Hook vs Eddie O'Sullivan

theKramer

Just saw this on Times online:

"Stung by comments in Eddie O’Sullivan’s book, RTE pundit George Hook has thrown down the gauntlet to the former Ireland coach to come on his Newstalk radio show on Thursday and Eddie has accepted. ‘Sparks will fly,’ promises George"

Its at the bottom of this article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article6823181.ece

Should be interesting

anonymous_joe

One a rugby collossus, the other a... collossus. Could be some interview.

Aidric

I would hope that O Sullivan puts Hook in his place. Hook is a jester and should be left on the sidelines when it comes to serious rugby analysis.

CatFromHue

it'll be interesting on rte they indulge hook, he has his own radio shw show so he can indulge himself.
i dont think eddie will indulge him at all.
but eddie doesnt have a huge amount to gain from this so im not sure what his motives are, other than giving some one there comeuppance

siltirocker

Why do they hate each other? Cause of Eddie's leaving him out of the Irish fold and Hook's anti Eddie rants on RTE?

chupacabra

CatFromHue wrote: »

it'll be interesting on rte they indulge hook, he has his own radio shw show so he can indulge himself.
i dont think eddie will indulge him at all.
but eddie doesnt have a huge amount to gain from this so im not sure what his motives are, other than giving some one there comeuppance

And plugging his book to death.

Eoin

Every time this topic comes up, I recommend that people read Hook's autobiography. He and O'Sullivan go way back, and worked very closely together for a while. Hook feels that he had some input into O'Sullivan's success as a coach, but O'Sullivan doesn't give him credit for it. This is why Hook is pissed at O'Sullivan.

Hook is there to be controversial, and he does it well - but that the same time, he has a lot more experience than I think people give him credit for.

Cuchulain

eoin wrote: »

Hook is there to be controversial, and he does it well - but that the same time, he has a lot more experience than I think people give him credit for.

And thats why he doesnt get the credit he deserves. His rugby knowlegde is quite extensive but its smeared by his meandering tongue and high jinx's on RTE.

Judgement Day

eoin wrote: »

Every time this topic comes up, I recommend that people read Hook's autobiography. He and O'Sullivan go way back, and worked very closely together for a while. Hook feels that he had some input into O'Sullivan's success as a coach, but O'Sullivan doesn't give him credit for it. This is why Hook is pissed at O'Sullivan.

Hook is there to be controversial, and he does it well - but that the same time, he has a lot more experience than I think people give him credit for.

I couldn't agree with you more. Many people seem to think that George Hook knows less about rugby than George Hamilton or Des Cahill! For God's sake go and borrow his autobiography "Time Added On" from your library before posting. It's a real eyeopener - Hook and Eddie have a long history which ended badly and that's why there is a serious level of animosity between them.

CatFromHue

i dont neccessarily agree that people think that george hooks knows little about rugby its more that he tends to spout on a fair bit.
an example would be on the rte panel conor o shea might be trying to make a valid point where george would interupt him with some historical analogy.
he can also go over the top a fair bit.
ive no doubt that he loves his rugby and knows a fair bit about it, its more that he seems to like being the center of attention a bit much

chupacabra

CatFromHue wrote: »

i dont neccessarily agree that people think that george hooks knows little about rugby its more that he tends to spout on a fair bit.
an example would be on the rte panel conor o shea might be trying to make a valid point where george would interupt him with some historical analogy.
he can also go over the top a fair bit.
ive no doubt that he loves his rugby and knows a fair bit about it, its more that he seems to like being the center of attention a bit much

Quite simply if Hook wasn't involved in RTÉ's rugby coverage i would never watch RTÉ again. He asks questions that nobody else would ask and his opinionated, over the top bigotry is necessary in the analysis of a rugby game for the good or bad, otherwise you would just have Popey and O'Shea sitting there agreeing with each other all the time. And who wants to see that?

Eoin

With regards to this specific interview, I think it could be pretty interesting. O'Sullivan denies that Hook had any influence in his coaching career. Even if half of what Hook says is true, then it does seem like EOS is being quite ungracious.

chupacabra

eoin wrote: »

With regards to this specific interview, I think it could be pretty interesting. O'Sullivan denies that Hook had any influence in his coaching career. Even if half of what Hook says is true, then it does seem like EOS is being quite ungracious.

Indeed, Usually the thursday interview is pre-taped. But fingers crossed this is a live interview, if it is it will be streamed in video live on the newstalk site. Which should be fun to watch.

anonymous_joe

eoin wrote: »

Every time this topic comes up, I recommend that people read Hook's autobiography. He and O'Sullivan go way back, and worked very closely together for a while. Hook feels that he had some input into O'Sullivan's success as a coach, but O'Sullivan doesn't give him credit for it. This is why Hook is pissed at O'Sullivan.

