Peter Peters (rugby league)
{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer, commentator & journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Peter Peters
|fullname = Panoutas Peterides
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|06|10|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date =
|height =
|weight =
|position = {{Rlp|SR}}
|club1 = Parramatta
|year1start = 1968
|year1end =
|appearances1 = 11
|tries1 = 1
|goals1 = 28
|fieldgoals1 = 1
|points1 = 61
|club2 = Manly Sea Eagles
|year2start = 1969
|year2end = 74
|appearances2 = 73
|tries2 = 14
|goals2 = 19
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 80
|updated = 20 June 2019
|source = [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/peter-peters/summary.html Rugby League Project][http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Peter-Peters_6575.aspx Yesterday's Hero]
}}
Peter Peters (Greek: Πανούτας Πετερίδης; born 10 June 1947) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, commentator and journalist.
Playing career
He was a first grade player for Parramatta in 1967 and 1968, then transferred to Manly where he played between 1969 and 1974. Peters played in the Sea Eagles’ 1973 premiership winning team. In his six seasons at Brookvale Peters played over 70 grade games.{{cite web|url=https://www.parraeels.com.au/about/official-player-numbers/|title=Official Player Numbers|website=Parramatta Eels}}
Post playing
Later he became a rugby league journalist in Fairfax newspapers and football commentator on radio station 2GB before moving to 2KY, forming a partnership with former referee Greg Hartley, which became popularly known as the 'Decibel Duo'{{Cite news
| last = Christopher
| first = Peter
| title = Decibel Duo splits after Grand Final
| work = The Sun-Herald
| place = Australia
| page = 3
| language =
| publisher = Fairfax Media
| date = 26 September 1992
| url = http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news920926_0069_0068
| accessdate = 13 February 2011}} and 'Hollywood and Zorba'.[http://www.2ky.com.au/company/team.php The 2KY Team - 2KY Australia 1017 (Racing Radio)] Peters was nicknamed 'Zorba' for his Greek ancestry.[http://soaringseaeagles.tripod.com/players/peters.htm peters] He was also a panelist on television programme Controversy Corner, hosted by Rex Mossop in the late 1970s.
He later became Media Manager at Manly.[http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200608/s1713454.htm ABC Sport - Rugby League - 'Shattered' Kennedy's career in the balance]
Late in the 2011 NRL season, Peters was stood down by the Manly-Warringah club over a sexist comment made to a female journalist. He twice said to Sky News reporter Megan Barnard, "You're a good sort." He later apologised for the comments, saying, "I'm not a sexist person and I work alongside a lot of women in my job at Manly."{{cite news|last=AAP|author-link=Australian Associated Press|title=Peters stood down by Sea Eagles|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/peters-stood-down-by-sea-eagles-20110901-1jnzy.html|accessdate=1 September 2011|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=1 September 2011}} He was later returned to the Manly Leagues Club board in 2012.
Peters is well known for his dislike of former NRL side and arch rival North Sydney. In 2018, NSW coach Brad Fittler suggested that Manly-Warringah and Norths should once again merge to form a super club. Peters responded to Fittler's comments by saying "On the way in I saw a couple of flying pigs, and then I checked my diary to see if it was April Fools Day, Never going to happen. It will never happen, not the North Sydney Bears. They want to buy everyone. Gold Coast? Missed out. Brisbane team? Missed out. Perth team? Missed out. Now Manly. They've failed every time".{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/nrl-manly-sea-eagles-north-sydney-bears-brad-fittler/1qighpy90kgzs14n64i43a8xar/|title=Manly Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears must merge into a 'behemoth' club, says Brad Fittler|website=Sporting News|date=3 September 2018 }}
In 2021 there was talks of North Sydney potentially returning to the NRL once again. Peters was asked by the media what he thought of North Sydney's potential reinstatement with Peters responding with "Everyone's being nice to them but being nice in professional sport doesn’t get you anywhere, they last won a comp in 1922 and that will be the last comp they win. It's gone. They won't be back. They've got as much chance of being in the NRL as I have of flying to the moon backwards on a sky rocket from NASA". Peters also made fun of North Sydney's suggestions of a march to raise awareness of them potentially returning. Peters responded with "Five hundred will turn up…most of them with walking sticks, Two hundred if it rains".{{cite web|url=https://nz.news.yahoo.com/nrl-2021-north-sydney-bears-feeling-no-love-manly-014030209.html/|title='They rooted us': North Sydney Bears feeling no love from Manly|website=nz.news.yahoo.com|date=29 October 2021 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110612133017/http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/P/Peter_Peters.html Career stats]
- [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/peters-in-manly-firing-line/story-0-1111118882274]
{{Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles squad 1973 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Peter}}
Category:Australian people of Greek descent
Category:Sportspeople of Greek descent
Category:Australian rugby league commentators
Category:Australian rugby league journalists
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players
Category:Parramatta Eels players
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney