The Logie Award-winning NRL Footy Show will return to its spiritual home of Thursday night in 2017 – beginning March 2 at 7.30pm, forming a formidable combination with Nine’s LIVE and FREE Thursday Night Football.
  
Footy Show panellists Paul “Fatty” Vautin, Erin Molan, Beau Ryan and Darryl “The Big Marn” Brohman will be there before, during and after the action when the Cronulla Sharks host the Brisbane Broncos to start the 2017 NRL season.
 
In The Footy Show’s 24th year, rugby league fans will get unprecedented access straight from the get-go, taking you inside the winning team sheds for a post-match insight like never before.
 
Joining the Footy Show team on a regular basis throughout the season, to provide expert commentary and a few laughs along the way, will be some of the game’s biggest names including Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Sam Thaiday, James Maloney, Matt Moylan, as well as Jillaroos superstar Allana Ferguson and rugby league’s most loveable larrikin, Tommy Raudonikis, who will feature every week.

 
Everyone’s favourite segments are returning for 2017, headed up by Small Talk with The Big Marn, where Darryl Brohman will again put the footy schoolkids of Australia under the spotlight with more unscripted hilarious moments.   

One of the show’s most popular segments, Player Probe, is back with a twist. This year the superstars of the NRL will go one on one with our own Beau Ryan, opening up to The Footy Show on all sorts of topics.  
 
Speaking of Beau, Beau Knows is back, and he will continue to deliver his unique interviews and segments with his Hollywood heavyweight mates. Beau will have some new surprises as he reunites with his old partner in crime, Sharks star and two-time premiership winner, Chris Heighington.
  
Aussie actor/writer and director Brendan Cowell (now based in London) takes on the role of The Footy Show European and UK Correspondent, filing his first report from Wigan at the World Club Challenge, flying the Sharkies flag and singing “Up, Up, Cronulla.” 

There will be more new segments including Between The Sticks, a weekly roundup of the best of country and local footy as well as keeping an eye on the NSW and Queensland Cups. And a new competition will feature the best team victory songs each week performed by any footy team in the land.

The Footy Show will hit the road this year with both State of Origin teams. Origin I will see the full show travelling to join the New South Wales Blues in their pre-game camp, and then it’s off to regional Queensland to capture all the Maroon madness in the build-up to Origin II. The final big outside broadcast will be our Grand Final spectacular, an all ages extravaganza in the sensational new ICC Sydney Theatre at Darling Harbour. 

 
In an exciting and emotional initiative for 2017, Nine, in combination with the NRL and the Mark Hughes Foundation, officially announced today that Round 11 will exclusively be branded Beanies for Brain Cancer Round, with all funds raised going directly towards brain cancer research.

Footy Show favourite Paul “The Chief” Harragon joined his former Newcastle Knights premiership-winning teammate Mark Hughes to speak on the announcement today.

“I’m very proud to be an ambassador for the official Beanies for Brain Cancer Round,” Harragon said.

“Matt Callander and Mark Hughes are very dear friends of mine and both are fighting brain cancer. It’s very endearing that Matt, who came up with the concept, wanted all funds raised to go through the Mark Hughes Foundation.

“This is a very important initiative to raise awareness and funds which are absolutely vital to the pursuit of better treatments, remedies and ultimately a cure for brain cancer.”

Home Timber & Hardware and Sportsbet return to the show as long-running sponsors,  joined this year by Chemist Warehouse and Telstra as the four major partners on the NRL Footy Show – the original and the best NRL footy program on Australian television.

JOIN THE FOOTY SHOW ON THURSDAY NIGHTS FROM MARCH 2
AS WE CELEBRATE THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL

For further information:
Nine Network Publicity
Ryley McKay
02 9965 2727 / 0413 378 052 

Tuesday, 21 February 2017