- Ray Hadley and John Gibbs were colleagues at 2GB
- Pair had a falling out that resurfaced on Sunday night
Former radio colleagues Ray Hadley and John Gibbs reportedly got into an ugly verbal clash at the NRL grand final as their feud bubbled to the surface after it started decades ago.
Top-rating broadcaster Hadley and footy great turned commentator Gibbs spent years working together at radio station 2UE before they broke off contact when they had a bitter falling out more than 20 years ago.
Gibbs – who now works for the ABC – and Hadley were both covering Penrith’s premiership triumph on Sunday when they ended up in the same room.
The former Manly star called out ‘Hello Ray’ when they crossed paths – with Hadley firing back with, ‘Stop wasting your breath,’ according to News Corp.
Gibbs joined 2UE in 1985, four years after he was forced to retire from the game due to injury.
He was a major part of their rugby league coverage as the station rose to the top of the ratings – but handed in his resignation in 1998, claiming he had suffered harassment and bullying from Hadley, who was 2UE’s sport director.
Gibbs stayed on for another year before quitting the station altogether.
He then switched to rival station 2GB in 2000. Hadley followed him to the broadcaster in December 2001, and still works there.
2GB radio star Ray Hadley (pictured) reportedly had harsh words with his former colleague John Gibbs when the two crossed paths at the NRL grand final
Gibbs (pictured bottom right with his fellow footy commentators at the ABC) quit working with Hadley more than 20 years ago when the pair fell out
Gibbs reacted by switching back to 2UE in 2002, and joined the ABC’s footy coverage in 2022.
He has also made appearances on Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
The 68-year-old scored 44 tries in his 87 games for the Sea Eagles in a first-grade career that began in 1976.
A halfback with a distinctive running style, he also represented NSW in 1978 and was picked for the Kangaroo tour that year, but did not feature in any Test matches.
Hadley, 70, called the grand final for 2GB on Sunday as part of the station’s Continuous Call Team.
Hadley and 2GB were unavailable when Daily Mail Australia sought comment.
In July, Hadley revealed the heartbreaking phone call he had with the late footy broadcaster David Morrow about his entry into the NRL Hall of Fame.
Morrow received the call from Hadley while he was battling cancer in hospital, with wife Chris and fellow commentator Mark Levy by his side.
‘It was a very emotional time. I tried to hold it together as best as I could,’ Hadley told his 2GB audience.
”Thirsty’ was sleeping and then woke. I explained while he was awake to him and Chris what had happened that day and he had been elevated to the NRL Hall of Fame.
‘We had a conversation as best we could, and I heard later from Mark that tears were shed by David and by Chris.’
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