With James Brayshaw departing as co-host of The Footy Show to be replaced by Craig Hutchison, it would have the perfect time to let Rebecca Maddern host the show herself, says Jon Ralph.
It was announced yesterday Brayshaw had departed Channel Nine after 11 years at the network, following a breakdown of contract talks and the Herald Sun journalist says while it’s likely former hosts Eddie McGuire and Garry Lyon were sounded out, Maddern would have been excellent for a solo role.
“If it was me, Hutchy will be a serviceable host, I would’ve allowed Rebecca to host it herself,” Ralph told SEN Breakfast.
“She’s extraordinary, they’re already giving her different shows on the Channel Nine platform to host as well as The Footy Show, and she knows her football as well as anyone else.
“What would be fascinating behind the scenes is whether they went back to Ed (Eddie McGuire), or whether they went back to Garry Lyon at all and just asked the question, more to the point asked the question of Billy (Brownless) could we still get Garry Lyon back.
Ralph says it’s very hard to find out exactly why Brayshaw had left the network.
"The problem is there has been so many mixed messages, it’s very similar with his role with Channel Nine’s cricket in that insiders would say to you James wasn’t very popular there and moved aside," he said.
"Yet both James and the network have made it clear that it was his decision.
"A lot of talk inside the network about pay claims and extravagant pay claims, and yet James in his own public statement has said that he took time away to spend with the family.
"I think what we can say is they wouldn’t have made this decision unless they were forced into it, in that he has proved a quite popular, gregarious host.
"Like anyone in the football media he can polarise people, but I think we would feel unless something has gone really wrong with this negotiation they wouldn’t have made this decision."
Sam Newman remains under contract and Ralph says he expects he will continue on, but as soon as he departs the show will have no future.
"I think the day Sam (Newman) walks, the Footy Show is dead and that’s not a negative comment towards Rebecca or any of the other people on that panel, He's the heartbeat of the show isn’t he?", he said.
“He is contracted, we all presume he will be on the show again.
“It will be a different show, I think the dynamic between Hutchy and himself there will be a bit of needling there.”