Former NRL player and current media personality Beau Ryan has revealed a reunion-style Footy Show could be on the cards.
The famous show ran for 25 years between 1994 and 2018 on the Nine Network before being axed amid poor ratings.
Hosted by Paul Vautin for 24 of its 25 years, before being axed in 2018 when Thursday Night Footy became a permanent thing, causing the show to become a one-hour news-based program shown after the match.
Prior to that, the show was far more based around entertainment, of which Ryan was a key part while he was still playing with the Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks.
The former outside back, who now works on Triple M Radio in the breakfast time slot, said there would be a market for the show's return, but not in a full-time capacity.
"I feel like there is a market for it, but the thing about that is you have to leave them [the public] wanting more," Ryan said on air.
"If you do it every week, it would need to be more like an entertainment show, rather than a footy show."
Ryan suggested a reunion show, or even live shows held around the country during the NRL finals series, could be the way to bring the famous program back on air.
"One million per cent," Ryan said when asked if it should be a reunion show.
"Glenn Pallister [the show's former producer] said it, and I agree with him, he said a one-off grand final week, but I reckon the finals series. Four weeks of it until the grand finale.
"You have the grand finale in the city of one of the teams.
"What we would do is do four broadcasts from a city. We might do Townsville, Brisbane, Wollongong and Newcastle. They'd sell out.
"You go to Brisbane or Queensland, the line-up for people to get in is sold out. Sydney, it would still sell out, but 100%, it would work as a live broadcast with ticket shows, but in terms of giving people a month or five weeks of it, I think the network is crazy not to have a crack at it."
The former winger, who shot to popularity through his ‘Beau Knows' segment on the show, said it didn't have to be the same talent involved every week, and that it would give opportunities for current players to be involved in the program.
"What would you do is you'd get someone to host. Say it's a Fatty. Not everyone has to be involved every week. You get new talent, you get current players,” he said.
"I'm happy to do it, Fat would be happy to do it, but you get blokes who are playing now. Toby Rudolf, Brian To'o, Reece Walsh, these guys will sell out.
"I think it's crazy [that they don't try]. I think with Seven having the World Cup, I think with Foxtel needing more content, I think with Nine doing the same thing, I think it's up for grabs."
