Erin Molan absent from NRL panel at Grand Final | Roosters defeated Raiders

Channel 9 star presenter Erin Molan was noticeably absent from the NRL Grand Final after a week from hell in the media.

Smoke continues to billow out of the rumoured fallout between Channel 9 stars Erin Molan and Andrew Johns after the former was noticeably absent from the network’s Sunday night grand final match coverage.

The Channel 9 star has faced the week from hell amid an ugly trolling storm following reports of a feud with Johns.

Molan appeared on the sidelines with Darren Lockyer earlier in the day during the NRLW final — which saw the Broncos take down St George 30-6 — but wasn’t on Channel 9’s presentation panel for the Grand Final.

Molan also hosted Nine’s coverage of the State Championship curtain-raiser, having already fronted The Sunday Footy Show from 11am (AEST).

Wide World Of Sports host James Bracey instead led the Grand Final coverage.

A Channel 9 spokesman said Bracey and Molan were used in the “exact same capacity” as they were during Nine’s coverage of the 2018 NRL Grand Final.

Nine last week released a statement to declare it would be business as usual for its commentary team stars, despite the swirling drama surrounding two of its biggest names.

“There is no ‘awkward falling out, friction, or drama’ inside the Nine commentary team, despite best efforts of News Corporation to make it so,” the statement claimed.

It said Johns generously stepped back to give Billy Slater a chance to call games with Phil Gould — as Nine’s head of sport Tom Malone said when the drama was first reported.

Channel 9 host Erin Molan sat out the men’s grand final on Sunday.

However, Molan was still a noticeable absentee from the immediate pre-game broadcast panel.

She showed up again at the end of the night to interview players and their families for the Channel 9 coverage.

The star presenter was never spotted near Johns during the marathon coverage which lasted for almost 12 hours.

While Johns has previously been a regular on-camera talent featuring on both pre-game and post-game State of Origin panels, he was on Sunday night used in a match commentary role alongside voice of rugby league Ray Warren and fellow analyst Phil Gould — who were also not cited on camera.

After the explosive claims of a rift were reported by The Sunday Telegraph last week, it was reported that Molan and Johns would be forced to work with each other on Grand Final night.

But they were never cited together.

One NRL commentator on social media lamented the Channel 9 “boys club” after Bracey replaced Molan as host mid-way through the marathon coverage.

Umm. Where is @Erin_Molan during tonight’s NRL GF coverage? Boys club....again. #NRLGrandFinal

— Alison Drower (@adrower) October 6, 2019

The week leading up to the NRL’s night of nights was clouded by talk of Johns’ reported refusal to work with Molan.

The Sunday Telegraph first reported Johns removed himself from the network’s Friday night rugby league coverage because of his work relationship breakdown with Molan.

Reports of a rift between the star presenter Molan and the NRL immortal have continued this week despite denials from Nine.

Replay the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final in full on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial and start streaming instantly >

The Daily Telegraph reports a “feud” between Molan and Nine colleague Johns dates back to 2017 when she replaced Paul “Fatty” Vautin as host of The Footy Show.

Molan has reportedly been the victim of “disgusting” and “inexcusable” trolling since the story broke this week.

Molan addressed her incredibly difficult week during an interview with 101.7 WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda on Thursday where she revealed she wore sunglasses because she had been unable to sleep the night before.

“I am so sorry, I haven’t put my contacts in this morning. I had a rough night. I didn’t sleep very well and these are prescriptions,” Molan said.

Molan during the NRLW Grand Final.

Former Footy Show panellist Beau Ryan made a passionate defence of Molan following the tumultuous week.

“We all get trolled. Everyone in the media gets trolled (but) she cops it, man,” Ryan told Kyle and Jackie O on KIIS 1065, revealing he’d attempted to get Molan to stop reading the abusive comments.

“She’s done her apprenticeship in TV, it took her a while to break in — especially as a woman in the NRL as a presenter. It was tough and I’ve got nothing but respect and love for her. She is super-professional.”

The support for Molan has come in from all angles with Johns’ ex wife Cathrine Mahoney and Karl Stefanovic all getting behind the star presenter.