When Penrith Panthers great Mark Geyer retired from playing NRL professionally in 2000, he didn’t know what he would be doing next. “I started selling football jerseys from the back of a car for a sponsor,” Geyer told Mediaweek. “My whole thing was to not say no to anything that came up.”
This attitude saw him work for Campbelltown’s c91.3FM, ABC Radio, Rugby League Week, 2GB, 2UE, 2SM, and Nine. In 2008, Geyer joined Triple M Sydney’s The Grill Team, alongside Matthew Johns and Gus Worland. He hung up the headphones on the early morning shift in 2017, after nine years with the show. “I couldn’t get up at 3:30am any more. Living in Penrith still, my commute at that time of the morning got too much,” he said. “The decision was more a lifestyle change than a career change. I am still doing radio at night.”
Geyer is the host of Triple M Sydney’s 6pm show The Rush Hour with MG: “The hours are different, I see my kids more and everybody is happy – especially my wife.”
The Grill Team in 2017: Emma Freedman, Gus Worland, Matthew Johns, MG and Chris Page
The NRL legend turned media professional doesn’t shy away from labelling himself as “the unofficial voice of the west”.
“There aren’t many people – if any – who live close to Penrith and are in the media these days,” he said.
The move from being a part of a multi-header show to hosting his own was scary for Geyer. “It took me a good four weeks to get used to it,” he admitted.
Geyer’s 6pm shift comes with less ratings pressure than he had in breakfast. He explained: “I know we have had good ratings in the last couple of books, but there is nothing like breakfast ratings. The pressure is completely different to that. But you have to make sure that your show is attractive to the sponsors, which we have been as of late. That’s been a big plus.”
Having played NRL as a professional helps Geyer cover the game on the show. “I have walked the walk so can talk the talk,” he said. “I have to be very careful to not talk about the game in past tense though. I retired from it 17 years ago so I don’t want to sound like the dinosaur of the game. I try to relate with the young blokes.
“At the moment, we have got a 100% strike rate with every person we have asked to come on the show.”
Geyer is quick to remind Mediaweek that The Rush Hour with MG isn’t only about NRL. “I am across most sports. I am loving the soccer World Cup at the moment. I used to play cricket at a pretty high level as a youngster.
“Having been around sports for 45 years in different capacities, I have my eyes on many codes. I am not an expert on every sport. A little bit of research doesn’t hurt.”
Apart from hosting The Rush Hour, Geyer is also a part of Triple M’s NRL team. He does commentary for games on Thursdays and Fridays.