Newstalk Megathread Nov 2022

There's a fella Karl something or other on the Hard Shoulder now.

He put up his Xmas tree last night in his new house, posted pics on twitter and is on national radio to admit to the fact. He also told us he is going away for a few weeks on holidays next week and won't be around for the Toy Show.

I hope any prospective burglars odnt listen to the Hard Shoulder or follow this fella on twitter.

Look, I understand that Lunch Time Live is more of a show for everyday people to get their views in, but my God they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this vegan-colleges story. Three lads who can barely string a sentence together let alone get a coherent point across.

Two of them going on about the "green agenda" and saying that you can't believe any figures because anyone can say anything. The amount of outright lies and rubbish they're coming out with and of course no challenge at all from Andrea

Andrea was a brilliant reporter on various Newstalk programs earlier in her career. Now I'm not sure how anyone could make a success of the lunchtime program in it's current format it's fair to say that Andrea is not bringing much to the party. The topics under discussion are usually beyond baland (and have usually already been discussed on the breakfast show) and no further insight is ever offfered. I'm not sure what Newstalk want from this show but it's not doing Moncreiff any favours. there is a huge fall of after Pat Kenny wraps up and the leakage continues until Moncreiff comes on

There was some woman on the Hard Shoulder after 4 o clock today, one of these parenting experts they ring up. She was on about kids having mobile phones. Told us how she wanted to take her kids to the cinema or have them watch I'm a Celebrity instead of having their faces stuck in a screen.

Listening to Hazel Chu on the hard shoulder. Is she really that clueless/out of touch or is it an act?

Real tension between Eoin O'Broin today. Ciara and Shane none too happy about their framing if the narrative being questioned. A really tetchy interview

Opionated loudmouth Aussie (is there any other kind?) on Andrea's show extolling the virtues of "Dumpster Diving". They're only doing to raise awareness of food wastage, don't you know?

Maybe because it is cheaper? More accessible property etc.

Great to hear Ivan back this morning for Pat Kenny, albeit I only caught the first 30 mins.

Wonder is there a succession plan there for whenever Pat hangs up the cans. Or even if Ivan is working back into the 2023 schedule in some other way.

Yeah, I must admit, I was surprised how nice it was to hear him this morning.

That's pretty much every scheduled Christmas programme on TV and radio. Not really a big deal.

Irish Journalist and British correspondent Enda Brady - in flying form summing up the British political year. Some of his lines -

‘You could put a blue ribbon on a squirrel in that area and they would be elected to the Conservative party.’

’Boris Johnston is the type of fella who if KIlkenny were playing in an All Ireland.

If you gave Boris a Kilkenny jersey and hurl he would think he is the most important person on the team, and will win Kilkenny the All Ireland.’

By god that Ciara 'Shaft' attempt was the lamest thing I have heard this year.

Smashed avocado on toast Dublin-centric smugeratti the pair of them.

Oh it's very obvious what he's up to ok. This bad cop / good cop is getting very boring now

City dwelling skinny latte set Green Party councillor manages to live without a car. Big whoop.

I was switching stations car radio midday. Hit Newstalk. Andrea Gilligan sounding very worried about a study telling people when they should change bedsheets pillows etc. Then says she ‘text in - 53106 how often do you change your bedsheets?’

I laughed turned it off and thought it depends who was in me bed!

At least I got a laugh out of it. But how does Gilligan not loose the will to live reading stuff like that day after day? Is it her call or the producers/researchers?

She appeared to do well with the hard hitting HSE bullying stuff, looks like she's returned to (bed) fluff again.

Newstalk, in it's current guise, is so far beneath Pat Kenny.

"Quinny" on breakfast show. Nothing against him, just hate the way Shane Coleman and Ciara Kelly call him that.

well AQ doesn't quite work for them !

Is the six nations a serious competition though? Italy making up the numbers. Scotland no great shakes.

The Triple Crown for example a meaningless archaic idea left over from a bygone era. Seems madness to get a trophy for excluding one of the hardest teams in the competition- France. They only ‘invented’ actual silverware for it in recent years. I often wonder why they don’t give an actual ‘wooden spoon’ for last as well. They could talk about that on Newstalk, maybe.

Plus in a Rugby WC year - six nations nothing more than a warm up. Let’s be honest- the holy grail of passing the QF etc. That is Ireland’s real focus. And with all the ‘blow in’s’ getting Irish rugby caps (with zero Irish connection) these days - Ireland should get closer to the SF WC dream.

But The six nations just seems in need of a revamp IMO and seems very stale. For the casual watcher like myself means little. Seems more noise than anything.

There is similarities to National League’s in GAA though in that six nations not a true test. Does not have home and away fixtures.

But despite that most GAA teams take the league more seriously these days -,last 20 years. And div1 in particular is normally a strong indicator on how teams do in championship. And indicates improvement. Personally I think the NFL and NHL are the best competition’s the GAA have should be expanded and played in summer instead of championship- plus home and away.

Six Nations seems like a hangover from the British Empire (plus Italy and the old enemy France). Badly needs a shake up. Competition is lobsided in my opinion.

Is that because of the ‘fluff’ in early Rugby WC? How does six nations grow the game?

Same teams year in, year out. No promotion or relegation! Zero real incentive for all teams.

Plus I would argue rugby championship- NZ - Australian-SA - Argentina harder to win than six nations. No soft touch?

I've no idea what point you're trying to make, but my last post still stands.