NRL news: Peter ‘Zorba’ Peters fires up at Brisbane radio host Peter Psaltis

Peter Peters has responded to criticism of Peter Psaltis over the Kangaroos national anthem furore, calling the Channel 9 caller and radio commentator a “buffoon and brown nose.”

Veteran journalist Peter ‘Zorba’ Peters has labelled a Queensland television and radio rugby league commentator a “buffoon and brown nose.”

Peters was retaliating to a stinging spray directed his way by Channel 9 caller and Brisbane radio host Peter Psaltis.

The drama started after Peters appeared on the Big Sports Breakfast Weekend radio show last Sunday where he called out four Australian players – Queensland-based stars Selwyn Cobbo, Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow – for failing to sing the national anthem before a Test match.

Peters’ controversial comments were endorsed by former Manly and Kangaroos captain, Max Krilich.

On his weekly segment, Peters also took a swipe at Channel 9 commentators, including Psaltis, by suggesting the network was under-utilising versatile caller Brenton Speed.

Peters’ comments riled Psaltis, who went on Brisbane’s 4BC and called Peters “an irrelevant non-event” who should “shut up.”

Peter Peters has fired back at criticism from Peter Psaltis, calling him a “buffoon and brown nose.”

Peters, the king of Sydney rugby league radio throughout the 1980s, wasn’t about to cop criticism from Psaltis.

“Never heard of him, never met him, don’t know who he is,” Peters said.

“Those players that didn’t sing the anthem are all Queenslanders so this bloke (Psaltis) is terrified because he will get off-side with them. He has never got a story in his life and won’t unless he brown noses, which is what he is.

“Obviously those in charge at Channel 9 and 4BC in Brisbane have dropped their standards from the days of gun Queensland commentators like John McCoy and Billy J Smith.

“They could have mixed it in any company but not so this buffoon (Psaltis). He is in Brisbane – the place to work when you can’t get a job in the big smoke. You could win the Brisbane radio ratings by sending up smoke signals.

“He is in his little tadpole pond in Brisbane along with the rest of the cane toads in Queensland.

“I stand by Brenton Speed being the most talented caller at 9. He (Psaltis) is obviously feeling embarrassed that I chose to ignore him but I did that because I don’t know who he is.

“Sydney is the city that counts in the media. (Psaltis) is obviously looking to improve his profile. It’s water off a duck’s back.”

Psaltis called out Peter Peters, after the veteran journalist criticised Kangaroos players for not singing the national anthem. Picture: AAP.

Psaltis was aggrieved at Peters’ comment about the anthem and Channel 9.

“Max Krilich is someone who played for Australia and he’s certainly entitled to his opinion,” he said.

“But let’s stop short at forming opinions on the basis of one of the most irrelevant people in rugby league, Peter Peters, because he comes out and says it. Give me a break if he’s going to start setting the news agenda.

“He is the biggest non-event in Australian media, not just the rugby league media. He gets paid pittance to try to remain relevant, or become relevant, because I don’t think he had ever been relevant on a Sunday morning radio show.

“For the last three years, he has had pot shots at those north of the border, doing their best in trying to commentate on football matches, and this bloke just decides that it’s good enough to jump on air and bag people for no reason at all.

“I probably shouldn’t be talking about him because 99.9 per cent of you (the listeners) would not know who he is and let me tell you, your life is better off without knowing who he is.

“And if he wants to keep taking pot shots at me or my colleagues up here then let him do it because no-one in management is going to listen to what you’ve got to say, Zorba. Just shut up.”

Peters called 30 grand finals alongside broadcast legends Ray Warren and Greg Hartley while commentating world title boxing fights involving Jeff Fenech, Jeff Harding and Kostya Tsyzu.

“I started my media career in Sydney in 1968 and have survived decades in the toughest media city in Australia,” Peters said.

Originally published as NRL news: Peter ‘Zorba’ Peters fires up at Brisbane radio host Peter Psaltis