Bryan Fletcher talks about iconic Origin moment and Panthers mess; Sicily free kick ‘disgusting’

NRL great Bryan Fletcher has revealed a nightclub in Sydney’s Kings Cross sparked one of Orign’s most famous ever moments.

NRL great Bryan Fletcher has opened up on his iconic “grenade” celebration after scoring an Origin try, revealing the plan was hatched in the bowels of a Sydney nightclub.

Already up 2-0 in the 2000 series, NSW was smashing Queensland in game three when Fletcher scored a try under the sticks. He then famously celebrated by pretending the ball was a grenade, lobbing it in the air as teammates fell to the ground around him when it landed.

It’s a moment etched in Origin folklore and one many believe was an act of disrespect that inspired Queensland’s incredible dominance of the interstate rivalry in the 21st century.

Former Roosters and Souths star Fletcher said before Origin III in 2000, the team saw an advanced screening of Any Given Sunday, the film starring Al Pacino centred around the fortunes of an American football team. In it, one of the characters celebrated a touchdown by pretending the football was a grenade.

After the movie, the Blues players hit the town for a boozy night at the Bourbon and Beefsteak nightclub in Sydney’s Kings Cross.

“In that movie they do a try celebration, which was the hand grenade and the public hadn’t seen it. So we went … on a bonding night, we watched the movie and then went out for a drink,” Fletcher told the At Odds program.

“We went to the Bourbon and Beefsteak. I don’t remember this because I’ve had a few too many head knocks but we practised the hand grenade on the bottom dance floor of the Bourbon.”

Fletcher claims he didn’t remember too much about the night so when teammate Ryan Girdler came up to him after the back-rower scored a four-pointer, he was confused at first before everything came flooding back to him.

Fletcher lobbed the “grenade” and the rest is history.

“I scored under the sticks and Ryan Girdler came running up to me and said, ‘Let’s do the grenade, let’s do the grenade!’. I said, ‘What? I don’t remember’,” Fletcher said.

“Girds had rounded the troops and we did the hand grenade and it all came flooding back to me, that little Bourbon incident — it was about four in the morning.”

While the rehearsed play went off without a hitch, it ignited a fire in Queensland bellies as the Maroons won 11 of 12 series between 2006-2017. But Fletcher has no regrets about the act that was seen by those north of the border as a sledge about their team’s ability to keep up with the boys in sky blue.

“Everyone to a tee took their position but the following year the first thing Queensland did when they got in camp was watch that, watch how disrespectful it was,” Fletcher said.

“It wasn’t disrespectful, we put 50 on them!

“People ask me if I ever regret it and I say no. I say, ‘No, it was fun’.”

Bombs away.

Disrespectful or funny?

PENRITH DRAMA IS A ‘MESS’

The recent drama out of Penrith has seen the club’s year go from bad to worse after early season wobbles and off-season scandals.

The latest round saw the Panthers fail to score a try against Melbourne, going down 32-2. It added to an unfortunate stat for the men at the foot of the mountain, whose backline haven’t run over for a try all season.

Whispers of an “unhappy marriage” between general manager Gus Gould and the playing group — which he now has no part in directing — emerged after the third round shenanigans.

Then on Tuesday damning reports came out of Penrith, with Gould admitting he was oblivious to a plan from the rest of the club to approach Ivan Cleary to return.

After the off-season from hell, the revelation was but another sideshow in the circus at the foot of the mountain.

Bryan Fletcher said he was clueless as to how it all went under Gould’s nose.

“During the week ... Gus Gould said he was unaware that there was an approach made to Ivan Cleary by the chairman,” Fletcher said.

“Because Gus wanted to get Wayne Bennett, so he sounded him out. This has all blown up during the week. They’ve had the off-season from hell — now there’s dramas between the general manager and the chairman ... They mustn’t be talking. I don’t understand how Gus didn’t know the club approached Ivan Cleary.”

Fletcher said Gould’s relationship with Cleary senior, who he famously fired from the club in 2015, “can’t be healthy” after the stress of the opening rounds.

AFL CONTROVERSY: ‘THAT WAS DISGUSTING’

The AFL has come under fire barely a fortnight in for its new “soft” rulings for argy bargy on the field. A particularly divisive call against James Sicily over the weekend’s round had everyone from Sam Newman to the old codger down the pub calling for blood.
Take a look at the controversial call below.

“That was disgusting,” Fletcher said as the panel turned their attention to Melbourne.

At Odds host Shane Heal went for the jugular, sitting in awe of what Australia’s biggest spectator sport had become in 2019.

“I live in Sydney and I stand up for AFL all the time, but that was just pathetic. The game has become so soft,” Heal said. “It’s unbelievable that a little push and shove (can turn into) suspensions and reports.”

“It’s a bit like soccer when they take a dive,” Fletcher probed.

Oh dur. Soft frees and pedantic umpiring, the sudden cry (AFL) How long have I been saying this? At least 5 years! What’s it like to be ‘ahead of the curve’? Relevant, of course. #softgame @Origsmartassam

— Sam Newman (@Origsmartassam) April 1, 2019