RTÉ won’t be showing live game on Sunday

RTÉ have explained the reasons why they won’t be showing a live All-Ireland SFC quarter-final this Sunday.

In what is believed to be a first — at least since the turn of the century, there will be an August Sunday without any live GAA TV coverage from the national broadcasters.

Figures within both Croke Park and TV3 were taken aback by RTÉ’s decision to select the Dublin-Laois over Donegal-Kerry, described as the pick of the four quarter-finals on RTÉ Radio, as their first option.

As per their contractual agreement with the GAA, RTÉ have the first three choices from the six All-Ireland football and hurling quarter-finals with TV3 given the fifth and sixth picks.

Having opted to show the two hurling games in Thurles on Sunday, they were entitled to select what they regarded the best of the four football games, which they deemed Dublin-Laois.

A surprised but delighted TV3 then chose the plum ties Donegal-Kerry and Cork-Kildare leaving RTÉ with Mayo-Down to complete their entitlement.

RTÉ’s two games were subsequently scheduled for this Saturday by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC).

Although it had been reported last week that Dublin’s game was likely to be paired with the least attractive quarter-final on Saturday, Montrose officials went ahead and requested their game against Laois.

“As per the broadcasting rights contract with the GAA, a number of quarter-final fixture choices are available to television broadcasters at this stage of the Championships,” said RTÉ in a statement. “Following the draw on Saturday night, RTÉ along with other broadcasters exercised the options available to them under the contract.

“RTÉ chose the options which permit us to broadcast Dublin v Laois and Mayo v Down games this coming weekend.

“These matches will both take place on Saturday and so while there will be no live game on RTÉ Television this Sunday, The Sunday Game night time programme will continue to be broadcast on RTÉ Two featuring highlights and analysis of all the weekend’s GAA action.”

Meanwhile, football pundit Martin McHugh has playfully dismissed Pat Spillane and Joe Brolly’s Sunday Game spat as “just two boys wanting to make names for themselves”.

The RTÉ pundits verbally jostled over Brolly’s denial he had labelled Kerry’s Colm Cooper a choker and also argued over the former Derry player’s criticism of the current Kerry side as a team that has failed to perform every time it has been presented with a serious challenge.

In reference to Brolly’s remarks about Cooper, McHugh said the modern day player comes under unprecedented scrutiny.

“So much is being written and said about football that far more attention is being placed on players. You’re not as good as your last game anymore — you’re only as good as your next game. There’s just too much hype about football.”

Unlike Martin Carney and Spillane, McHugh argues that Kerry are not on their last legs.

“Kerry are the best footballing team in the country and that’s the way it is. They’re never going to go away. They don’t need under-age success. Their own success breeds success.”

Sligo’s Marty Duffy has been selected to referee Sunday’s 4pm game, while Joe McQuillan officiates Cork’s clash with Kildare at 2pm. Cormac Reilly is the man in the middle for the Dublin-Laois fixture on Saturday evening (7pm) with Maurice Deegan taking charge of the Mayo-Down game at 5pm.