Costello blasts RTÉ over Moran treatment

DUBLIN Secretary John Costello has launched an astonishing attack on RTÉ’s Sunday Game, questioning the impartiality of some analysts in games in which their ‘native counties’ were involved.

He specifically condemned the treatment of Colin Moran, who received a four-week suspension following an incident in the Dublin/Westmeath SFC game which was highlighted on that evening’s programme — and which was subsequently lifted after a case was taken to the DRA.

In his annual report, Costello says that the player was subjected to a level of analysis which ‘‘raised serious questions over the editorial decisions and, perhaps bias’’.

He suggested that the ‘‘empirical evidence’’ would suggest that Dublin players are not treated as fairly as others.

Costello stated: “It is a moot point whether or not all incidents which may be raised by the host of the programme, the editorial staff, or indeed by viewers/spectators (through texts and e-mails) at games are dealt with in the same manner. The empirical evidence of this summer suggests that they are not.

“It is not Dublin paranoia to air the following question: are the Dubs deemed fair game? Whether or not the fall-out from the Sunday Game panellists’ examination of the Colin Moran/Dermot Bannon incident provoked GAA authorities to ask match referee Pádraig Hughes to review his call (yellow card) — which ultimately led to the retrospective suspension of Colin — I cannot say for sure.

“Is a player only free from investigation when the ‘Sunday Game’ says so? Is it right that they trawl the video looking for issues and is it right that the CCCC respond to what they they’re being told by the pundits?

“Games are played in real time, not slow-motion re-runs where RTE want to show off their fancy gizmos! Trouble is, the players are the ones who suffer. By all means use the video but don’t respond to every prompt from The Sunday Game who then see it as their role to dig out more examples of alleged skullduggery.’’

Costello goes further by alleging that the editorial line pursued by the programme ‘was not the same when the native counties of some panellists were in action.

“In such circumstances we had panellists bobbing and weaving in order to douse any fall-out rather than inflame it. Maybe it’s time that Chris Tarrant was brought over to present the programme and it could be renamed ‘Who Wants To Be A Cute Hoor!’’’