Mick Molloy: I’d have Sam on The Front Bar

MICK Molloy says he would love to have Sam Newman as a guest on The Front Bar if floundering rival The Footy Show gets axed.

Mick Molloy says he’d love to have Sam Newman on The Front Bar if The Footy Show is axed from Nine.

MICK Molloy says he would love to have Sam Newman as a guest on The Front Bar if The Footy Show gets axed.

Molloy also says that he is considering doing a cricket version of The Front Bar with co-presenters Andy Maher and Sam Pang over summer on Channel 7.

No-one associated with The Front Bar thought it would be a ratings success let alone crunch The Footy Show in the ratings.

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Last night in an emotional speech Newman said that Nine couldn’t tell him whether The Footy Show or he would return in 2019.

“This could well be the last in-house Footy Show we do after 25 years,” Newman said.

Molloy was busy on The Front Bar last night but says he caught up with Newman’s speech this morning.

Mick Molloy says he’d love to have Sam Newman on The Front Bar if The Footy Show is axed from Nine.

Sam Newman gave an emotional speech on The Footy Show last night. Picture: Sarah Matray

“I have seen it,” Molloy said.

“The word was out last night that Sam had made a pretty emotional opening to the show.

“If that show wasn’t to go ahead that would be a massive blow for Melbourne TV — a sea change.

“I really like those guys and I like Sam and what he said was quite moving.

“But you know what in a selfish way I thought ‘if that doesn’t happen he would be a bloody good guest for The Front Bar’.

“Whatever happens, I wish them all the luck.”

Earlier this year Molloy, Maher and Pang did Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games edition of The Front Bar and now there are plans for a cricket edition over summer.

Seven and Fox Sports recently secured the rights to cricket in a massive $1.2 billion over six years.

Andy Maher, Mick Molloy and Sam Pang on the set of The Front Bar.

“We want to do footy again (in 2019) and hopefully now that Seven has got the cricket we might be able to conjure up a Front Bar cricket show.

“We like the idea. We have Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games so it would be nice the odd hitout involving national sports as well.”

The Front Bar has struck ratings gold with the trio’s humorous chats with past AFL champions including Dermott Brereton, Allen Jakovich and Jason Dunstall.

Molloy knows that the larger-than-life Newman would make a perfect guest on The Front Bar if The Footy Show folds.

“It is very moving because that show for 25 years has been an absolute institution — the most important footy show — and if you had to think of a reason it is probably Sam Newman,” Molloy said.

The Grand Final editions of The Front Bar and The Footy Show screen next Thursday.