Brisbane-based Channel 9 and Triple M personality Ben Dobbin will officially replace Anthony Maroon, months after an ugly walk out on live radio.
Maroon, himself a popular radio personality and NRL caller, walked out on the Sunday Sin Bin show over jokes made at his expense by co-hosts including Fox League NRL 360 host Paul Kent, journalist James Hooper and Broncos legend Gorden Tallis.
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Kent hosted the remainder of the show and Maroon quit the show officially a week later.
Maroon said the joke, which was about cash payments and the Australian Taxation Office, ended a mateship as he focused on NRL commentary.
Dobbin was given the opportunity to front the show and the Courier Mail reported Triple M bosses were “rapt with the fresh dynamic”.
“There will be no walkouts from me,” Dobbin said. “Anybody that’s played rugby league and sport knows the locker room thrives on banter and if ‘Hoops’ or Gordie want to get stuck into me, bring it on. It’s all in good fun.
“This show has been an important part of the rugby league family for Triple M and I am honoured to be hosting it.
“There’s no two ways about it, the show has had some controversy this year, but I can’t speak highly enough of Gorden Tallis, James Graham and James Hooper. I also have a great relationship with Paul Kent and I think a lot of Anthony Maroon as a Triple M colleague.
“The show sets the agenda in my opinion for the week. It has strong views, it’s a lot of fun and it tackles every topic, nothing is off limits on the Sunday Sin Bin.
“It’s been a dream of mine to get paid to talk about rugby league and I’m living that dream.”
The drama started when NRL journalist James Hooper joked about Maroon and the Australian Taxation Office, which the radio presenter immediately took umbrage with.
“Hang on a minute, there is some breaking news here, I just got a text message,” Hooper started. “Hello this is the ATO, the Australian Taxation Office, we have an inquiry.”
Maroon responded by mocking Hooper for losing his driver’s licence: “I don’t have a problem with the ATO, I welcome it mate but I am just wondering when are you going to be back on the road Hoops?”
Hooper then said: “Why are you jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof?”
Maroon continued: “I am fed up with it. I have asked you on air, I have asked you off air, I have asked you to stop and now I have told you I am hitting back. If I have got to cop it every week for five years, let’s have it out on air. This is absolute bulls***. We might get a walkout.
“Let’s keep going boys because when it comes to you three, I live a very boring life. I am blowing up because I am sick to death of it. Now I have known for three years you have not had a licence and I have not said anything on air. I have warned you 15 times, I don’t like this. I have been on air for 32 years, I am a professional. This particular issue I have probably raised on air and off air, I don’t know, 100 times. I have even sent emails to the powers that be … nothing. It never stops.”
Hooper chimed in: “You know the more you ask us to stop it, the funnier it gets.”
Maroon finished: “Mate, I don’t think it is funny, it has already caused me a lot of grief. I am not putting up with it anymore. I don’t like it. I have asked many, many times for it to stop. I am saying here and now, I am not even joking … I tell you what, I will leave you guys with it, OK.”
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