Joe Canning believes the addition of a Saturday night GAA highlights show to RTÉ's usual Sunday offering will provide a better experience for viewers during this year's football and hurling championships.
Canning was unveiled earlier this year as one of RTÉ's new hurling pundits. The Galway legend had featured sporadically as an analyst on RTÉ since his retirement from the inter-county game in the summer of 2021.
"If there's a game at one o'clock, you'd be in at half 12 [in the RTÉ studio]," said Canning, explaining what a typical day is like working on The Sunday Game.
"We watch all the games all day. If there's a live game [you'd be watching that], then you'd be looking at the Saturday games then as well. You could be looking at three, four, five games throughout the day.
"Then you'd have a meeting at six or seven o'clock. You're taking out your pieces from all the games. You're sending them to the editors, getting your clips done if you want to talk over any specific [plays].
"You're doing that for the evening, getting that all sorted. Then you're on live at half nine. Depending if it's football first or hurling first, you might not be out of there until about 12am. It's nearly an 11-12 hour day.
17 April 2023; Pictured is Bord Gáis Energy ambassador Joe Canning at the launch of Bord Gáis Energy's 'It's Anyone's Game' campaign to promote inclusivity in hurling. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
"People ask me, 'Is that live?' I'm like, 'Yeah, you're there at that hour of the night!' People think you record it earlier on in the evening. It's a long day, and a lot goes into it.
"With the Saturday Game, it's going to be easier. You'll see more games. It's really hard to fit everything into an hour-and-a-half, maybe two hours some times, depending on the amount of games.
"With the amount of football and hurling in the championships, I think the two nights will help with that, and people will see more games.
"It is very difficult to show every game, and have a piece and clip on every game."
Joe Canning on why teams in the league should take a risk and "push up on the Limerick defence, their midfield, half-forward line and half-back line" #rtegaa #allianzleagues #hurling pic.twitter.com/MqVHaAAeX1
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 26, 2023
Canning continued: "I've only done a small bit so far. Doing the night time programme, The Sunday Game, I've done a bit of that. I'm finding it OK.
"You'd love to be at the live games, and watching them. I don't mind commentating on them. I'll try to be as fair as I can. I'm not out there to do anybody. I'll give an honest opinion if I have to give an honest opinion, and just say it the way it is.
"I'm enjoying it, and it keeps me involved. I'd be at the games anyway. I'm still a supporter like everybody else."
As part of the campaign and to celebrate extending its sponsorship of the GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship until 2025, Bord Gáis Energy, is giving people from around Ireland the opportunity to win prizes throughout the season. Visit www.bordgaisenergy.ie/home/bge-gaa for competition details.
See Also: Joe Canning And Gearoid Hegarty Not Fond Of New GAA Panels Policy
