Notorious footy bad boy cops ANOTHER ban after abusing an official at his old club
- John Hopoate banned from Wests Tigers events
- Notorious former NRL star assaulted and threatened official
- He is best known for a series of shocking incidents on the field
Notorious NRL bad boy John Hopoate has reportedly been banned for life from Wests Tigers events after insulting a senior football official at an event last week.
Hopoate, 50, is perhaps sadly better known for his series of shocking incidents on and off the pitch than for the football he played during a successful 200-game career.
The colossal footballer stuck his finger in the buttocks of three opponents during a match in 2001. The incident made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons.
He was banned for 12 games for that incident, having been out of action for a staggering 47 games throughout his career – an unwanted NRL record.
He has been no stranger to controversy since the end of his career, Wide world of sports now reports that Hopoate ‘abused and threatened’ NSWRL director Dave Trodden at the Tigers’ 25th anniversary dinner.
The article states that Hopoate’s abuse was so severe that Trodden and his family had to leave the meeting while authorities escorted him to his car.
“It was outrageous and he will not be welcome at any Tigers events in the future,” Tigers manager Shane Richardson told Wide World of Sports.
Hopoate’s anger is said to stem from a decision by NSWRL to prevent him from coaching a junior rugby league team.
John Hopoate (pictured) has been banned for life from Wests Tigers events after insulting a senior football official during an event
Hopoate allegedly ‘assaulted and threatened’ NSWRL director Dave Trodden
A witness to the incident told WWOS: ‘It was a horrible thing to see and all everyone could talk about afterwards was it.’
The Tigers club are said to have apologised to Trodden for the ugly incident.
The infamous former NRL star has served in a variety of roles since his retirement in 2005.
He first tried his hand at professional boxing before starting work as a bouncer at a pub in Kings Cross in 2010.
However, later that year he was involved in a brawl in which a customer was killed.
Hopoate turned to boxing after his football career ended
Hopoate eventually returned to Manly, the club where he played 181 NRL games, as a part-time coach.
As his family grew, he took part in several boxing matches, including fights against former NRL star Paul Gallen and former world champion Lucas Browne.