Hook is there to be controversial, and he does it well - but that the same time, he has a lot more experience than I think people give him credit for.

They worked together in the US set up didn't they?

Hook's well known for making absolutely baseless assertions about various Irish teams for the sake of stirring it up, I don't think any rugby player in the green is especially enamoured of him, and I can understand why someone as prickly as O'Sullivan would take umbrage to his veritable torrent of abuse.

Eoin

anonymous_joe wrote: »

They worked together in the US set up didn't they?

Connaught as well - but it wasn't just the US team, I think they set up a national coaching structure together in the States as well, or something like that. This is what EOS won't acknowledge.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Hook's well known for making absolutely baseless assertions about various Irish teams for the sake of stirring it up, I don't think any rugby player in the green is especially enamoured of him, and I can understand why someone as prickly as O'Sullivan would take umbrage to his veritable torrent of abuse.

If you mean how he often said that Munster would lose - he said in his book (I'm paraphrasing), that the Munster team were far greater than the sum of their parts, and that on paper they should not been favourites. And I don't think that's an unfair statement to make.

skregs

eoin wrote: »

Hook is there to be controversial, and he does it well - but that the same time, he has a lot more experience than I think people give him credit for.

he really doesn't though. people think he's some kind of oracle of rugby who can do no wrong, but the truth is he doesn't know much at all. thats why he never made it as a coach.
do i really need to bring up the "Tommy Bowe will never be good enough to play for Ireland" thing?

Chucky the tree

Only going on the article, put EOS comes across as extremely bitter and petty. Firstly is there anyone he doesn't argue with?

Naturally, a fair amount of space is devoted to his troubled relationship with Hook — “To say that George Hook and I go back a long way is a bit like observing that Israel and Gaza have a history,” he writes. Then there are the disputes with Galwegians, Connacht, Declan Kidney, Jake White, Marcelo Loffreda, Liam Hennessy and Phil Larder, with whom he almost came to blows during the 2005 Lions tour. There was even a coolness with Sister Dympna at the Holy Rosary College in Mountbellew, where O’Sullivan taught maths and PE.

But it seems he leaves most of his criticism for coaches who he's been in direct competition with and he's basically been shown up to be a worse coach then them. Gatland's first year he charge of Wales he wins a GS, something which EOS failed to do and then he's up against Mcgeechan for the Lions job. EOS managed to make a **** up of that one all on his own though.

anonymous_joe

eoin wrote: »

Connaught as well - but it wasn't just the US team, I think they set up a national coaching structure together in the States as well, or something like that. This is what EOS won't acknowledge.

I was only a lickle 'un and missed all this. ^^

If you mean how he often said that Munster would lose - he said in his book (I'm paraphrasing), that the Munster team were far greater than the sum of their parts, and that on paper they should not been favourites. And I don't think that's an unfair statement to make.

Well I think it's more his constant criticism of everything Irish. He seems to feel a need to be miserable no matter what. Can't be anything but a pain in the arse if you're a coach.

skregs wrote: »

he really doesn't though. people think he's some kind of oracle of rugby who can do no wrong, but the truth is he doesn't know much at all. thats why he never made it as a coach.
do i really need to bring up the "Tommy Bowe will never be good enough to play for Ireland" thing?

Well, what he knows and what he says are very different. He's a character, a showman, and he says stupid things to get a reaction.

skregs

outside of his deliberately controversial rte spot, he just doesn't know that much about the sport. i doubt he watches ML or anything besides HEC and international games. when himself, gallimh and corkery are chatting, you get the feeling they haven't really been in the loop for about 5 years now

anonymous_joe

skregs wrote: »

outside of his deliberately controversial rte spot, he just doesn't know that much about the sport. i doubt he watches ML or anything besides HEC and international games. when himself, gallimh and corkery are chatting, you get the feeling they haven't really been in the loop for about 5 years now

Hook I can stomach, but not those other two.

Corkery,that man has the brain of a 12 year old.

subfreq

Hookey's radio show is far far superior to his cameo's on the RTE panel. I actually think McGurch(SP) is the problem their. Awful gormless presenter. A total plum. Hook always tries to play against him and squeeze in a profound comment as a sound byte.

His radio show though is very, very good. Having watched EOS stumble through years of interviews I would expect George to slaughter him.

Two lines of questioning that will undo him. 1 - Why did you not see the game as a 22 man even and relied too heavily on the starting 15 to carry the 80 minutes? 2 - Why did you not use the amazing talent in the country that Declan has already introduced? Some players like Heaslip were held back IMO because of the insistence on old clapped out(but once good players) like Easterby.

Aidric

subfreq wrote: »

His radio show though is very, very good. Having watched EOS stumble through years of interviews I would expect George to slaughter him.

