Football Australia marketing boss labels Roosters ‘bizarre’ as code war continues at Allianz Stadium

Football Australia marketing boss Peter Filopoulos has labeled the behavior of the NRL’s Sydney Roosters as “bizarre” and “property” as the code war over signage at the new Allianz Stadium intensifies.

Filopoulos took to Twitter on Friday, saying the Roosters displayed an “inflated sense of importance over others” and “owned” in how they have adopted the $874 million remodeled site as their own – despite it being owned by the NSW -state government.

‘Bizarre! How can a rival code club expect their brand to be lit in the stadium in a shared government funded stadium at a co-tenant’s (of a different code mind you) matches is mind-boggling,” Filopoulos tweeted.

“Reads like self-righteousness and an inflated sense of importance over others.”

The tweet came after Roosters supremo Nick Politis called A-League club Sydney FC “close-minded” for covering up Roosters’ signage ahead of their season opener against Melbourne Victory on October 8.

It follows that Roosters’ NRL supremo Nick Politis has labeled A-League club Sydney FC as ‘close-minded’ after Sky Blues staff covered the boards of the Tricolors ahead of their season opener against Melbourne Victory on October 8.

The Roosters felt they had the right to display the sign permanently after paying $12.5 million for a high-performance center at the upgraded sports venue owned by the NSW government

Roosters CEO Joe Kelly also called Sydney FC chief Adam Santo to complain about the ‘stunt’.

“I told him what they had done was the equivalent of vandalism,” Kelly said earlier this week.

“I also told him we would look into our legal options…then he (Santo) hung up.”

It prompted an enraged Politis to contact Venues NSW where he made his feelings known.

Politis added that the NRL club has a “contract where signage is part of that agreement”.

“Sydney FC don’t understand,” Politis told the Daily Telegraph. ‘They just have a ground lease.

“We have been on this three-stadium ground for 86 years. How long have they been there?

“The tarpaulin was horrendous… we paid for our own facilities and we pay rent for the space we use.

How Sydney FC covered the Roosters’ board for their A-League opener on October 8 vs Melbourne Victory

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and NSW Premier Dom Perrottet (second from right) were filmed Thursday at a charity cricket match at Kirribilli House, where Mr Albanese expressed anger at the rooster signage being allowed on the improved grounds of $874 million

The code war escalated when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – a known fan of South Sydney Rabbitohs – asked NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet about the Roosters’ sign as the pair spoke on the sidelines of a charity cricket match at Kirribilli House on Thursday.

Albanian was told the NRL club had permission to display the controversial ‘Home of the Roosters’ sign after paying $12.5 million for a high-performance center at the multi-purpose sports venue.

“It (Allianz Stadium) got a Roosters sign, how did they do that?” Mr Albanese said in conversation with the NSW Prime Minister before adding ‘break it down!’

Perrottet soon realized that Albanian was dead serious and stated: ‘I don’t want it to become an exclusive ground… we can tear it down (sign)’.

After tense meetings on Thursday, Venues NSW have confirmed they will turn off the lights on the ‘Home of the Sydney Roosters’ sign on the north side of Allianz Stadium when Sydney FC or Super Rugby’s NSW Waratahs play at the venue.