Pat Spillane does not hold back on criticism of RTE's Sunday Game

Former Sunday Game pundit Pat Spillane did not hold back when sharing his thoughts on the Sunday Game.

The Kerry legend spent 30 years working with RTE before eventually stepping away at the end of 2022.

But Spillane still pens a column for The Sunday World and did not hold back in his criticisms of the flagship show.

The eight-time All-Ireland winner described the show as 'compulsive viewing' during his time there but went on to say the show has lost its 'X-Factor'.

And Spillane criticised RTE's punditry selection, saying: "All the panellists currently used by The Sunday Game look well, speak well and don’t make any major blunders."

But he said in his opinion they could all be chosen by AI "because they tick all the boxes: top class ex-player with All-Ireland medals, ex-player from a weaker county, a female and a geographical spread."

Spillane also criticised the role of social media, saying: "Social influencers played a major role in shaping the re-direction of the programme. The powers that be were far too influenced by what they read on social media.

"Only five percent of the population are active on social media. RTÉ forgot about their core audience. A classic case of the tail wagging the dog."

And with Jim Gavin working in a football review committee to improve the game, Spillane has said RTE will need to adopt a similar policy.

"Maybe RTÉ DG Kevin Bakhurst needs to appoint a committee to review The Sunday Game and make it a more enjoyable programme to watch."

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