NRL 360 host Paul Kent confronts journalist who’s been making outrageous claims about him

Radio personality James Willis has applauded prominent rugby league commentaor Paul Kent for ‘shirt-fronting’ another journalist at an NRL season launch event this week, accusing the other journalist of trolling. 

Kent, a senior News Corp journalist and co-host of Fox Sports NRL show NRL 360 has been accused of assaulting The Roar journalist Mike Meehall Wood at a season launch in Sydney.

2GB executive producer and host of Sports Update Willis said Kent shirt-fronted Wood at the KAYO season launch event before dragging him outside.

It comes after sustained attacks on social media aimed at Kent by The Roar journalist in recent years.

‘The rumour mill has been in overdrive about this, a lot of rugby league journalists talking about the launch, KAYO Sports had their launch on Wednesday,’ he said.

‘The story first appeared on the [Sydney Morning] Herald CBD, an ugly altercation between the well-known Paul Kent from Fox and the little-known scribe from website The Roar Mike Meehall Wood.

‘According to the Herald they came face-to-face, there was a screaming match before Kent shirt-fronted Wood and dragged him outside.’

Willis, speaking with co-host Ben Fordham, then called out Wood for his sustained attacks on Kent on social media.

‘Ben, I’ve got to say from personal experience, 99 per cent of the journalists in rugby league are good blokes, he said.

‘In my view, Mr Wood from The Roar is not one of them and he has been trolling Paul Kent with jibes like calling Kent a parasite, a gutter journalist, accusing him of racism, dog whistling and saying he knows nothing about rugby league.

‘So, with all trolls, they’re happy to put those things down but when they are confronted face-to-face, good on Paul Kent for standing up for himself.’

‘I’ve given him [Mike Meehall Wood] more publicity than he deserves.’

Journalist Adam Peacock was also at the event, but was upstairs interviewing Mal Meninga at the time.

He told the Footy Talk – Rugby League Podcast that the altercation was not physical.

‘It wasn’t physical, it was purely two blokes having an opinion about each other to each other’s faces,’ he said.

Kent was blunt when approached by the Herald for comment.

‘I don’t wanna talk about it … just look at what he says.’

He declined to make a statement when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. 

Wood has not commented on the incident.

More to come