork).

Can't agree with you on this moomoo. Spillane continually mentions the blanket defence and then states the blatantly obvious when he talks about how to beat it. He is not telling us anything a twelve year old doesn't know. His contributions in relation to the blanket defence and also in relation to GPS vests on The Sunday game last Sunday night week were beyoond embarrassing. He is way past his sell by date.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6199 - 06/06/2013 21:26:10    1400780

Spillane is wrong on a lot of things but he hit the nail on the head regarding the GPS vests. Gimmicky nonsense that has few tangible benefits for football as far as I'm concerned.

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 06/06/2013 21:41:23    1400793

I just want to see the B@#$dy games. why do we need someone to tell us their football philosophy over and over again. just show us highlights of all the games played on a particular weekend with a commentator on each game. Asegards analysis, stick to the actual game and mention who played well and highlight a few good moves etc. We don't want these rants especially from Brolley concerning how Donegal play the game or how they would destroy so-and-so or how Neil Magee would not have let a certain forward run through on goal. I will reserve judgement on O' Hara as the Sligo thing was obviously very close to his heart and a one-off .

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 07/06/2013 08:52:19    1400820

I was just thinking that recently Joe brolly made a point about Jim Mcguinness.He said that Jim didn't agree with the substitution of Eoin Bradley in the league final this year.Joe asked why,and Jim responded by saying that you should never substitute your best player,even if hes playing badly, because he needs to know that the management have faith in him.Joe said that HE WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT and used it as an example of Jims genius. Fair enough, right?
The only problem is that in last years quarter final against Laois,BB didn't play well and was substituted by Pat Gilroy. Joe criticized the substitution saying it only damaged Brogans confidence and that Giller should have left him on,even though he wasn't playing well.In other words, Brolly had thought of that.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 07/06/2013 09:52:16    1400859

The reason Brolly is often right is because he covers both sides of the coin just in case. Just look at last years article in relation to Gooch and Kerry as chokers. It was lined up as an article that would support his point that Kerry are chokers if they were to lose, even though he predicted a kerry win. In either situation he was going to be right. This year he is saying their is still life in Kerry but is continously putting them down.

It is easy to buy into the notion of Donegal being invincible, but Brolly has spoken of Armagh and Tyrone in exactly the same manner as he is about Donegal. He will be right at a lot of times because all three were/are good/great teams, but Armagh were not unbeatable and Tyrone were not. He was very sweeping about Armagh until Kerry hammered them in 06. But he as has been said hes more than happy to go off in a tangent about bull* like ruthlessness, geniuses, psychology without actually picking out illuminating pieces of play. Watch next Sunday or whenever, he'll be asked a question and instead of answering it he'll go off in a tangent about psychology, Micky Harte etc etc. Same rubbish over and over again from him.

moomoo (Kerry) - Posts: 4023 - 07/06/2013 10:25:54    1400899

The theatrics of the Sunday game adds to the actual game. I think Brolly's a top analyst but Spillane often goes against him or vice vera just to wind each other up. Spillane did so on the very first day of the Sunday Game 2013 and it back-fired on him terrible.

On the first day back Brolly made the point that the top teams are set up in a way that it's more and more difficult to cause an upset, due to the of level of professionalism and expertise brought into these counties. Spillane disagreed and countered this by saying that the top teams are levelling off and it's more likely to see an upset. Within a month of Spillane's statement Kerry, Cork, Dublin and Mayo had beaten their respective opponents by margins of between 16 to 26 points. Following this Sean Kelly, Eoin Liston and others proposed a two tier system as the gulf between top and lower teams is growing.
It will be interesting to see if Brolly challenges him on this in the coming weeks.

I can't see RTE dropping either off these guys as they feed off each-other, But I would agree with other commentators Antony Tohill was very good on the show, I would prefer him to Colm O Rourke. The problem is I can't see the Sunday Game having two Northerners on at once, and given that Brolly's their best analyst it will be hard to find room for Big Tohill.

SeanThornton (Donegal) - Posts: 10 - 08/06/2013 19:59:59    1402012

The thing is Sean, the legend that is Antony Tohill
would probably turn down RTE if asked. The reason he
left was because the kerry whingers were 'outraged'
when he spoke about Galvin! And Spillane
was forever popping out snide remarks, the big fella
was too much of a gentleman for the show As bad as
Brolly is, he gets spillane annoyed and that is the only
thing enjoyable about the sunday game at the moment!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 08/06/2013 21:07:34    1402051

Kerry aren't the only team who do a bit of whingeing Thegatekeeper. Sure Spillane was assaulted after a Donegal game last year.
Kerrys problem was that tohill highlighted the bit when galvin misbehaved,but refused to talk about the numerous instances throughout the game when he was being provoked and targeted by the oppostition (Cork) that day.
The Kerry people felt that Tohill was being selective and biased in his analysis , and they were right.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 08/06/2013 21:16:27    1402061