There are reports in multiple media outlets this morning that Joe Brolly is finished with RTÉ and the Sunday Game. Yesterday, it was revealed that Brolly would not be appearing on RTÉ for the broadcast for the All-Ireland final replay on Saturday and would be replaced by Stephen Rochford. This morning, both the Irish News and the Irish Sun are reporting that Brolly will no longer appear on the Sunday Game at all next year despite being under contract.
There's arguably been more Brolly talk than replay talk in the media in the aftermath of the Dublin-Kerry draw. Brolly initially stood by his comments about David Gough's yellow card of Johnny Cooper, then revealed he'd apologised to the ref. This week, he's been dropped for Rochford and now is apparently gone from the national broadcaster entirely.
"The feeling is he’s gone for good.” an RTE source told the Sun.
Cahair O'Kane in the Irish News reports similarly saying 'it’s believed that his appearance on the live show for last Sunday’s drawn All-Ireland SFC was his last with the broadcaster.'
Interestingly, O'Kane also states Brolly's analysis of the Gough incident had 'no bearing on the parting of ways between RTÉ and Brolly'.
Brolly's exit would be the second high-profile punditry departure from RTÉ in the 16 months or so since Declan McBennett has replaced Ryle Nugent as Head of Sport. You may remember Eamon Dunphy once offered his opinions on Irish football on RTÉ before departing to podcast pastures new in 2018. Brolly's departure would also formally bring the curtain down on RTÉ's fabled era of empowered punditry, though some would argue that Dunphy and Brolly long ago veered away from voicing compelling opinions on their respective sports.