Lol wut? O Sullivan was a very competent media performer, I never once saw him stuble through an interview.
As for Hook's radio show it's average at best. His know all arrogance shines through on almost every piece, despite the fact that it's as clear as the nose on his face that he's clueless on a lot of topics. It makes for cringe radio a lot of the time imo.

Sherifu

Will be tuning in for this.

OldJay

skregs wrote: »

do i really need to bring up the "Tommy Bowe will never be good enough to play for Ireland" thing?

Don't forget "Hayes cannot scrummage"

Eoin

Justind wrote: »

Don't forget "Hayes cannot scrummage"

Hayes couldn't scrummage particularly well for many years. I think it's only the last few seasons he's been a good scrummager. Don't get me wrong, I think the guy is brilliant for lots of reasons, but let's not rewrite history.

EOS might never have stumbled through interviews, but he did master the art of never answering a question with a meaningful reply.

OldJay

eoin wrote: »

Hayes couldn't scrummage particularly well for many years. I think it's only the last few seasons he's been a good scrummager. Don't get me wrong, I think the guy is brilliant for lots of reasons, but let's not rewrite history

He was doing perfectly well when Hook came out with this line. Not rewriting anything. There are heaps more self-contradictions from him too.
Doesn't bother me though. Anyone with a mind of their own can decide for themselves. Its only media fluff.

GreeBo

CatFromHue wrote: »

on the rte panel conor o shea might be trying to make a valid point

:eek:
I must have missed that match!
Conor O'Shea.....Alan Shearer.....Jamie Redknapp
Commentators separated at birth.

NotWormBoy

GreeBo wrote: »

:eek:
I must have missed that match!
Conor O'Shea.....Alan Shearer.....Jamie Redknapp
Commentators separated at birth.

Ah here now. Conor O'Shea is far more knowledgeable about rugby and gets his points across far better than Shearer and Redknapp do about soccer. He usually calls it pretty accurately, and actually has things to say about the players/games as opposed to just filling up space. I'd have him down as a pretty good pundit actually, even if he is less controversial and entertaining than Hook.

theKramer

Conor O'Shea is definitely the best of the lot. He's the only one that will go into the real technical stuff, and thats very interesting. He usually gets cut off by yer man, just as he is about to make his point, which is really f*****g irritating.

Hooky has to be on there for the entertainment aspect though. Keep the regular punters happy....

anonymous_joe

O'Shea's far and away the most knowledgeable!

He's probably the best pundit on any station actually. Really has a lot of knowledge of the technical side of the game.

stephen_n

Has all the attraction of a play ground scarp tbh

EOS plugging his book while Hook plugs his already massive ego and somewhere in the middle might happen to be a tiny bit of rugby talk. pissing contests have never been my thing!

Judgement Day

Perhaps this should be moved to the betting thread? My money is on Hookey to run away with it and it may even come to blows.

Eoin

stephen_n wrote: »

Has all the attraction of a play ground scarp tbh

EOS plugging his book while Hook plugs his already massive ego and somewhere in the middle might happen to be a tiny bit of rugby talk. pissing contests have never been my thing!

Yeah, I think that might be the case - though subfreq's questions mentioned earlier might make him squirm. As I said though, EOS a master of talking a lot without actually saying much.

I'll still be tuning in all the same!

I can see this one going to fireworks,anyone who listens to hooks show which is actually very good btw will know that he can go wild.

I can see him interupting and shouting Eddie down and I can see Eddie flipping out,will be great.

Hopefully they can make amends and all Eddie has to do is acknowledge that Hook was involved in setting up stuctures in the USA with him etc,not a big ask imo and Eddie could well be in the wrong,I havent read Georges book though,so there could be more to it.

Lets hope they also have a good discussion about the current team and what changes will be made in the future etc,could be a cracking interview.
Anyone know the time?

pappyodaniel

Cant wait for this. Hook is a very professional radio presenter and is quite accomplished at interviewing political figures. In that respect I think he'll do his best to cut through the meanderings of EOS' cliched analogies. Hook knows Eddie O'Sullivan better than Mrs O'Sullivan so he'll definately get something noteworthy from it, I'm banking on Hook apologising for maybe being overly critical in the past and I think that will open the doors for a remarkably candid interview between old friends.

Aidric

Will Thoughtless Duckling wrote: »

anyone who listens to hooks show which is actually very good btw will know that he can go wild.

What's so good about it? Anytime I've tuned in it's been a trainwreck of poor questions, poor research and George's inability to grasp the very basics of whats being discussed. He'll still bluster on of course with an air of authority.

theKramer

Will Thoughtless Duckling wrote: »

Anyone know the time?

http://http://www.newstalk.ie/newstalk/programmes/6/the-right-hook.html
The Right Hook with George Hook
Weekdays 16.30 - 19.00

skregs

I reckon you could put Conor in any panel of 3 rugby pundits in the world, and he'd be the most knowledgeable.

