Our love of Cyril ‘Nuts to a monkey Ger’ Farrell knows no bounds but here’s who we reckon might be opposing him in the Sky hurling panel.
We’ve already given our view on who we would like to see in the host’s seat and who we think might be lining out for the Sky Gaelic Football coverage so today we move onto the the folks who will be on duty for the hurling. Sky will kick off their deal with a hurling match (Kilkenny v Offaly) so the pressure will really be on these guys. Here’s how we break down the contenders.
Realistic:
Jamesie O’Connor
It’s inevitable that Sky will end up poaching some of the personalities that previously worked with TV3 for their GAA coverage and their first port of call as far as the small ball is concerned should be two-time All-Ireland winner and former Clare hurler Jamesie O’Connor.
O’Connor isn’t likely to come out with ‘nuts to a monkey’ like Cyril Farrell-style catchphrases and he won’t put noses out of joint like Daithi Regan (more on him later) but he is one of the most insightful and knowledgeable minds in the game and has come across well in all of his media work so far, whether it be in print, on the big screen or over the airwaves.
Donal Og Cusack
We see this one as a no-brainer for Sky. The Cork man is one of the most eloquent speakers in the game and his analysis last year on The Sunday Game was top class. We know he is a fan of the Sky deal and he’s the sort of snappy dresser that would put Jamie Redknapp to shame.
RTE will surely want to hang onto talent like Cusack but if we were Sky we would be making him our big signing of the summer.
Daithi Regan
Another casualty of TV3’s loss of rights, Regan spoke large dollops of sense when on screen last year. The Offaly man has superb knowledge of the Leinster scene and he won’t hold back on his views about things, even when it comes to his native county.
If Donal Og could be Sky’s Gary Neville, Daithi could be their Jamie Carragher,
Dream Team:
Michael Duignan
Easily the best co-commentator on RTE, Duignan manages to teach you quite a bit about the game as he is doing his job. He keeps you well up to date with positional switches, often missed by the main commentators, and his on-the-fly analysis of how games are developing is excellent.
We prefer him in the box to doing studio analysis but if Sky can nab the Offaly man, we will definitely be looking forward to tuning in.
John Mullane
Recently retired players has been key to Sky’s excellent soccer coverage so hiring someone like John Mullane would be perfect. The former Waterford man was one of the very best in the business on the pitch and we think he can transfer that passion and love of the game to the studio.
He was fearless as a player and we think he could be just as forthright in a suit in the studio. Just imagine his post-match analysis of a tight Deise match?
Derek Lyng
His involvement in Brian Cody’s backroom team will, unfortunately, prevent him from any involvement, but of all the former Kilkenny players in the media, we always enjoyed listening to Lyng, who was very modest, articulate and less likely to spout hurling clichés than some of the more senior pundits in the game at the moment.
Long shots:
Tom Ryan
Sky might need to broadcast on a seven-second delay if they give Tom the nod but the former Limerick boss is guaranteed to give some plain-speaking to the panel. His column in the Daily Mail was always worth a read as it pulled no punches and his famously fractious relationship with his own county board would add a frisson to any game involving Limerick he might do.
Also has a tendency to refer to himself in the third person, which is always a plus for any TV personality.
Shane Long
The best known hurler in the UK? Probably, though that isn’t saying much. The Hull man, as we all know, played underage for Tipp so he knows the game and Sky could do with a familiar face to sell the sport of hurling.
Whether he wants to spend his precious few weeks off in the summer talking about hurling is another matter, but we’d like to see him make at least a guest appearance.
Richie Bennis
GAA fans want passion from their pundits and hurling characters don’t come more passionate than the former Limerick hurling manager, who eats, breathes and sleeps hurling and probably plays golf with a hurley such is his devotion to the sport.
His recent description of the situation in Limerick as a ‘laughing stock’ shows that he wouldn’t hold back if asked to give an opinion and given his fondness for a catchphrase or two, he could easily be to Sky what Cyril Farrell is to RTE.
Seriously, how could anyone not enjoy regularly tuning in to hear the thoughts of a man like this…
