David 'Thirsty' Morrow, a renowned figure in sports broadcasting, has passed away at the age of 71 following a battle with brain cancer.

Morrow's illustrious career spanned over five decades, during which he covered an extensive range of sports. He began his career at the ABC, where he provided commentary for cricket and rugby league matches. Since 2015, he had been a part of the 2GB team, covering nine NRL seasons.

Morrow's impressive portfolio includes coverage of eight Olympic Games, six Commonwealth Games, and 44 seasons of first-grade NRL. His contributions to the community, sport, and sports broadcasting were recognised in 2005 when he was awarded an OAM. He was also the 28th inductee into the SCG Media Hall of Honour and was recently announced to be inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame.

Ray Hadley, a colleague and friend, paid tribute to Morrow, saying, "I’ve worked with a lot of people over a long time in broadcasting. There’s no more versatile commentator than David Morrow. Apart from being a magnificent commentator, he was a really, really good man. It will be with a sad heart that we all arrive in Brisbane this afternoon and confront State of Origin without our mate with us, but we’ll be dedicating the game tonight to his memory, which will live long because of the outstanding work he’s done over half a century."

Tom Malone, Nine Radio Managing Director, echoed these sentiments.

"Everyone that met David liked him, because he was passionate about what he did. He was an advocate for athletes and sports people. He loved what they did on the track, field, pitch or ground, and loved describing their achievements to the listeners. We’ve lost one of the greats today. Our staff and our listeners will miss him dearly."

Luke Davis, 2GB Content Manager, also acknowledged Morrow's influence on the next generation of sports broadcasters.

"For more than five decades, David Morrow's voice was the soundtrack of some of the greatest sporting moments Australia and the world has seen. His knowledge and passion for sport has burst through Australian radios each and every weekend – a familiar and iconic sound. 'Thirsty' was a mentor to so many of the ‘next generation’ of sports broadcasters, and his influence will live on, through them, for many years to come."

Morrow is survived by his wife Kristine and daughters Emily and Lucy. The Continuous Call Team will pay tribute to David Morrow during its special coverage of the State of Origin Decider on 2GB and 4BC from 6.00pm AEST.