Grand final week has brought its fair share of standout narratives this year.
We have the Roosters bidding to be the first modern-era back-to-back premiers, the Raiders finally returning to the top of the table and looking to emulate the greats of 1989, and Cooper Cronk’s ever-growing claim to league immortality.
But reading certain sections of the NRL media over the past few days, you’d be forgiven for being distracted by a different scoop altogether – the alleged ‘feud’ between Nine NRL anchor and leading female Erin Molan and league legend turned respected voice Andrew Johns.
In case you missed it, it won’t take long to recount the details, mainly because there aren’t many. The issue stems back to Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield’s most recent Sunday Telegraph column, in which he suggested Johns has quietly removed himself from Nine’s Friday night football coverage due to an irreconcilable working relationship with Molan.
Facts and direct quotes were largely absent from the short piece other than Johns laughing off the claims and appropriately suggesting that the NRL lives off innuendo and gossip. He isn’t one of the game’s most perceptive pundits for nothing.
It’s worth saying the story might well be accurate. We have no real way of knowing and no real need to know. But that was not the point.
Nine has exclusive broadcast rights to the grand final on Sunday – one of the few genuine advantages it holds over Fox Sports, which broadcasts every regular season game live. Fox Sports is, of course, part of the same ownership stable as the Telegraph as well as the websites that have continued to give this story oxygen.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Johns stopped appearing on Friday night football months ago. Regardless of the story’s veracity, best cast that means it’s now out of date, worst case good old Buzz has been sitting on it all that time.
Though the NRL has made some great strides in terms of gender representation in recent years, female voices are still given short shrift by those fans that cling to the dated image of a men-only game.
Molan knows this better than most. Scapegoated for Nine’s lamentable revamp and subsequent cancellation of The Footy Show last year, she has long been the focus of vitriolic and sexist abuse on social media.
It was obvious that alleging a new fallout between Molan and one of the game’s favourite sons would give her trolls a new excuse to pile on, but presumably she was considered as acceptable collateral damage in the dirty war for clicks, eyeballs and subscriptions.
Subsequent pieces have been published on the supposed row every day, including about the trolling she has received, the obvious upset it has caused her and the other personalities rallying to her support. Each new report has simultaneously suggested sympathy while pouring more and more petrol on the fire.
Some outlets even saw fit to regurgitate the entire tale as part of reporting on the Dally M awards, using the flimsy pretext that Molan skipped the ceremony to crowbar in yet another retelling of the same piece, almost word for word.
Even when she broke down in tears during an interview on Sydney’s WSFM, it was just another reason to push the story back up the home pages.
It’s hard to know what the most depressing part of the whole thing is. Maybe it’s the fact that one of the game’s leading female role models has again been fed to the online hate mob during the biggest working week of her year, not to mention the biggest of her life as a Raiders fanatic.
Perhaps it’s the fact that such mileage can be generated from one single piece of gossip, substantiated or otherwise, with the human cost overlooked at every turn.
Or it could be the fact that it is just all too predictable from a section of the rugby league press.
Knight Vision
Guest
Isnt this the same woman who denounced Semi Radradra when he was " accused " of domestic violence? Which later was proven to be untrue. .....I have zero sympathy for this woman.
catcat
Roar Rookie
I thought Johns stepped aside for Billy Slater to take his role...I guess that's too boring. Buzz sure knows how to flog a story or part there of... Start with a smidge of truth..write the rest yourself
steveng
Roar Rookie
gary ziems, that is allot of nonsense as the GF went down really well (sarcasm) and its not because of Joey but because of the incompetence which Joey, Gould have consistently pointed out, who is the Dinosaur brain in all of that? The game )unfortunately) is tied between 'a rock and a hard place' and the hard placers are running the NRL and not the 'Dinosaurs' that have built it!!!
