Anthony Albanese tells Dominic Perrottet to tear down Sydney Roosters sign at new Allianz Stadium

A heated conversation between Anthony Albanese and Dominic Perrottet has ended with the Prime Minister demanding the NSW Premier tear down a sign at Sydney‘s Allianz Stadium calling it the ‘Home of the Sydney Roosters’.

The pair were filmed at a charity cricket game at Kirribilli House on Thursday where Mr Albanese expressed his displeasure at the Roosters’ signage being allowed on the controversial new $874 million stadium rebuilt by Mr Perrottet’s Liberal Government.

The Labor PM is a life member of the Roosters’ rivals, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who had toyed with sharing the plush new 45,500 capacity stadium with the eastern suburbs club after the stadium opened to rave reviews from fans.

Many Souths fans however still see the Moore Park ground as their spiritual home as it’s closer to their South Sydney heartland. 

However, Souths have since opted to honour a contract they signed before the stadium was opened to remain at Accor Stadium in Homebush. 

The Roosters were permitted to put the controversial ‘Home of the Roosters’ sign up  after paying $12.5 million agreement for a high-performance centre at the venue.

A heated conversation between Anthony Albanese and Dom Perrottet has ended in the Prime Minister demanding the NSW Premier tear down a sign at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium that says ‘Home of the Sydney Roosters’

The charity match the pair were a part of was organised by radio duo Fitzy and Wippa.  

Fitzy & Wippa’s First XI Backyard Cricket match was hosted at Mr Albanese’s own official residence, Kirribilli House.

Mr Albanese and Mr Perrottet were on opposing sides of the charity match when conversation turned to the sign which has recently been covered by A-League soccer side Sydney FC.

‘It’s got a Roosters sign, how have they done that?’ Mr Albanese said in the conversation.

The Premier and Fitzy shared a laugh but the Prime Minister did not seem amused saying: ‘No, tear it down!’

Anthony Albanese (left) and Dom Perrottet (second right) were filmed at a charity cricket game at Kirribilli House on Thursday where Mr Albanese voiced his anger at the Roosters’ signage being allowed on the new $900 million ground developed by state Liberal Government

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The pair were filmed at a charity cricket game at Kirribilli House on Thursday where the Prime Minister voiced his anger at the Roosters signage being allowed on the new $900m stadium

Mr Perrottet realising Mr Albanese was dead serious backed down saying: ‘I don’t want it to be an exclusive ground …. We can tear it down.’

Chairman of Venues NSW Tony Shepherd said he was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the conversation between the pair and said the removal of the sign would be a ‘serious breach of contract’.

‘They are paying land rent on those facilities … that helps us then to pay the operating costs,’ he said.

Tensions between Sydney FC and the Sydney Roosters flared up after the Sky Blues covered up a branded sign of the 2019 NRL premiers.

When Sydney FC hosted Melbourne Victory in their A-League season opener on October 8, club officials used a tarpaulin to temporarily erase the game day presence of the Tricolours as spectators made their way into the $874million revamped venue. 

Given the NRL is in its off-season, and Sydney FC are the primary users of Allianz Stadium from October through to March, the A-League club elected to use a tarpaulin to ‘hide’ the Roosters sign on October 8

How the Daily Telegraph reported how Sydney FC erected the tarpaulin – before the job was finished by Sydney FC staff at Allianz Stadium

Despite the NRL being in its off-season, the decision went down like a lead balloon at Roosters HQ, with CEO Joe Kelly phoning Sydney FC chief Adam Santo to express his displeasure at the ‘stunt.’

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

‘I also told him we’d be looking at our legal options…then he (Santo) hung up on me.’

It prompted a furious Roosters supremo Nick Politis to contact Venues NSW, where he made his feelings well known.

Politis also labelled Sydney FC’s game day conduct ‘petty’ before adding 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 hire agreement.

‘We’ve been on this site with three stadiums for 86 years. How long have they been around?

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

Anthony Albanese ends PMs’ embarrassing cricket tradition as he smashes a delivery from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet out of the park at Kirribilli House

By Kristy Williams

Anthony Albanese has taken to the lawns of Kirribilli House to play some backyard cricket – and in the process has mercifully ended the record of Aussie Prime Ministers embarrassing themselves with bat and ball in hand.

Mr Albanese was taking part in ‘Fitzy and Wippa’s Backyard Cricket game’ at the official Prime Minister’s residence in Kirribilli in the shadows of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Hosted by Nova radio hosts Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald, a former AFL star, and Michael Wipfli, the game featured two star-studded teams captained by the presenters.

The Prime Minister headed up one team with Fitzgerald, while NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet captained the other alongside Wipfli.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese carries the ‘First Dog’, Toto, onto the field during a game of backyard cricket at the official residence at Kirribilli House

Mr Albanese faced the prospect of humiliating himself like previous Aussie Prime Ministers who very much fell into the ‘can’t bowl, can’t throw’ category – as the late Shane Warne would say.

Former PM John Howard’s humiliating attempt at bowling in India remains a source of national shame, while Bob Hawke famously had his glasses shattered when he failed to handle a short ball in a politicians game. 

The new Prime Minister feared he would follow in those footsteps.

‘Let me say, as a cricketer, I make a good politician,’ Mr Albanese said in a pre-game interview. 

He needn’t have worried. The Prime Minister smashed a double-hopper from Mr Perrottet out of the park with a cross-batted swipe that channeled David Warner – and no doubt he would have been happy to cop the ‘six and out’. 

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese showed good technique as he bowled during the match

Mr Albanese might have looked slightly unorthodox on occasion, but managed to strike the ball with good power

Mr Albanese was wearing the merchandise of his beloved NRL club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs

A crowd of onlookers packed the stunning Kirribilli House slopping lawns as the Prime Minister strokes one through cover

Mr Albanese was even better with ball in hand, with his somewhat mechanical action producing decent results. 

His skills even filtered down to the Prime Minister’s ‘First Dog’, Toto.

Mr Albanese said on an Instagram Story prior to the start of the match he was confident she would be the ‘man of the match’, ‘because she is very good at chasing balls’. 

He had to stop the game on one occasion, when the enthusiastic Cavoodle couldn’t help but sprint onto the pitch as the ball was bowled. 

DOG ON THE PITCH! The Prime Minister interrupts the match as the ‘First Dog’, Toto, streaks through the game

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet shows good batting technique as he smokes the ball through midwicket, with Aussie cricketer Nathan Lyon watching on

Mr Perrottet also sent down some left-arm medium pacers – though they didn’t always hit the intended target

Radio host and former AFL player Ryan Fitzgerald (left) talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prior to the match at Kirribilli House

Celebrities such as Lynne McGranger, Beau Ryan, Conrad Sewell, Richard Wilkins, Ben Fordham and Karl Stefanovic also took part in the match.

Aussie cricketers Stella Campbell, Nathan Lyon and Brett Lee did their best to improve the level of play.

It wasn’t just a hit and a giggle either. $15,000 was raised for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Sydney.