RTÉ: Brolly entitled to opinions

RTÉ don’t anticipate any difficulties in their working relationship with Mayo GAA and James Horan this year.

On Sunday, Horan expanded on his criticism of RTÉ last week by claiming pundit Joe Brolly had targeted his team.

Horan argued the national broadcaster should have attempted to curb what he felt was the former Derry footballer’s “selective” analysis of Mayo.

“My comment was that Joe Brolly was very selective in his commentary on Mayo and it was completely, in my opinion, biased as an analyst,” said the Ballintubber man. “I think he should have been checked by RTÉ, I think his comments were targeted against Mayo.”

However, RTÉ sources feel Brolly is entitled to his opinions and don’t intend speaking to him about the matter.

They said they would hope the row between Horan and Brolly would not impinge on RTÉ’s Gaelic games coverage this season.

The Mayo County Board have already shown their disdain for Brolly’s commentary of them.

In his newspaper column the week following last September’s defeat to Donegal, Brolly flippantly supported the idea of banning Mayo from All-Ireland finals.

County secretary Kevin O’Toole responded to the piece by calling on supporters to treat the newspaper in which it was published with the same contempt Brolly had shown Mayo.