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NRL Footy Show loses “The Chief”

'Tis the season for revamps. After 14 years Paul "The Chief" Harragon departs the NRL Footy Show.

After 7 years Paul “The Chief” Harragon has quit Channel Nine’s NRL Footy Show.

Harragon (pictured, right) says a revamp of the program has given him little choice but to move on, notes the Daily Telegraph.

The Footy Show, like any business is undergoing big changes for its future success,” the former Newcastle captain said yesterday.

“I was very pleased to be offered a role as a part of that future, however after some careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that the time is right for me to move on.”

A revamp of the NRL Footy Show follows an overhaul of Nine’s AFL Footy Show which have seen the end of comedian Trevor Marmalade’s role, following contract negotiations with the network. In December Nine’s Executive Producer of Entertainment Tim Cleary announced the signing of former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas to Footy Classified which “completed” a revamp of its three AFL shows.

But the NRL had a difficult year, losing viewers and finishing the year on a low.

Nine’s director of event television Gary Burns said Harragon’s lively personality and humour would be missed.

“While Paul’s decision is understandable it is still sad,” he said.

“He was one of the prime-time originals and is much loved by not only the audience but his fellow hosts and all of the production staff.”

Source: Daily Telegraph

Amended.

50 Responses

  1. they should make the rugby league is just turning into afl basically they should take it back to how the old days by making it so they have to put the ball into the middle of the scrum.

  2. How does this show beat the AFL Footy Show for Logie Awards? Sterlo was the only one on the show worth listening to. Thank goodness he now does some appearances. And Wendall Sailor is funny. The rest are just a bunch of ‘try-hard wannabe’s’, especially that player with the pommy accent who needs sub-titles just to understand what he is talking about.

  3. Andrew (toss) Voss get him pff!!!! love the footy show but he has just ruined it, he is too opinionated, has the personality of lump of wood, has no real world footy experience but seems to think he can pass of his thoughts of as general concensus on issues related to the game. Once an avid fan i now unfortunately change the channel an will continue to do so till 9 wake up, listen to its viewers and kick this idiot off!!!

  4. Bring back Sterlo!!! The key to success, Mario was also a winner. I do like Fatty but he really needs Sterlo to be complete. Matty Johns was not really funny & his homosexual inuendos made his appearances sickly. Voss is a non performer, not only is he boring but the guy has never played representative rugby league so why is he even on the show. Gus is too old & boring, Andrew Johns is hopeless, just because his last name is Johns doesn’t mean he needs to appear on the show. So Channel 9 if you’re looking at why your ratings are dropping then have a look at your show & listen to the viewers also the key to success!

  5. Please for the love of God, get rid of Voss. He cannot connect with the rugby league community as well as Sterlo, Fatty, Matty, Chief, Gus and Mario. Voss is just a ick-day.

  6. I have been watching footy show since it started in september 1994. the format worked by not talking to much footy. between 1994 and 2008 idid not miss a show i watched first 3 shows this year and now i am having a early night on thursday night. if you dont bring back what worked ie anti ads, mathatma cote, alan robertson, it will die sadly. as i have involved in junior league for some time parents and kids are no longer talking about it. finaly matty johns would make a good host of the logies.

  7. Well, we used to look forward to Thursday nights. The Footy Show used to be fun (we laughed so much), it covered the footy news, the guys entertained us and when they were “daredevil dudes” we rolled around laughing. Yes, Chief is missed, Matty is unable to utilise his humour and fatty has no one to spin off. It is so boring now and in fact, when it comes on the TV is turned over to another channel.

    What are you thinking Channel 9? Big mistake!

  8. I too have always been a fan of the footy show but can’t handle it anymore, the Chief is gone, he was my favourite, it has never been the same since Sterlo left but now to have Vossie.. oh my god I am sick of him, he is everywhere, and he is boring! There is no fun on the show anymore, it’s lost it. Very Sad.

  9. What happened to the Footy Show?
    Vossy is too straight & not entertaining.
    Bring back The Chief, Sterlo as co – host & more of Mario. Use Gould for serious comment.
    Im not a fan of the new arrangement. Too many stale moments.

  10. Andrew Voss is ruining the footy show sure it is ok to have a guy who takes his football serious and wants to debate hot issues but cant we have one who knows what the game is really about. someone who has played or coached someone who will give respect to other peoples opinions and guests of the show Voss to go. Matty and Fatty still bringing the roof down miss chief and sterlo. Ghard Broncos 09 Premiers.

  11. Dodgy balls. I reckon I know why these balls are so slippery. They need to take the big sponsors logos off the ball. I reckon the paint or dye or what they use becomes very slippery when wet. maybe you could do a test on a clean skin ball and see if I am correct. I reckon I am right.
    Gary[Go Manly and Wests Mitchy]

  12. The new format is crap. Voss is a looser and just getting rid of hime would improve the ratings. My guess is that the Chief would have stayed if the producers didnt chang the plan. If we want erious footy we’ll listen to the ABC. Spontinaity and the likeable lads wat the key. Voss is a pain. The gibbering “2GB style” is what we want to see. A footy show “hey hey”
    Get the boys back – save the show.

  13. Please please please lose that F***ing idiot Andrew Voss he does nothing for a great show like the footy show and a fan like me has to endure his crap on the sunday roast and commentating games, dont you think that is enough!!!

  14. whatever happens channel 9 , please don’t give Andrew Voss anymore airtime than we currently have to endure . The guy isn’t a sportsman , is biased , self-opinionated and talks over and interrupts people with far more relevant and interesting ideas ( eg. Russel Crowe )
    Sterlo is a great serious host for a rugby league show , and Phil Gould at least knows the game . MG is a complete bumbling idiot , Ben Ikin, totally out of his league, as he was in his playing days and Laurie Daley a non-starter . The Chief served his purpose but its a fine line between comedy/humour and some of the idosy we see at times.
    James Brayshaw is another of these multi-sports/show hosts who offers very little in terms of knowledge or personality.
    God bless the Fatman and Sam Newman……at least they are good value , entertainment wise , and both footy shows would die a death without them

  15. Andrew Voss, please the guys a goose. Shouldn’t be commentating and definitely does not belong on the Footy Show.

    The Footy Show has lost me!

  16. I love watching the Footy Show highly entertaining, but this is about Andrew Voss and his commenting of the NRL games. He is so biased when commenting on a Broncos game, it is as if there is no other team in the competition and no-one else on the field exists. This has always been the case and I find it irritating. There are other teams in the competition other than the Broncos and a lot of the time as skilled, if not better, so please try and act like Ray Warren, a brilliant commentator and impartial, just doing what he is supposed to do commentate on the game in hand, not taking sides.

    Thanks for listening

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