NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / League

NRL star reveals how he was sacked for tackling team mascot

By Dan Elsom
news.com.au·
25 May, 2016 12:50 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former Roosters star Bryan Fletcher. Photo / Getty

Former Roosters star Bryan Fletcher. Photo / Getty

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ah, Rugby League. May you forever maintain your status as the breeding ground for the weird and wonderful sports stories of Australia.

The latest tale from the nation's most chaotic football code comes to us via flashback from former Origin and Test star Bryan Fletcher.

Speaking with Triple M's The Grill Team on Wednesday morning, the 13-Test veteran was discussing his early days playing for the Sydney Roosters and told of the incident that saw his NRL career very nearly go up in smoke.

In 1996, before Fletch had made his NRL debut, the bustling second rower found himself in a costly drunken collision with the club's mascot, Rocky the Rooster.

"I was 21, I was playing second grade," Fletcher said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"So that year, this was Gus's (coach Phil Gould) first year at the chooks, the first grade side made the semi-finals for the first time and I was playing second grade.

"So in those days you played at one o'clock. By the time everyone had got back to the club at five o'clock for the presentation for first grade, I'd had a few (drinks) - it was at the stadium and this was before RSA and you had full strength beer, so I'd had say a dozen, and some rum and coke.

"What had happened was, they (first grade players) were getting presented on stage and it was quite a big fanfare, and at that time of the year it was all about WWF - the wrestling.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"What I decided to do was give Rocky the Rooster, the mascot, a big flying elbow from the top of the turnstile.

"I ran through the crowd, there was probably 1000 people in there, and I got caught on video actually. I was running through and I jumped on the table and just levelled the mascot.

"He had no idea, so he fell off the stage and was hurt quite badly."

As is the case with any off-field misdemeanour, Fletcher then had to face the club's disciplinary officials. Expecting a slap on the wrists, the punishment was far more severe.

Discover more

NRL

Foran comeback can't inspire Eels

23 May 05:51 PM
NRL

NRL: Foran injures shoulder, fails to inspire Eels over the Storm

23 May 08:11 PM
NRL

Kiwi Peta Hiku done for season, will miss Four Nations

24 May 04:05 AM
NRL

Laurie Daley in firing line if Blues falter

24 May 04:20 AM

"I then had to face the powers that be, and Arthur Beetson, the great Arthur Beetson, was there watching the video. He laughed and laughed for about an hour. But Bernie Gurr the CEO obviously didn't think it was that funny, so I got sacked," he said.

Not surprisingly, the story behind how the NSW Origin forward managed to get himself re-instated at the club is just as ludicrous.

"I got sacked and I met Gus (coach Phil Gould) - in the off-season I was up having a few beers up at Archie's in Bondi Junction, which was a notorious nightclub, and Gus was in there," Fletcher said.

"We ran into each other on the dance floor. I ran into him and we had a beer and he said, 'Why aren't you at training?' And I said, 'Because I got sacked.'

"And he basically said, 'Well, get to training after Christmas.' So I came back and no one said a word after that, he just dealt with it."

Fletcher then went on to play 135 NRL games for the Roosters, while also representing Australia and NSW on 13 and 14 different occasions respectively.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Sydney local also played 45 games for South Sydney Rabbitohs and made 55 appearances for Wigan Warriors in the UK's Super League before retiring in 2007.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from League

Sport|league

Juggling jobs and family: Warriors Women tackle challenges of top sport

01 Jul 03:33 AM
Warriors

Boyd makes case to fill Warriors halfback void following Metcalf injury

30 Jun 11:00 PM
Warriors

Warriors struck another major blow as Metcalf set to miss season

30 Jun 05:38 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from League

Juggling jobs and family: Warriors Women tackle challenges of top sport

Juggling jobs and family: Warriors Women tackle challenges of top sport

01 Jul 03:33 AM

Apii Nicholls talks balancing league and police work on The Big League Podcast.

Boyd makes case to fill Warriors halfback void following Metcalf injury

Boyd makes case to fill Warriors halfback void following Metcalf injury

30 Jun 11:00 PM
Warriors struck another major blow as Metcalf set to miss season

Warriors struck another major blow as Metcalf set to miss season

30 Jun 05:38 PM
Premium
Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

Kiwi athletes urged to watch what they wear - or risk falling foul of drug testers

29 Jun 12:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP