A former Penrith star has criticized Triple M Sydney alleging the station had disrespected football great Mark Geyer after the broadcaster suddenly sacked him last week.
Many were surprised by Triple M’s decision to part ways with the New South Wales State of Origin legend, who has been a fan favorite on the station’s Mick & MG in the Morning breakfast show for some time.
Despite having been at the station for 17 years, Geyer and his co-hosts Mick Molloy and Cat Lynch will be replaced by a new cast including former NRL star turned media personality Beau Ryan.
It is understood he will make his debut on the show on January 20, 2025 and will be joined by co-presenters Natarsha Belling and former West Tigers captain Aaron Woods. The show will be renamed Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Tarsh & Woodsy and will run from 6am to 9am Monday to Friday.
Geyer’s dismissal was first reported by The Daily Telegraph last week, but the reasons why he left the station remain unclear, and the former Kangaroos star has yet to comment on the matter.
But according to former Penrith star Lou Zivanovic, who met the 56-year-old for lunch last week, Geyer was left “devastated” by the sudden call after being “caught off guard” by the channel.
Mark Geyer was reportedly left “devastated”, according to a former NRL player, after he was dropped from Triple M Sydney’s breakfast show.
Geyer has spent the last 17 years working for the station but, according to Lou Zivanovic, the move left him “blindsided.”
“MG (Mark Geyer) is one of the most loyal people you will ever meet and Triple M has shown him zero loyalty in return,” Zivanovic said. Yahoo Sports Australia.
“The decision came as a surprise to him and he is understandably devastated. In business, decisions are made every day, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. He’s been totally screwed, without warning, after 17 years of loyal service. It doesn’t sit well with me or with many people.
“He’s still coming to terms with all of this, but he’s a strong man,” Zivanovic added.
‘MG showed during his football career that you get knocked down and you get up again, and that’s the way he approaches this. With the help and support of family and friends, you will recover from this. One door closes and another opens.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Southern Cross Austereo for comment.
Geyer, who was capped three times by Australia and helped Penrith to their first premiership victory in 1991, retired from professional football in 2000.
He would go on to pursue a career in media having written extensively for newspapers, before taking on roles at Triple M and Fox Footy.
His co-host and comedian Molloy will return to Victoria where he will host the local breakfast show with Nick Riewoldt, Titus O’Reily and Rosie Walton.
Geyer (left), who was capped three times by Australia and helped Penrith to their first premiership victory in 1991, retired from professional football in 2000.
Geyer and Mitch Molloy have been replaced by Beau Ryan (left), Natarsha Belling (centre) and former West Tigers captain Aaron Woods (right).
It comes amid a massive shake-up across Australia’s big sports streaming platforms, with Triple M handing Marty Sheargold a new role after he vacated the breakfast role in July. He will extend his Marty Sheargold show across the country to hosting gigs in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Meanwhile, Triple M Sydney has officially announced its line-up for the new show, with Southern Cross Audio (SCA) chief content officer Dave Cameron thanking Geyer for his time at the station.
“We want to thank MG for his incredible 17-year contribution to Triple M across many NRL programs and call-ups,” he said.
“We sincerely hope he will be part of the Triple M family again at some point in the future and wish him all the best.”
Woods, for his part, has spoken of his respect and admiration for Geyer and revealed the advice he gave him during his NRL career.
“He just told me to never stop doing what I was doing, to not say no to anything and to keep showing up,” Woods told Sport Con.
‘I have never forgotten it. MG along with Matty Johns and Gus Worland helped me a lot.
Woods, who announced his retirement earlier this year having made 270 NRL appearances, added: “He was the first person I texted this morning.”