U
Roar Rookie
Especially considering Molan’s fat shaming of Dave Taylor. She’s no innocent
U
Roar Rookie
Can’t be that misogynistic of a media environment if most of the female sports reporters aren’t being criticized
U
Roar Rookie
As a person that’s on twitter frequently, I find that celebrities tend to exaggerate the number of troll comments they get. Criticism isn’t trolling. You can’t expect all positive responses all the time
U
Roar Rookie
I don’t know what to think on this. The media is a tough game and to some she’s been given a pretty easy ride into important jobs. Which includes being the host that ended the long running Footy Show. Can’t be the best idea to get one of the greatest players ever annoyed. If 9 lose Johns, people will ramp up their criticism of Molan
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Agree about all that. And if you're on social media prepare to be trolled, especially if you're a public figure like she is. She should learn to ignore it because it will never stop, that's social media for you. She made the choice to put herself out there on Instagram
Roar GOAT
Roar Rookie
Erin crying every two mins because people call her out on being terrible at her job is getting tiring. She’s an awful presenter and should absolutely not be involved in rugby league in any way. Sure, go host a variety tv show or Australians funniest home videos or something and she’d probably be ok, but stay away from footy. She’s awful. Couldn’t give a crap about any feud. Just get her off.
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
Adam, the piece is not about the “feud” - it’s about the deliberate and irresponsible construction of it by certain media that should know and want better for the game.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
This is a poor article especially in GF week. You complain about the coverage this feud is getting, but feel th need to write an entire article about it. I never warmed to Molan, and not because she's a woman or anything like that, she just comes off as looking awkward and unprofessional. I first saw her on the Sunday Footy Show many years ago and she looked like she was on work experience, very nervous, awkward laughter, and all these years later, she still looks out of place. Thankfully I have Kayo and can see expertise and professionalism from the likes of Yvonne Sampson. Sadly I'll have to suffer through 9's inept coverage tonight.
Max power
Guest
Gee Wayne you seem quite triggered. Some people like Molan on TV - build a bridge Excellent segways
gary ziems
Guest
From what I've seen & heard from Andrew Johns over the Years - it doesn't surprise that he may have a problem accepting Women as credible Commentators on our great Game. Of course Andrew also wants to "bring back the biff - and have our Referees put away the Rule Book - instead adjudicating each Game by "feel". In other words - the Mans a Dinosaur - and thus - should be treated with the same level of "irrelevance" as The Gould. I think Erin's doing a great job - she's smart - funny - sexy - but ABOVE ALL - she "knows" the Game. So I say - leave her alone - and let's focus on the REAL problems in our Game - the most pressing being "consistency" - or lack thereof by our Officials. To that end - let's hope we're ONLY talking about the quality of the Football - and not the standard of refereeing after todays Grand Final.
Bernie Vinson
Guest
The media works in mysterious ways eg why has the NRL rights holder owner of the Sydney Herald not disclosed that the Penrith shooter was an ex Penrith panthers NRL reserve grader whose career finished after a neck injury??
tisme
Guest
agree it's not much of a story,given oxygen by mysogynistic journalists with vested interests. didn't really have much to say on this but wanted to comment so i could segue into something that i noticed much earlier in the season & has been reaffirmed more since.out of all the female league commentators/journalists the one,i find with the 'best footy brain" is allana ferguson.
1st&10
Guest
Cronulla titles has more credibility than a ceiling fan. Total rubbish full of spin
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Buzz Rothfield is the jerk in this equation, and many more. The guy is nothing but a trash "journo". Leave Johns and Molan alone, they're both outstanding individuals.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Fair point Rob but I’ve never liked the feud crap that goes on in RL where people fall out and don’t talk to each other for years or refuse to work with each other. I’ve worked professionally with people I’ve hated personally all my 60 years. It’s part of the job, of life really, to get over yourself, put your feelings aside and get on with things
RudyZarzoff
Guest
F|_|ck this s|-| it anyway .... go the Roosters
Sideline Eye
Guest
TV & Radio Sports shows are "obliged" to embrace "gender representation". I would rather watch paint dry than Erin Molan. Joey Johns has had off field issues however can read a game. What are Erin's credentials?