I think it’s safe to say this season’s outing of the Paul Vautin-less NRL Footy Show has been a drama-filled affair.
From missing seats, to sound and location issues and a general lack of public support, the rugby league community is wondering if the program has the legs to make it through the season.
Long gone are the days of the Dare Devil Dudes, The Anti Ads, and the Crack a Fat; today’s NRL Footy Show more resembles a stale version of the Sunday Roast. With host Erin Molan taking the reins after Nine stepped down Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin after 23 years on the show the results so far have been disastrous, with viewership dropping by 31 per cent in Sydney alone after just three weeks.
Change can be a tough thing for people to accept, but is the new format the reason viewers are turning away, or is it related the handling of the rebranding of the show?
The audience was made aware of the axing of Fatty back in October in the off-season, and many people tuned into the first episode to see if this was addressed or if at least there would be a tribute to the man, who dedicated a good chunk of his life entertaining Australia on a Thursday night.
Nothing came. Ejecting a mainstay of the program and not speaking a peak of it? That’s a very poor way to get loyal viewers to stick around.
(CC BY-SA 2.0, Eva Rinaldi)
Another issue is Erin Molan being pushed into the spotlight. While she is joined by experienced players Andrew Johns and Ryan Girdler to chime in on topics, she comes off like a deer in the headlights at times. I do understand the move to push a woman at the helm in a time of gender equality, but surely there is a woman who’s playing in the woman’s league with enough personality and knowledge to carry the show’s discussions.
If the move has been to adjust away from a variety show to more in-depth discussions on the game, hoisting a reporter to the front and not someone who has played the game is a poor decision.
Nine hasn’t fully committed to the transition either. They’ve persisted with former funnyman Beau Ryan, who’s allowed one segment per week. Most of these clips have gone down like lead balloons, with the studio audience giving an awkward chuckle and viewers at home wondering how long this can keep up for.
They’ve also kept the social media-popular segment Small Talk with Big Marn, hosted by former player Darryl Brohman, but many viewers have been quick to point out these segments seem to get shorter each week and get pushed to the back of the episode, which begs the question of how long this will be kept around.
(Image: Naparazzi CC BY-SA 2.0)
I’ll be the first to admit the NRL Footy Show definitely needed fixing, particularly with its fall in ratings in recent years, but this move has really gone the wrong way has divided viewers.
Keeping Fatty involved in the show, even in a minor role, would have kept viewers on board and could’ve transitioned a successor in the role. Finding a way to balance entertainment and information has been achieved with other formats, like with the Late Show with Matty Johns on Fox Sports, which I’m sure Nine was trying to emulate, but it has come off looking like a dollar-store knockoff.
With public opinion available online even before they’ve finished a show, Nine will need to find a way to plug the leak. With ratings dropping and online pages like ‘Footy show boycott, Bring back the Fat‘ boasting 28,000 followers already, they can’t afford to dig their heels in and hope it works.
Nine executives have noted they’re sticking with the program even because they want a prime-time program about a sport they broadcast, but we will see if they make a move in the middile of the year when Erin leaves the show on maternity leave.
Time will tell by the end of the season if they can turn it around and score with viewers or if, as the old NRL Footy Show saying goes, the show will be ‘goooooone’.
TONY PEARCE
Guest
Just watching the footy show for the first time since last season. FML! WTF! this isn't even the footy show. Whoever decided to change this part of aussie life culture should be shot! I'm out!
Jackie Grady
Guest
Like many I spent a great deal of my adult life watching the footy show. Whilst not an avid watcher over the years, I would come and go as many females do. I loved the show when Fatty and Sterlo were at the helm and enjoyed the stupid things they did and their stuff ups. What I don’t enjoy is someone like Beau trying to be funny because personally I just don’t think he is. I don’t see why they think they need to have a female on the show and why on earth they think they needed one to be the main host is beyond me. I think you need people who have experienced the game from a playing point of view ie not a reporter. I refuse to watch the Johns brothers after the sex and drugs fiasco. Surely we have ex players who can entertain and are knowledgeable and personable without needing these two. If the nine network wanted to change the Footh Show they could have done it without getting rid of Fatty. He was a talented player, coach, reporter and could have taken the show in a different direction without losing his witty repartee. Let’s face it, he was the footy show. I haven’t watched it since the change. Come on nine get it together.
Christian
Guest
The footy show lost its way when Chief, Matty and Sterlo left , then they brought that other woman, what ever her name was, on as a guest host. That was disastrous but it really went down the gurgler the day they brought Molan onto the show. She is awkward, has the personality of a flounder and like many I have not watched the show since Fatty was axed. Mind you I'm not a fan of Fatty either but he did have his moments. So to cut a long story short, I won't be watching the show ever again
Dale J
Roar Rookie
Will miss watching Fatty and Co i grew up watching the show and always new i would get a great laugh on Thursday night, being in perth i wasn't even really into rugby but learned alot about the game just from the show. Fatty is an awesome bloke and his on air stuff ups and way with word's always made me laugh, the gags with him and sterlo anti-adds dare devil dudes crack a fat small talk Beau knows player probes all highly entertaining. It was hard to get over the dumping of Matty in 09 he was an absolute blast and made the show even better, but i still had always loved watching the show and was very angry to hear that they dumped Fatty he was the HEART of the show and it could never be the same again without him and i hope he tells nine to get stuffed if they asked him to fill in for Erin, no offense to Erin she is great and was a good addition to the show.. good on ya fat your a legend mate thanks for the laughs
yeepee yiyo
Guest
lets call A new show 'TALKING RUGBY LEAGUE"--anchorman -sterlo.freddy,joey etc and past indiginous players etc...make it culture inviting for everyone.Early thursday
Tani's
Guest
The footy show will not recover, Even if fatty does return, He has a lit of work to do, I personally can't see the show lasting the season, I don't see how it's viable for channel 9 especially after seeing the stats on viewers from last night's show.Bring back the fat, beau and big marn's segments, then you will indeed have a footy show.