Although I suppose unlike Hookey, Popey and Tom "Why isn't the ball round?" McGurk, O'Shea actually has professional interests in discovering new talent and watching player form due to his work with the not nots

Eoin

theKramer wrote: »

http://http://www.newstalk.ie/newstalk/programmes/6/the-right-hook.html
The Right Hook with George Hook
Weekdays 16.30 - 19.00

I think he said the interview would start at around 6:30

Chucky the tree

skregs wrote: »

I reckon you could put Conor in any panel of 3 rugby pundits in the world, and he'd be the most knowledgeable.

Although I suppose unlike Hookey, Popey and Tom "Why isn't the ball round?" McGurk, O'Shea actually has professional interests in discovering new talent and watching player form due to his work with the not nots

I think him and Will Greenwood together would be brilliant.

skregs

Chucky the tree wrote: »

I think him and Will Greenwood together would be brilliant.

I can picture it now....

CoS: It's incredible to see SA lose to Australia at such a crucial point in the Tri-Nations.
WG: South Africa would certainly lose if they were to play ENGLAND
CoS: It just goes to show you can never write off Australia.
WG: Their victory today was ENGLAND-esque!
CoS: The Wallabies front 5 have taken a lot of flak but they've really shown their true potential today
WG: Another criminally underrated forward is Andrew Sheridan, who plays for ENGLAND. He is strong and a brilliant player.
CoS: Giteau and Mortlock, the best centre combination in the world?
WG: If they were as good as you say, they'd play for ENGLAND
CoS: Australia can definitely make it to the RWC Final in 2011...
WG: ...where they'll lose in a whitewash against the might of the unstoppable English roses of ENGLAND!!!!

theKramer

eoin wrote: »

I think he said the interview would start at around 6:30

I think Im gonna be a few minutes late for training on Thursday evening Not gonna miss this

CatFromHue

chupacabra wrote: »

Quite simply if Hook wasn't involved in RTÉ's rugby coverage i would never watch RTÉ again. He asks questions that nobody else would ask and his opinionated, over the top bigotry is necessary in the analysis of a rugby game for the good or bad, otherwise you would just have Popey and O'Shea sitting there agreeing with each other all the time. And who wants to see that?

i think im in the complete other boat to you.
the only pre match opinion/analysis i watch is setanta's magners league.
i rarely watch rte, bbc or sky except for the game itself, maybe the odd occasion.
i used to when i was younger but now it seems very repetitive

Austin 3:16

eoin wrote: »

I think he said the interview would start at around 6:30

Hooky said today that the interview will be ar 5.30.

I'm actually going to it (i'm a student in UL) should be a bit of a laugh, should be a few fireworks!!

Judgement Day

Heard that on today's programme too - so it will probably be 6.30!

Austin 3:16

Judgement Day wrote: »

Heard that on today's programme too - so it will probably be 6.30!

It is Hooky alright, did you hear him trying to announce the prizewinners at the end? Nothing short of shambolic!

I wonder will the lovely Ingrid be at ringside with a cold towel

TarfHead

Podcast link for The Right Hook Thursday interview

http://newstalk.ie/newstalk/podcasts/11/thursday-interview-on-right-hook-show.xml

Luckycharm

Justind wrote: »

He was doing perfectly well when Hook came out with this line. Not rewriting anything. There are heaps more self-contradictions from him too.
Doesn't bother me though. Anyone with a mind of their own can decide for themselves. Its only media fluff.

He was poor- I guess you will be telling us that Buckley can scrummage :P
Corkery is the most one eyed fool on the radio, Hook tries too hard to be the Eamon Dunphy of rugby talks alot of rubbish - he actually won a Metro cup medal with my dad.
Conor O'Shea tows the line too much and will not say anything controversial or might go against his current employers.
Best Rugby analysts IMHO is Emmet bryne he is excellent on giving you behind the scenes and on the techical stuff.

anonymous_joe

Luckycharm wrote: »

He was poor- I guess you will be telling us that Buckley can scrummage :P
Corkery is the most one eyed fool on the radio, Hook tries too hard to be the Eamon Dunphy of rugby talks alot of rubbish - he actually won a Metro cup medal with my dad.
Conor O'Shea tows the line too much and will not say anything controversial or might go against his current employers.
Best Rugby analysts IMHO is Emmet bryne he is excellent on giving you behind the scenes and on the techical stuff.

Well he was working for the RFU for ages, common sense would dictate that you don't rag on your employers.

George Hook has his radio show and his RTÉ gigs, he's a lot more secure than someone like O'Shea.