NEWSTALK HAVE ANNOUNCED the rugby signing of the summer as Brian O’Driscoll will join the Off The Ball team from this September.
The former Leinster and Ireland legend will join the radio show as a co-presenter following a short break over the summer months.
“Making the decision to join the Off the Ball team was an easy one for me — it’s the nation’s leading sports show and best radio station and following a break this summer I’ll be more than ready for it come September,” said O’Driscoll.
“Thrilled” Newstalk sports editor and the Off the Ball presenter Ger Gilroy remarked that the team had a gap for a world-class outside centre. “Seriously though,” he added, “his giant sports brain will be picked clean on a regular basis, we can’t wait.”
O’Driscoll will join Gilroy tonight on the show this evening for his first official interview following his retirement. He signed off with a RaboDirect Pro12 win on Saturday despite only lasting eight minutes of the final.
Speaking post-match, he declared, “I’m sure I’ll be about the place. I’ll take anything. I’m about to be unemployed in a month so I’ll take whatever is going.”
Gerard Whelan, Newstalk chief executive commented, “It is with great excitement that we welcome Brian to Newstalk. Brian is one of the very few truly global sports icons, and we know that his addition to the Off the Ball team will provide our listeners with a sports insight and commentary not found at any other station. “
What do you make of O’Driscoll’s career move?
Won’t impact them really. Those are not huge losses. Munster v Wasps– now that was a squad decimated by COVID.
Serious chance here lads
@whoowhat?: you mean there’s a chance……
@whoowhat?: Eden Park, that would be historic altogether.
@Keith McCarthy: in llyod christmas’s world maybe
@daveyt: so you’re telling me there’s a chance ?
@Sean McCarthy: too right mate, put a few shrimp on the barbie ;)
What do people make of those billboards they’ve put up anywhere the Irish team are due to go? Stinks of desperation if you ask me. Are the NZ team embarrassed by them or are they lacking confidence that they take solice in them? If anything they’re going to fuel the fire in the Irish camp, probably exactly what we need after Ulster and Leinster feeling a bit dejected after the URC exits.
@SPQH: billboards?
@SPQH: take it as a compliment and a laugh, Irish bookmakers have done same, but much witter and better. Its really a non story
@SPQH: A Kiwi gambling company TAB NZ behind this.
Good luck to them provoking Paddy Power’s social media team!
@Paul Kennedy: wittier*
@SPQH: i don’t think they matter much, if it generates a bit of rivalry and sells more tickets fair play, maybe is a compliment that NZ fans are taking Ireland seriously.
@Paul Kennedy: OK fair enough, didn’t realise it was a bookmakers that was behind it.
@Doug Storms: Yeah, 3 outside Missouri.
Ireland can give back the players they robbed from new Zealand
@Tony Mcgrath: and then New Zealand can give back all the players they robbed from Tonga, somoa etc it works both ways
@Sole Trader: Australia & Scotland too.
@Tony Mcgrath: Ah c’mon. You can be more creative than “robbed”. Put some effort in man.
@Tony Mcgrath: robbed? Like what they did to Isa?
Getting Joe Schmidt on board reeks of desperation from Foster I think .
@Macus Mc Mahon: more like Feeks
All Blacks obviously taking a leaf out of the Tyrone playbook. Ireland beware .