elizabeth feirer
Guest
ITS LIKE IF YOU NEVER EXPIERENCE SOME THING HOW CAN YOU TALK ABOUT IT ITS LIKE NURSING IF YOU HAVE NO HANDS ON EXPIERENCE HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A NURSE
Gus Paella
Guest
Do you? Didn't think so...
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
I haven't watched the Footy Show weekly for years. But, I would occasionally tune in if I remembered it was on. The problems that I saw with the show were Erin Molan (token female host), Beau Ryan (terrible jokes - laugh a minute? More like laugh once in a blue moon), Michael Slater (what the hell has he got to do with Footy?), and the general deterioration away from actually being about Footy. I liked little moments like Small Talk, and even things like the Anti-Ads years ago. But, the big problem I see with what Channel 9 has done now is they have lost an identity for the show. What are they actually trying to produce each week? Is it a show talking all things footy? Or is it supposed to be a shameless plug of various footy personalities? The current chat-on-a-couch-in-a-group thing doesn't really work on a Thursday after the first game of the week has been played. There isn't much to talk about with one game, and all the talk from the previous week has already been covered by NRL360, Matty Johns etc. If they want to talk footy and be serious about it, they need to strike while the iron is hot. Move it to a Monday night (8:30 time slot) and discuss all the big issues from the previous week (results, injuries, controversies, even player interviews). Then they can move into analysing the week coming. Throw in some banter and a bit of fun and you have a program. But there is no point talking about the last weekends games on Thursday. All the controversy and news has already fizzled out by then. They can't really talk about speculation of the coming week because teams are all announced and we generally know the ins and outs. However, if they are adamant about sticking to a Thursday night (late) time slot the show has to be a bit more entertainment and a lot less serious i.e. like it was years ago. Take the piss out of funny events that happened last weekend (you might have missed etc.). Have a laugh. At the moment they are trying to talk footy and be serious when all of the serious conversations have already been talked about ad nauseum. Erin Molan is a very boring host. The formula of having an idiot (and I mean that in the nicest possible way, Fatty) hosting is that the show was a bit of fun. Calling the current version the Footy Show and trying to make it serious is just wrong. It won't work and the sooner Channel 9 realise that, the quicker they may get to save it. A viewer drop of 31% is massive in anyone's language!
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Do you have any hands on experience creating TV Shows? Didn't think so...
BigJ
Roar Guru
Making molan host was a bad idea from the start, she knows nothing about the game and while a competent presenter she is not right for the job. Plus now is she pregnant and not even going to see the season out, why did they put her in the job in the first place??? The footy show will die this year, unfortunately
lizliz
Guest
Bring back fatty and the big marn that will fix it i am sure erin molan as far as i know has never played the game and as they say no hands on experience.
lizliz
Guest
Bring back fatty and the big marn that will fix it i am sure erin molan as far as i know has never played the game and as they say no hands on experience
Waz w
Guest
Guys your all over analysing , I stoped watching not long after the vomatron days and the boys racing on mopeds . It’s about ex footy players that can hold a conversation taking the piss out of each other , guys like chief and sterlo, Matty j were the perfect side kicks for fatty . Hamish and Andy / 3 stooges these people are no good on there own . Throw in Mario Fenech to be the butt of there jokes and others cameos there’s your show. Matty Johns show is your blue print now days 4 guys Having a laugh but talking footy the whole time it’s like there sitting on Mattys couch at home . Ch nine clearly have no idea who they even want watching the show. I know none of my mates watch it anymore. They even put mick slater as co host why ? Would you put an ex footballer or cricketer to host a netball show ? Sounds dumb right ?
Dub
Guest
Channel 9 ya butchered a show we were dedicated to watching every Thursday nite evey since we moved to Perth, we starve over here for anything NRL " The Fat man" is a ledgend as a player and a presenter and all round nice guy and he didnt have to make himself look like a complete "tool" to get a laugh (unlike some presenters on another codes show)
Bill
Guest
Bring back fatty i say.very boring footy show now. I dont watch it anymore
Catherine
Guest
That style of show is over, times have changed. Erin Molan, no matter how ditsy, was never going to make things better. Nine needs to find out who it's market is, then put it's thinking cap on and come up with something new and origiinal.
Malo
Guest
Erin Molan is the Jessica Rowe— gooooonnnnneee. All her outside drama is just brought into the shows. Rugby league is bigger than Erin. The Monday show is so much better, fatty was finished about 5 years ago. Sterlo is the answer.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
It costs very little to produce, so it'll stick around
Marco
Guest
Kids won't be up until 10pm to watch the Footy Show. In fact kids don't watch much FTA tv at all these days. Families, kids, junior players seem to be disappearing from the game. Fox has a much better offering for Leagies but is it bringing in new fans? The Footy show seems to be just limping along. It may end up on one of nines secondary channels at a better time slot.